Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson elected president of WCRC

The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO has been elected to serve as the next president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). The election took place on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at WCRC’s 27th General Council, taking place in Chiang Mai, Thailand through Thursday, Oct. 23. Thompson was officially installed during the Oct. 23 morning worship service.

“The request to serve came as a surprise. I am thankful for the support of my leadership and the affirmation to answer this call at this time,” Thompson said on her election.

“To elect a woman as president is a continuation of our seriousness regarding empowering women in leadership and lifting this leadership to the world,” the Rev. Najla Kassab, WCRC’s current president, said in a statement. 

Thompson says the UCC’s participation in WCRC has been important over the years, as the relationship is ‘one of the global ecumenical spaces where along with partners, we are creating a just world for all through advocacy and in living out our faith.”

“Our Reformed heritage is held with pride even as we live into the years of being a united and uniting church which ongoing obligations to the unity of the church,” Thompson said.

The full slate, which includes members serving as vice presidents and Executive Committee members from Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Zambia, Cuba, and many other countries is made up of 12 women, 10 men, three youth, nine lay people, and 13 ordained leaders that represent all regions. 

The UCC is a member church of WCRC, a Christian ecumenical body that was formed in June 2010 following the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC). WCRC is considered one of the largest Christian communions in the world, after the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

You can learn more about WCRC and the 27th General Council, including link to stream live HERE. 

NOTE: This story has since been updated to include quotes from Rev. Thompson, as well as her video message to WCRC.

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