Chris Ferguson (pastor)

Chris Ferguson is general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, succeeding Setri Nyomi.[1] He is an ordained pastor in the United Church of Canada and has also served as the international ecumenical advisor for the Programme for Ecumenical Accompaniment in Colombia (2011-2014), the World Council of Churches representative to the United Nations (2006-2010), the World Council of Churches representative to Jerusalem (2004-2006) and the executive minister of the United Church of Canada's Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit and ecumenical officer (2002-2004).[2]

Ferguson holds a Master of Divinity degree from Vancouver School of Theology (1978) and received an honorary doctorate in May 2017 from his alma mater.[3]

As general secretary of the WCRC, Ferguson works with member churches and ecumenical partners [4] to fulfil the goals of the WCRC mission and vision statement. "Called to communion and committed to justice," the WCRC fosters church unity and coordinates common initiatives for mission, theological reflection and formation, church renewal, justice [5] and dialogue.

Ferguson is also the co-rappertuer of the World Council of Churches' Reference Group for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. Previously, he was on the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (a predecessor organization of the WCRC) executive committee for a period preceding the 2004 General Council in Accra, Ghana, participated in the “Covenanting for Justice Process” and played an active role on the drafting committee for the Accra Confession.

Ferguson is married to Susan, a professional social worker who has served as United Church of Canada global mission personnel in Colombia, Israel/Palestine and Costa Rica. Susan coordinated the UCC national refugee work and was executive director of an ecumenical refugee resettlement agency in Toronto. Susan and Chris have two adult children.