A new Global Ecumenical Indigenous Women’s Theological Network has been launched within the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Theological Education (ETE) programme, creating a dedicated global space for Indigenous women theologians, scholars and emerging leaders to connect, collaborate and strengthen their contribution to theological education and the ecumenical movement. The initiative was formally brought into conversation through an inaugural online meeting on mid September, bringing together Indigenous women from different regions and contexts. The meeting affirmed that the network’s identity, priorities and ways of working should be shaped by Indigenous women themselves, with further consultation planned to broaden participation. Rev. Tamsyn Kereopa, an Indigenous Māori theologian and ordained minister from the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, described the significance of the initiative: “Despite the many barriers for Indigenous women in Theological Education, this Network is the first global ecumenical initiative dedicated solely to the gathering of Indigenous women scholars and progressing their own priorities.” The network builds on consultations initiated in 2022 and responds to longstanding barriers to theological education, mentorship, leadership development and international networking for Indigenous women. It seeks to recognise Indigenous sacred knowledge, cultural traditions, storytelling, community-based wisdom and embodied practices alongside formal theological scholarship. Initial areas of development include collaborative research and publication, mentoring and intergenerational exchange, scholarships and fellowships, institutional partnerships, regular online gatherings and engagement with WCC programmes and ecumenical events. The network will connect Indigenous women across Africa, the Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kereopa added that the conversations already demonstrate “fresh and innovative” possibilities, bringing together shared understandings and distinctive regional experiences in ways that are “novel in Ecumenical settings”. The network will continue developing through consultation, with regular online meetings and the possibility of an in-person gathering in 2028 among the next steps under consideration. WCC Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation WCC Ecumenical Theological Education SOURCE>WCC |