In Egypt, in October 2025, theologians from all round the world gathered for the WCC World Conference on Faith and Order. In a region of ancient traditions and historic councils, this was not a gathering of ‘church fathers’ but a gathering of men and women from ‘every tribe and nation’, each bringing with them commitment to what holds us together and the gifts of their contextual expression of Christianity. In many ways, the meeting had all the features of a ‘council’ – discussing our common creed, exploring how theology shapes the practice of faith, worshipping and praying together, sprinkled with at-times robust debate.
The value of such a meeting was not a final ‘product’ or ‘decision’; it was the practice of koinonia – the practice of learning to walk not just together, but towards one another in a world which prizes walking away from the one who disagrees or differs from us. Much we discussed which can be found on the WCC website, including in the final conference statement.
In the midst of all the theological depth and richness, simply gathering and affirming unity, despite our socio-political identities and belonging, felt like a significant witness in a world where nations are tearing one another, and themselves, apart. Yet this is only a witness when unity is more than papering over the cracks: when we acknowledge the painful wounds we carry with us, both from fractures within the church, and the ways in which each and every one of us is part of systems, nations and histories that separate us, or involve us in systemic injustices and inequalities. A notable feature of this Sixth World Conference was the level of representation from Global South churches and the increasing diversity represented there. Together with this wider representation came an insistent call to recognise the narrowness of some historical ecumenical endeavours – not that they were bad, but that some of the traditions and methods of our past need to adapt, widen and learn from those who have not always had a voice at the table. In other words, koinonia cannot be simply about ecclesial communion and full eucharistic communion, it has to be found in lives lived, in practical solidarity and willingness to change so that we find ways of walking together, in honesty and justice.
Decolonialism/decoloniality therefore became a dominant theological thread of the conference. The term is common in wider academia, and one of the challenges for the Faith and Order Commission going forward is to ask, what does a distinctively Christian expression of decolonialism/decoloniality look like? What theological themes and motifs undergird it, and what will it demand in terms of interrogating and adapting ecumenical theology and method? To speak of decolonialism was not easy, because it touches on deep aspects of our humanity – identity, justice, discrimination, history and all the things that make us who we are as individuals and groups. This is where koinonia may not look like koinonia: communion may not look peaceful or gentle, but might be the necessary work of exposing painful truth, challenging unjust and sinful patterns, disagreeing over how to move forward. Disagreement and even conflict are not necessarily bad: set within the context of ongoing dialogue, they keep us in relation, and moving in discernment, seeking to move towards one another rather than away from each other – and this is truly holy work in a world of conflict and fragmentation.
Rev Dr Isabelle Hamley is an Anglican priest, theologian and broadcaster. She has held roles as parish priest, university chaplain and chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rev Dr Isabelle became the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge in 2024. She represents the Church of England on the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission.