Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 08-45/e

Geneva, 15 September 2008

Challenges and visions for ecumenism in Europe
“Future Conference” launched process towards 13th Assembly of CEC

Reflecting on the past, analysing the present and generating a vision for the ecumenical future of Europe were the aims of the “Future Conference” held in Lyon, France, from 10-12 September 2008. It was a step towards the 13th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), which will take place also in Lyon from 15-21 July 2009.

Some 80 participants from 23 countries and from all Christian denominations involved with CEC took part in the Future Conference, together with sociologists, communicators and representatives of the European Institutions. Women and men were equally represented, and the participation of youth and members of “migrant churches” was particularly visible.

“It was a new and creative experience for CEC”, stated the CEC Assembly Secretary, Smaranda Dochia. “It enabled us to identify challenges for the present and to envisage scenarios for the future of the ecumenical movement in Europe, and particularly for the role of CEC within it”, she added. “It was definitely a good exercise for remembering the past by sharing memories between the more experienced and newcomers in CEC. At the same time we managed to identify challenges together in a quite diverse setting. The conference generated new ideas and it increased the understanding of CEC while deepening personal commitment for many of the participants. It was a chance for the CEC of today to put itself seriously under discussion while establishing visions for its future”.

Among the challenges mentioned during the discussions, were the need for a credible witness of churches in the public sphere, to find a “prophetic voice” in changing times, to tackle issues such as secularization, growing individualism, rebirth of nationalism and extreme regionalism, the gap between rich and poor, unemployment, climate change, migration, and new ethical issues.

Visions for the ecumenical scene in 2029 also included: one ecumenical body in Europe, the recognition of baptism and the sharing of communion among all churches, majority churches supporting minority churches, and solid bridges with Muslim communities.

As tools for facing the challenges and achieving the visions, participants mentioned the need to foster ecumenical cooperation and interreligious dialogue, to ensure wide ecumenical formation, to involve all churches (including Roman Catholics and Evangelicals) in the ecumenical bodies, to use CEC as a forum where challenging and dividing issues could be discussed, to involve the grassroots of the churches, to work for the integration of Europe beyond the EU and to create links of solidarity with all regions of the world.

“As CEC prepares to celebrate our 50th anniversary we are determined to build for the future so that CEC can remain a key player in the European ecumenical scene”, said the Venerable Colin Williams, General Secretary of CEC. “The Future Conference was able to help us in shaping our vision for the coming decades. We shall now build on that in preparation for the decisions which must be taken by our next CEC Assembly in July 2009".

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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For more information:
Luca Negro
CEC Secretary for Communications and Information
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail: Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org