The series is set during the Cold War and follows Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB intelligence officers posing as an American married couple living in Falls Church, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., with their American-born children Paige and Henry.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.66 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Stan (Noah Emmerich) and Aderholt (Brandon J. Dirden) meet with Sofia (Darya Ekamasova), who has brought Gennadi (Yuri Kolokolnikov) with her.
Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) find that Alexei is unwilling to return home to the USSR, despite Pasha being bullied.
They also visit Pastor Tim, revealing that they plan to move back to Moscow but are unsure if Paige and Henry (Keidrich Sellati) will respond positively.
In April 2017, FX confirmed that the twelfth episode of the season would be titled "The World Council of Churches", and that it would be written by executive producer Joel Fields and series creator Joe Weisberg, and directed by Nicole Kassell.
The site's consensus states: "Familial responsibility takes focus in 'The World Council of Churches,' reinforcing The Americans' ability to make its smaller-scale drama just as exciting and impactful as the action.
"[6] Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "They explain most of the story, but not the crucial detail that would surely make Paige uncomfortable: The real Philip and Elizabeth would have died as babies, to prevent there being a long paper trail attached to that name and Social Security number.
"[9] Scott Tobias of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "in the lead-up to next week's season finale, 'The World Council of Churches' slows down the action a little and considers the limits of what parents can do for their children.
'"[13] Matt Brennan of Paste gave the episode a 8.6 out of 10 and wrote, "As The Americans nears the end of its most ambitious arc, a painstaking, jet-black portrait of the families we make and break over the course of life's long passage, 'The World Council of Churches' considers the relationship between what we call ourselves and who we are: What, after all, is in a name?