The World Council of Churches general secretary, the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, has called on member churches as well as churches around the world to join in an International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21 September.

Dr Kobia said that “Christian spirituality is not a call to retreat from social action and public life”.

He said: “As injustice and violence grow and intrude into many of our homes and communities, we have all the more reason to pray with and for one another and for our world.

Authentic prayer is not only effective, it is beautiful. It shows us the beauty of a peaceful community. Prayer increases our inclination to work together in peace and justice.”

The International Day of Prayer for Peace was first initiated by the WCC last year and is part of the WCC initiative, ‘Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace’.

The Day of Prayer also coincides with the UN International Day of Peace, which has been held on 21 September each year since 2001, with the hope of bringing the entire world together to observe a day of peace and non-violence.

Rev Kobia made a special appeal to churches around the world to focus their prayers on Asia more particularly under the theme, set by the Christian Conference of Asia, of “Building Communities of Peace for All”.

Rev Kobia said the theme was “in itself a prayer which commits us, includes fellow human beings, and expresses hope for the future”.

The WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence began in 2001 and will continue until 2010.