Reformation- Education- Transformation.. Halle, Germany 2016
In the East side of Germany, in the city of Halle (Saale), more than 100 participants from all around the world and from different Protestant churches gathered together to reflect on Reformation and Education, and how Protestant churches can be effective to transform societies. This is the second global conference of "Twin Consultation" that started in São Leopoldo in Brazil last November 2015 in preparation for the Reformation Jubilee in 2017. This project aims at reflecting upon Reformation and demonstrating its impact on our societies nowadays, particularly on the realm of education.
Organizers: Bread for the World (BftW, Berlin)
The Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW, Hamburg)
The Theological College Faculdades EST in São Leopoldo, Brazil (EST)
The Francke Foundations and University of Halle (Germany)
And many other international partners: Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), World Council of Churches (WCC), and The Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS).
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Halle, May 18-22, 2016 (Photo: Jürgen Reichel)
Global Christian Forum in Middle East 2016
More than 35 participants from the different Evangelical churches and members of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) were called to convene in Der Saiet el-Beer (Our Lady of the Well) from 25-28 of May 2016. This consultation was organized and supported by Global Christian Forum (GCF).
The GCF is a common space where all major streams of world Christianity could come together to pray and be enriched in their unity in Christ and discuss common challenges. GCF brings together the most diversified collection of Christianity from all church families including World Council of Churches (WCC), the Pentecostal and other kinds of Evangelicals movements.
This consultation in Lebanon for the Middle East is the second one after Amman meeting in April 2013. And our church (NECB) participated in it. The participants stressed the necessity to stand all churches together as witnesses of the one Gospel, and they discussed how to strengthen the Christian witness in the face persecution, forced immigration and martyrdom. They called for solidarity of all Christians, following up what have been accomplished with insight and discernment.
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EMS Mission Council 2016
Rev. Habib Badr, as member of the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) Presidium, attended the Spring Meeting of the EMS Mission Council in Hofgeismar, Germany, hosted by the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen - Waldeck. They will take the decision about their projects 2017 -2018. They will further support the Preschool in Kafroun (Syria), the education of refugee children in the Schneller School and the vocational training for women.
EMS is an association of 23 churches and five mission societies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It is active in mission and church cooperation worldwide. They work to enhance the living conditions worldwide. In particular, they advocate the rights of poor, marginalized and vulnerable people. They promote a respectful encounter over cultural and religious borders. They learn from each other and with each other, they take decisions in common and share their resources. They live a vivid and solidary partnership.
Workshop on Diakonia
Our church participated—beside others (27 participants in all)—in a workshop on diakonia that took place between 6-9 June 2016, in 'Our Lady of the Well' Covent (dair Sayedet el-Beer) Metn, Lebanon. This workshop was organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) with the collaboration of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The participants gathered from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq as well as South Africa and Norway in order to to consolidate the cooperation among churches of the Middle East and empower the prophetic services to bring changes to the unfair political, economic and social structure that generates poverty oppression and violence.
The workshop called for ecumenical advocacy inscribing the reasons of violence and war in the region and the needs to support the massive numbers of internally displaced people, refugees and migrants. Diaknoia is the Church; it is the task of humankind toward creation and each other, as it was articulated by the speakers. This would contribute to bring a change to people's lives and to the poor, serving mainly the less fortunate ones. A second workshop will take place in November, 2016 with even more participants.
