Contact: World Council of Churches, +41-79-507-6363; www.oikoumene.org/press 
 
GENEVE, May 3, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- "When the day of Pentecost came, the followers of Jesus were all in one place and of one accord … They were of one mind in anticipation. There was a oneness, a conjunction, of fellowship (association), minds, and place."

In their 2017 Pentecost message, the presidents of the World Council of Churches (WCC) reflect on what it means to be a people of the Way on a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, based on verses from Acts 2:1.

"Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and it encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle," the presidents reflect. "This is what Pentecost is all about. It is about embracing a new life in Christ."

"The way is a common expression in Acts for the Christian religion," they note. "It is a metaphor for life and conduct. The way of God and the way of life are seen as the only right and true way."

"We as people of the way should stand where God is standing," the presidents add and conclude, "we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. This is our conviction. Christianity provides us a way, a path to engage in church and society—to embody the way."

Message of the presidents of the World Council of Churches at Pentecost 2017 (also available in French, German and Spanish)

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.