In the wake of the destruction of World War II, Christian leaders sought unity and cooperation to heal the divides of the past. Their efforts led to the groundbreaking inauguration of the World Council of Churches in 1948, bringing together Protestant denominations from around the globe for the first time.
Early Efforts Towards Protestant Cooperation
The vision for a unified global Protestant witness traces back to the 19th century, arising from both spiritual and pragmatic motivations. Leaders in various denominations recognized that Christianity’s fractured nature hampered its work and witness. They longed to heal old divides and join together across theological lines, envisioning a Christianity speaking with one voice on key issues.
This ecumenical impulse was strengthened by practical realities. As missionaries encountered new cultures worldwide, cooperation allowed more efficient outreach. Rather than compete for converts, churches could allocate resources wisely. Ecumenical fellowship also enabled strategic social action across denominational silos.
Several gatherings throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries paved the way for a larger, more official unification. In 1846, the Evangelical Alliance brought together leaders from multiple Protestant traditions for the first time. While not an ecclesiastical body, it fostered discussion and common cause. The Edinburgh Missionary Conference of 1910 gathered delegates from over 150 mission societies, strategizing how to avoid duplication abroad.
The Faith and Order movement and Life and Work movement also organized numerous international conferences on spiritual and practical ecumenism. These engaged church bodies and theological heavyweights like Archbishop Nathan Söderblom and Swiss theologian Karl Barth. While the Faith and Order movement focused on theological rapprochement, Life and Work promoted unified social action. Their separate streams later joined together, providing a direct precursor to the World Council of Churches.
As these efforts progressed, world events lent them fresh urgency. The ravages of two world wars left societies grappling with hunger, homelessness, grief and profound questions about humanity’s capacity for evil. Amidst such raw human need, old divisions and rivalries between churches seemed trivial. Christians recognized that only a unified body could address the moment, bringing both material aid and the healing message of the Gospel.
The formation of the World Council of Churches stood as the logical next step—a global ecumenical body to represent shared Protestant belief, facilitate practical work, and reshape Christianity as a religion centered on peace in a fractured world.
The Amsterdam Assembly and the Official Formation of the World Council of Churches
As the first half of the 20th century saw growing momentum for Protestant cooperation, plans began coalescing for an official, global ecumenical body. Several influential figures came to the forefront as organizers, including Dutch pastor Willem Visser ‘t Hooft. As secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in process of formation, Visser ‘t Hooft tirelessly coordinated the efforts that culminated in Amsterdam.
Representatives from 147 churches across 44 countries gathered for the highly anticipated assembly from August 22nd-September 4th, 1948. The invited bodies ran the theological gamut, including Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and other Protestant traditions. Prominent locations like the Concertgebouw and Nieuwe Kerk hosted plenary sessions discussing matters of faith, postwar relief, and outreach.
For many attendees, Amsterdam carried spiritual and symbolic weight. Holland had long prided itself on religious tolerance, making it an apt backdrop. The Netherlands also suffered deep wounds from Nazi occupation, reminding delegates of the war’s devastations. As visceral memories mingled with hope, speakers emphasized Amsterdam as a new chapter. Early plenary messages came from figures like Karl Barth, who declared “May God be with us! May God help us!”
The assembly concluded by constituted the World Council of Churches as an official body, adopting a basis outlining its identity and ecumenical aims. The early priorities it enumerated included issues that transcended old theological differences: refugees, war-torn societies, poverty, racism, antisemitism, religious liberty issues and more.
While tensions inevitably flared given the diversity in the room, delegates still left Amsterdam with spirits buoyed. Newspapers described an impassioned, electric mood, as participants sang hymns and clasped hands despite barriers of nationality, race and tradition. Visser ‘t Hooft later reflected that the assembly created “an ecumenical mentality” bringing Christian charity to the fore.
Over subsequent years, the WCC expanded its relief efforts and global presence as more church bodies joined. But that initial gathering in Amsterdam remains the symbolic nucleus. By committing to fellowship beyond their own circles, those early visionaries actualized Christ’s prayer for unity across his followers. Their work echoes into the 21st century, as the WCC continues laboring for peace, human dignity and the advancing of God’s kingdom.
The World Council of Churches formalized at Amsterdam in 1948 stands as a powerful testimony to unity amidst Christian diversity. Despite centuries of divides along denominational, national, and racial lines, its formation brought leaders together from a multitude of global backgrounds. Their cooperation speaks to ecumenism’s highest aims — joining hands to better live out Jesus’ prayer that his followers “all be one” (John 17:21). In finding common cause on humanitarian needs, and in their commitment to give Christianity a more unified voice, those inaugural WCC visionaries honored Christ through their work towards fellowship.
References
Borelli, J. (2010). The origins and early development of interreligious relations during the century of the church (1910-2010). U.S. Catholic Historian, 28(2), 81–105.
Kinnamon, M., & Cope, B. E. (1997). The ecumenical movement: An anthology of key texts and voices. Eerdmans.
Lossky, N., Bonino, J. M., Pobee, J., Stransky, T., Wainwright, G., & Webb, P. (1991). Dictionary of the ecumenical movement. WCC Publications.
Oxley, S. (2010). The World Council of Churches and ‘Ecumenical Consciousness’: How the Constitutional Responsibility of Fostering ‘Ecumenical Consciousness’ Has Been Reflected in the World Council of Churches’ Educational and Formational Activities From 1948-2006 [Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Rouse, R., & Neill, S. C. (Eds.). (1967). A History of the Ecumenical Movement 1517-1948 (Vol. 1). Westminster John Knox Press.
Visser ‘t Hooft, W. A. (1982). The Genesis and formation of the World Council of Churches. World Council of Churches.