With great sadness, the Officers and members of the World Methodist Council received the news
about the passing away of Archbishop Emeritus Mpilo Desmond Tutu (7 October-26 December
2021).

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mama Leah, the entire Tutu family, and the global
Anglican communion.

We give thanks to God for the life and witness of Archbishop Tutu, a transformative leader, a
priest, a prophet, and a pastor who listened to the voices of the marginalized and fearlessly
spoke truth to power in apartheid South Africa and many other places around the globe where
injustice prevailed.

We were privileged to have “the Arch” as the keynote speaker at the Fifteenth World Methodist
Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1986.

We mourn the loss of this stalwart of justice, peace, and reconciliation, a global icon whose
legacy lives on and leaves an indelible mark on the lives of many.

May he rest in peace and rise with all the saints in Glory.

Ivan M Abrahams

General Secretary