Young people presenting at the conference of World Council of Churches (WCC) commissions and reference groups held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, voiced their reflections on what it means to be church in the world today.
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Arshav Jerjerian, with the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia), serves on the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development. Jerjerian reflected that church is not only the place we go to pray, but also how we live our faith and respond to the needs of the world around us.
“My experience in Chiang Mai, through the World Council of Churches, reminded me of the importance of coming together across different churches, traditions, and cultures,” said Jerjerian. “Despite our differences, we share a common responsibility to serve people, work for justice, and care for God’s creation.”
Jerjerian believes the church should give young people meaningful opportunities to participate, listen to their perspectives, and trust them with responsibility. “At the same time, we must be willing to take initiative, learn from others, and put our faith into action,” said Jerjerian.
Ruth Mathen, from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, works with the WCC Just Community of Women and Men programme, and as a youth advisor to the WCC central committee. She valued meeting with local organisations working on migration, clean air, health justice, and interfaith dialogue, among other issues. “Each of them started their work from the situation of the people affected,” she said. “Churches must first listen and learn why certain problems have been produced in the first place.”
She lamented the times when judgement and condemnation end the conversation before the learning starts. “The people who work on migration and clean air every day know things that the church does not, and our responsibility begins with understanding them,” she said. “These encounters made me return to the distinction between diakonia as charity, as a service-delivery model, and diakonia as social action that addresses the cause.”
Laquitissa Tseco, from the Zion Union Apostolic Christian Church in Mozambique, works with the WCC on overcoming racism. Tseco noted that, often, young people are said to be the future of the church—but it is time to hold them as both the future and the present of the church.
“Having young people in the decision-making rooms means that they are able to contribute for a better future based on their aspirations for the present generations and those yet to come, and moves them from being the consumers to being the producers, therefore, they can be held accountable for the future,” said Tseco. “If justice, peace, and unity fail in the future of the church, we will know we were there—we will hold ourselves, as youth, accountable for the wrong decisions, and if the churches thrive and prosper in the future, we will jubilee, for we will know we were at the table when the decisions were made and our voices were heard, and our ideas and thoughts have been taken seriously, and have not been taken for granted.”
Faith Justice S. Angeles, from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, serves on the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development as well as Young People in the Ecumenical Movement. “My hope is not born from comfort,” she said. “It is born from the cross and from the struggle of the people.”
She noted that, in the Philippines, farmers and Indigenous communities are being driven from their land for critical minerals and tech corridors. “We need to stand, and above all to listen, especially to those who have no voice and are not seen,” she said. “It means standing with farmers for land, with workers for dignity, with Indigenous peoples for their ancestral domain, and with the red-tagged for their right to serve without fear. There is no peace without justice.”
Catalina Bonilla, from the Mennonite Church of Colombia, serves on the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing and Young People in the Ecumenical Movement. “The richness of the ecumenical movement lies in the fact that the differences each person brings, from their particular church tradition and country, add new flavor and perspective,” she said. “Rather than being a limitation, this diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints enables a more encompassing reflection on the role of the church in today’s society.”
It is essential to hear the prophetic voice of the church, Bonilla added. “This means considering not only the people participating in these global events, but even more, the communities they represent, particularly grassroots communities enduring the injustices committed against them,” she said. “Complex issues demand holistic responses, and these can only emerge from a broad and diverse range of perspectives.”
Fausta Umutoniwase, from the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda, serves with the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network and the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development.
“As a young person from Rwanda, I believe that we may not have all the answers, but we have valuable experiences and ideas to contribute,” said Umutoniwase. “We need experienced leaders to share their wisdom, but we also need them to trust young people and give us opportunities to participate meaningfully.”
Umutoniwase believes that young people bring fresh ideas and innovations. “Today, we are facing many challenges, including climate change, social, financial—so our perspectives matter in shaping the future.”
Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow but contributors today, Umutoniwase added. “I would like to see churches inviting young people to the table, especially those who are seen as the least contributors yet they are at the frontline,” said Umutoniwase. “I also hope for stronger partnerships between young people and experienced leaders.”
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