The World Council of Churches is getting ready for the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism which will take place on 8-13 March 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania. These conferences are of a long tradition of the International Mission Council and the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) and are organized every decade.

This conference will understand mission as a multivalent activity. That includes joyful witness in word and deed to the person of Jesus Christ and his gospel; commitment to working for justice and reconciliation among all peoples and within all of creation; and participation in interfaith, secular, and ecumenical dialogue that seeks mutual understanding and common witness. It will celebrate the unity of all peoples as it marvels at their God-given diversity. It will reflect thoughtfully on various issues of missionary practice and seek new ways of being faithful to God’s mission in the world with the leading of the Spirit.

Theme of the conference is “Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship”. Moving in the Spirit brings the notion of pilgrimage, of an on-going journey of all believers, led and guided by the Holy Spirit. This is a pilgrimage that is characterised by constant hope for a transformed world of justice and peace and a commitment to renewal in Christ. This theme offers a prophetic message amidst the complexities of today’s world.