WORLD CONGRESS OF FAITHS

What WORLD CONGRESS OF FAITHS does

World Congress of Faiths (WCF) is a UK-registered charity (No. 244096) founded in 1936 by Sir Francis Younghusband, and is one of the longest-established interfaith organizations in the world. Its functional purpose is to convene dialogue and cooperation between practitioners of different religions through an Executive Committee drawn from multiple faith traditions, a programme of public events (the annual Younghusband Lecture, Lent Lectures, AGMs, and ad hoc conferences), and ongoing publication of an academic journal, Interreligious Insight, alongside a catalogue of books on interfaith themes.

WCF serves individual and institutional members, religious communities, and the broader interfaith movement in the UK and internationally. Patrons and supporters include figures of international religious stature, and the organization engages in partnerships with peer bodies such as Brahma Kumaris, Religions for Peace UK, and the International Association for Religious Freedom. The organization operates with a very small staff (approximately five employees) and is based in the London/Reading area.

The business model is a typical small-charity mix: individual memberships priced at roughly GBP 25-40 per year, institutional memberships at GBP 40-100, sales of journal issues (GBP 5-10) and books (GBP 3.99-15), and donations typically suggested in the GBP 20-200 range. Revenue is therefore highly fragmented across a long tail of small contributors, with no disclosed anchor funders, government contracts, or large institutional sponsors in the available data.

Name

WORLD CONGRESS OF FAITHS

Legal name

World Congress of Faiths

Website

https://worldfaiths.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World Congress of Faiths is a UK charity, founded in 1936, that convenes interfaith dialogue through events, publications, and partnerships, serving individual members, faith communities, and institutional libraries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interfaith Dialogue and Spiritual Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interfaith & Comparative Religion Publishing (MPAJAHAK), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Interfaith dialogue
• Religious literacy
• Spiritual community
• Academic journal publishing
• Peace building

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual members (£25-40/year) and institutional members (£100/year). Members receive access to the Interreligious Insight journal (print and/or online), events at reduced or no cost, and other member benefits.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of Interreligious Insight journal issues (print copies at £5-10 depending on region, digital downloads at £5) and books authored by members including Breaking Binaries (£15), Unutterable Joy (£3.99-£12), and other titles.
3. Donations: Charitable donations accepted to support the organization's work, with suggested amounts of £20, £50, £100, or £200 for one-time or monthly donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The World Congress of Faiths is a UK-registered interfaith charity that promotes understanding between religious and spiritual traditions through three core offerings: a tiered membership program (individual £25–£40/year; institutional £100/year), the Interreligious Insight academic journal published twice yearly in print and digital formats (£5–£10 per issue), and a calendar of public events including the annual Younghusband Lecture, Lent Lectures, conferences, and partnership symposia. Supplementary offerings include member-authored books, a free Golden Rule poster, recorded lecture videos, and a blog covering interfaith news and commentary.

Product overview

The World Congress of Faiths operates as a membership-based interfaith organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered around promoting interfaith dialogue and spiritual understanding. The core offerings include the Interreligious Insight academic journal (available in print and digital formats), membership programs at various tiers providing access to publications and exclusive events, and organized events including the annual Younghusband Lecture, conferences, and symposia. Additional resources include a downloadable Golden Rule poster, video recordings of past events, a blog with interfaith commentary, and books authored by members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Interreligious Insight: The official journal of the World Congress of Faiths, covering all aspects of interfaith knowledge and practice. Published in print and online about twice a year.

Products and services

• Interreligious Insight Academic Journal

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded 1936, celebrating 90th anniversary in 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brahma KumariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrahma Kumaris World Spiritual University serves as a key venue partner for WCF events including the 90th Anniversary Celebratory Day Conference. They co-hosted the 2012 National Inter Faith Week event 'moments of stillness' initiative at Global Co-operation House in London. Sister Georgina Long represented Brahma Kumaris on the WCF Executive Committee until her passing in February.
• Religions for Peace UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF partnered with Religions for Peace UK to host an online seminar on 'Impressions of COP26' in February 2022, discussing outcomes of the Glasgow climate conference with speakers including Dr Maureen Sier of Interfaith Scotland.
• Inter Faith Network for the UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF has maintained a relationship with the Inter Faith Network for the UK, including donating £1,000 to the network in response to their appeal. WCF members participate in Inter Faith Network activities including the Act of Commitment used in interfaith events.
• Forward ThinkingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOliver McTernan, founder and co-director of Forward Thinking (a charitable organization addressing peace and justice in the Middle East, interfaith and religious/secular dialogue), delivered the Younghusband Lecture 2025.
• Faith and Belief ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF Vice-President Michael Sternberg serves as President of the Faith and Belief Forum. Formerly known as The Three Faiths Forum, this organization works to build good relations between people of different faiths and beliefs.
• Alister Hardy TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF features content from the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre Archive. Dr Marianne Rankin, former Director of Communications for the Alister Hardy Trust, is a contributor and speaker for WCF events including the Lent Lecture on near-death experiences.
• Faith in SocietyminorOthersWarwick Hawkins, WCF Administrator and Projects Officer, runs his own social enterprise Faith in Society, which is involved in social enterprise and interfaith work.
• Fo Guang Shan TempleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF partnered with Fo Guang Shan Temple in London for Inter Faith Week 2015 events including tea ceremony and interfaith debate. WCF Chair Alan Race has engaged with the temple on multiple occasions.
• Modern ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF co-hosted a July 2015 conference 'Seeking the Sacred' with Modern Church at High Leigh, with WCF members including Alan Race chairing and speaking at the event.
• International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCF has engaged with IARF UK chapter for joint events including a 2024 Inter Faith Week event. WCF Vice President Revd Richard Boeke serves as Co-chair of IARF Peace Commission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KAICIID Dialogue Centre: Intergovernmental international organization promoting interreligious dialogue. Larger and more globally funded than WCF but operates in the same interfaith dialogue category with convening, publication, and educational programming.
• Parliament of the World's Religions: The largest and oldest global interfaith convocation, originating from the 1893 Chicago Parliament. WCF has historical roots in this lineage and its members attend Parliament events, making it the closest global-scale analogue.

Emerging players

• Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University: Spiritual organization that is both a WCF partner (venue host for 90th Anniversary) and has overlapping interfaith participation through WCF committee member Natalie Steel. Engages in faith dialogue programming with a spiritual education focus.
• Temple of Understanding: US-based interfaith organization that awarded WCF affiliate Revd Dr Marcus Braybrooke its Juliet Hollister Lifetime Achievement Award. Operates in the same interfaith dialogue and education category with publication and convening functions.

Regional players

• Interfaith Scotland: Scottish interfaith organization whose representatives (e.g., Dr Maureen Sier) collaborate with WCF on joint programming. Comparable mission and structure but operates primarily in Scotland rather than England.

Direct peers

• International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF): International interfaith organization with a UK chapter that WCF Vice-President Revd Richard Boeke co-chairs on the Peace Commission. Joint events and shared faith leadership make it a directly comparable interfaith dialogue organization.
• Council of Christians and Jews: UK interfaith organization where former WCF Joint President Marcus Braybrooke served as Executive Director (1984-1988). Operates with similar membership-based dialogue and educational programming between two faith traditions.
• Religions for Peace UK: UK chapter of the global Religions for Peace network, co-hosting events with WCF (e.g., COP26 online seminar). Operates as a multi-faith coalition in the same geography with similar dialogue and convening functions.
• Faith and Belief Forum: Originally the Three Faiths Forum, this interfaith charity builds relations between faith communities in the UK. WCF Vice-President Michael Sternberg serves as its President, evidencing close operational overlap and shared mission.
• Inter Faith Network for the UK: The UK-wide umbrella body for interfaith organizations, directly comparable to WCF as a membership-based interfaith charity operating in the same geography and serving overlapping faith communities. WCF donates to and participates in IFN activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/worldfaiths
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-congress-of-faiths

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WORLD CONGRESS OF FAITHS