Pope Francis says Global Christian Forum fosters respect and human dignity, in Colombia message

GCF Bogotá - Thursday, April 26, 2018




Juan Uzma-Gomez from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity delivers a message from Pope Francis to the Global Christian Forum's gathering in Bogota, Colombia. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC


Pope Francis has extended his greetings to participants of the Third Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum in Bogota, Colombia saying it provides solidarity that fosters respect and esteem, mutual forgiveness and that defends human dignity.

Father Juan Usma-Gomez, head of the Western Section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from Colombia, read the message on 26 April, the third day of the 24-28 April gathering.

Reflecting on this year’s theme of “Let Mutual Love Continue”, Pope Francis emphasised that “humanity is in great need of such solidarity, which fosters respect and esteem, mutual forgiveness and the effective defence of human dignity in every situation.”

Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to God for the occasion to gather together “as the Forum is a grace-filled opportunity for representatives of many Christian communities to meet as brothers and sisters and journey towards the fulfilment of Jesus’ prayer that all may be one so that the world may believe (cf Jn 17:21).”

He referred to the GCF’s unique role as the most comprehensive gathering of global Christianity today and as a safe space for conversation across boundaries of Christian traditions.

Pope Francis said: “I pray that the Forum may be a time to share personal and ecclesial faith experiences and provide an open and respectful space to address together new contemporary challenges, by promoting Christian solidarity and cooperation in a fresh and innovative way.”

“I assure you and all present of my spiritual closeness during these days, and I invoke upon you Almighty God's blessings of wisdom, courage and strength,” he concluded.

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity is one of the four “pillars” of the GCF, has been an important contributor in the journey towards better understanding among different Christian traditions and the exploration of how common challenges can be addressed together.

The other pillars of the GCF are: the Pentecostal World Fellowship, the World Evangelical Alliance and the World Council of Churches.


Photos from the GCF Global Gathering in Bogota

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Global Christian Forum

Global Christian Forum


The Global Christian Forum aims to bring together churches and Christian traditions who have not been engaged together in ecumenical dialogue, especially those rooted in the evangelical and Pentecostal movements. Since 1998 its Continuation Committee has organized a series of regional meetings, culminating in the November 2007 global forum in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants included (but were not limited to) representatives of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance, Baptist World Alliance, and Pentecostal World Fellowship; a second global meeting will be held in Indonesia in October 2011. As a relative newcomer, the Global Christian Forum embodies a spirit of enthusiasm and hope, though participants acknowledge that more substantive dialogue will likely exacerbate latent tensions.

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Leader Brings Distinctly Adventist Voice to International Christian Gathering

4MAY 5, 2018


By: Bettina Krause, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty

The third meeting of the Global Christian Forum, held April 24 to 27 in Bogotá, Colombia, provided an invaluable opportunity to be “salt and light” and to share key Seventh-day Adventist values with a unique audience, says Dr. Ganoune Diop, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Adventist world church. Diop, who was a plenary speaker in the closing session of the event, addressed some 400 Christian leaders from 65 countries who represented a broad range of Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Evangelicals, Anglicans, and many independent churches.

In his presentation, Diop spoke about the centrality of Jesus Christ in human history. “One of the most fascinating revelations of Scripture is how Jesus embraced the story of the whole human family; how He fulfils our stories,” said Diop. “He came to embrace our destiny in order to defeat death from inside. He came to deliver us from evil. And to do so, he chose to live our story, and our stories.”

The Global Christian Forum provides an informal space for Christians of many different denominations to share information about themselves and to discuss common challenges facing Christians around the world. The group, which has no constitution and makes no decisions, is focused on facilitating open dialogue about shared concerns, such as religious freedom, persecution, and other barriers to mission.

In an interview after the event, Diop said that the presence of Adventists at gatherings such as this is an important part of the work of the General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, which is entrusted with the task of making the Adventist Church more visible in the public realm.

“Ellen White describes the ministry of Christ on Earth as ‘mingling with men as one who desired their good,’” says Diop. “Mingling—being salt and light in the world—is at the heart of our mission as Seventh-day Adventists. For our department, that means building bridges with people of influence in society, whether in the political or religious arenas, sharing who Adventists are, and how we are a blessing to society in so many different ways.”

Diop, who also serves on the Global Christian Forum oversight committee, says it provides a way to introduce Adventism to other Christians “on our own terms,” to learn about other denominations, and to help dispel prejudices or misconceptions on both sides.