Newly published reports by the Anglican Church and the World Council of Churches confirm that Sunday worship, international ecumenical cooperation, and environmental advocacy were closely linked during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, Armenia. On Sunday, October 25, 2026, delegates attending the United Nations Biodiversity Conference and representatives of the World Council of Churches came together for an ecumenical Sunday prayer and worship service at the headquarters of the Armenian Orthodox Church, in the presence of Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos Karekin II.
This represents another example of churches and political leaders promoting climate-centered Sunday worship at the international level during policy discussions.
The Anglican Church reported the following:
• “The Rt Revd Graham Usher has been leading an Anglican delegation at the COP17 UN Biodiversity Conference. They are advocating for the protection and restoration of God’s earth. On Sunday, 25 October, they attended an ecumenical service at St. Anne’s Church in Yerevan.” [1]
The World Council of Churches issued the following statements:
• “On 25 October, churches in Armenia met the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) with an encounter and a prayer. At the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation. In the evening, the WCC led an ecumenical prayer at St. Anna Church in Yerevan.” [2]
• “At Etchmiadzin, the delegation attended the Divine Liturgy. Karekin II said God entrusts people with responsibility for nature, shown through constant care. Environmental work, he said, must come with stronger spiritual and moral values, so that human knowledge serves the care of nature for present and future generations.” [2]
• “Delegation members thanked him and spoke about climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Because the crisis has spiritual and moral roots, they said, churches must act together.” [2]
• “It was particularly inspiring to have the participation of the local community, especially youth, together with COP17 participants and different faith denomination representatives from all over the world in Yerevan. The ecumenical service offered a hopeful sign of unity and collective engagement in caring for creation and protecting biodiversity,” said Dr. Louk Andrianos, WCC consultant for Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice.” [2]
• “The WCC attends COP17 as part of the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2034). It will then take this advocacy to COP31, the climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, 9–20 November.” [2]
Sunday worship in relation to the care for creation is becoming more popular at major international environmental conferences, including those associated with the United Nations and the World Council of Churches. Sunday has always had a central place within the ecumenical movement and has long been associated with the common day of worship for all people. This time around, however, the counterfeit day of worship is being honored by global policymaking organizations in an effort to connect Sunday worship with environmental initiatives—both religious and political.
Sources
[1] https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1MJtMGjcLW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
[2] https://www.oikoumene.org/news/biodiversity-cop17-catholicos-receives-wcc-ecumenical-prayer-follows
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