Malawi's President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, an ordained church minister, has visited the World Council of Churches where expressed his hope for the unity of Christians and all of humanity.

Chakwera is the former president of the Assemblies of God in Malawi.

He said he will treasure the visit for the rest of his life - his first visit to the historic city of Geneva also know.

"I come with greetings from your brethren in Malawi," he said. "I am happy that this reminds us of how we are one."

He spoke strongly of the churches' role in Malawi, and their role in shaping the future that Africa wants and, he believes, will reach.

"Nobody can doubt the role of the World Council of Churches, and the worldwide fellowship," he said.

"The unity is demonstrated, a common witness is born, and Christian service is rendered," said he president.

"Programs have offered ecumenical interventions with collaborations, resources for education, peace and justice, and ecology," he said. "I am more than gratified because of the whole range, because of the spectrum over which the church does get involved."

Chakwera is also chair of the Southern African Development Community and received an overview of the WCC's work, particularly the council's programs focused on the spiritual role for unity, justice and peace.

WCC acting general secretary Rev. Ioan Sauca said, "It is an official visit but also a visit with sisters and brothers in Christ," he said, noting that the bond is the common confession that "Jesus Christ is God and Saviour according to the Scriptures."

Therefore, he said, "they seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"The primary purpose of the WCC is to call one another to visible unity in one faith and in one eucharistic fellowship," Sauca continued. But the purpose of God in Christ is much wider than Christian unity and extends to the unity of humanity and of all creation," Sauca added.

The WCC staff presented the work of WCC in dialogue with evangelicals and Pentecostals, on health and healing, in relation to the United Nations, in peacebuilding with a focus on Mozambique, and its Green Village.

Malawi is a landlocked southern African country of some 20 million people of who just over half are Christians and that borders Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia with an economy that is heavily dependent on agriculture.