The memory of World Council of Churches’ Assemblies

This photo shows three American delegates of the 2nd Assembly of World Council of Churches in Evanston, 1954, reminiscing the 1st Assembly in Amsterdam, 1948 by browsing documents, photographs and posters. 

The Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has the mandate to set the future agenda of the Council, to elect governance officials and to speak with a public voice on behalf of the churches. It is also a unique moment for the whole fellowship of member churches to come together in prayer and celebration. More than 3'000 people, delegates and representatives of various denominations from the whole globe share a week of prayer, worship, reflexion and debate.

In Amsterdam 1948, delegates from 127 denominations from 39 nations came together for the 1st Assembly. Today, the Assembly brings together people from 345 member churches, denominations and church fellowships from more than 110 countries throughout the world, representing over 500 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. While the bulk of the WCC's founding churches were European and North American, today most member churches are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific.

The documentary memory of the Assemblies as well as the archives of World Council of Churches including documents and records, photographs and other audiovisual sources are kept at the WCC Archives and Library.