LCCN to Be Officially Welcomed into World Council of Churches

19 June 2025

The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) is set to be officially welcomed as a new member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) during the ongoing Central Committee meeting taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 18 to 24 June 2025. This historic inclusion strengthens LCCN’s role in global ecumenical dialogue and Christian witness.

LCCN joins three other newly accepted churches: the Apostolic Pentecostal Church International (Liberia), the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (Malawi), and the Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany. Another Nigerian denomination, the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, membership application will be received by the Central Committee.

The Central Committee serves as the chief governing body of the WCC between assemblies, meeting every two years. It is tasked with implementing policies adopted by the Assembly, supervising WCC programmes, and approving the Council’s budget.

At a press briefing, WCC Moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm emphasized the role of the media and churches in spreading the WCC’s message. “We always talk in TV and in newspapers about these people in power who are often behind the violence,” he said. “Let’s talk more about the victims.”

Rev. Merlyn Hyde-Riley, Vice Moderator of the Central Committee, highlighted global awareness campaigns such as Thursdays in Black, which advocates for a world free from rape and violence. “Perhaps not everybody is listening, but a significant number are,” she said.

WCC General Secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, affirmed that the WCC message is reaching broken and hurting people.
“The politicians are not listening to the people’s pain and suffering. That’s what we are engaging with—mobilizing the powers that be.”

Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, Vice Moderator, noted the increasing number of churches seeking guidance from the WCC.  “They listen, they follow, and they appreciate the World Council of Churches,” he stated.Also speaking, Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka, President of the South African Council of Churches, underlined the credibility of the church’s voice in society.

“People have confidence in the church,” he said. “We will not stop until they listen.”

The WCC now comprises 352 member churches representing more than 580 million Christians worldwide. LCCN’s inclusion marks a new chapter in its global witness, especially in advocating for peace, justice, and interfaith understanding across Nigeria and beyond.