For me, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) happens at just the right time. At the start of a new year, it is an opportunity for churches to begin as they mean to go on; with a focus on unity. It’s a reminder that the effectiveness of our witness to the world is predicated on our commitment to a unified church “so that the world might believe.” (John 17:21).
WPCU 2026 was no exception. It began for me on Sunday 18 January 2026, with a visit to a packed Churches Together meeting hosted by St Paul’s Church, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. I was invited to speak on 1 Corinthians 3, where the Apostle Paul encourages believers not to be factional, “I’m of Apollos, I’m of Cephas, I’m of Paul”, but to remember we are one in Christ. It was encouraging to learn about the Street Pastors initiative that was supported by several churches across the town. And inspiring to hear about the work of 16 churches who together to run the Trussell Foodbank, providing for those in food poverty.
Next stop on Monday was an online prayer meeting with the National Day of Prayer and Worship, which is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England (CTE). There, I joined dozens of Christians from across the country as part of 30 days of prayer. I was asked to lead prayers for London. I felt led to pray for our Member Churches who have their offices in London, as well as the ecumenical instruments whose offices are in London, our sister organisations, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and the Free Churches Group.
On Tuesday, it felt fitting that we held training for new members of CTE’s Living with Diversity Well Working Group which has brought together Member Churches from across the theological spectrum to discuss human sexuality and equal marriage. CTE has built non-violent speech training into our ways of working and has approximately a dozen churches represented at this ongoing roundtable conversation. The aim of our gatherings is not to convince each other of our individual perspectives but rather to listen and understand more deeply the complexities of this delicate issue.
On Wednesday, the National Ecumenical Representatives for various Member Churches were hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference at their offices in London. Fr Marc Homsey began our day by leading prayers in the chapel on the theme of Christian Unity. This was followed by a wonderful day of reflection and fellowship and finished with a meal together.
Thursday was an online gathering of more than 40 Charities and Networks in Association with CTE. This was chaired by Rev Jessica Foster from Trussell. I was asked to give a kind of “State of the Nation” address and encouraged our partner organisations to focus on unity in these polarised times, and for leaders to be mindful of their own well-being.
On the final Sunday of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I visited St Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in London. St Sarkis is the oldest Armenian Orthodox Church in London. His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan was joined by representatives from the Free Churches, the Catholic Church, the Church of England, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church and me from the Pentecostal tradition. I finished the week by preaching on the 2026 theme for the WPCU “One Body, One Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4) and some thoughts from 1 Corinthians 12. As churches, we need one another; we should honour one another and when one is suffering, we all suffer. From England, we pray and stand in unity with the church under pressure and persecution around the world.