Conference of European Churches

The Conference of European Churches (CEC ) is the regional ecumenical organization of Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic, Protestant ( including but not Lutheran, Reformed, United, Methodist, Baptist ) churches in Europe. It is one of eight regional ecumenical groupings include virtually connected to each other the whole world. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the CEC, but working through the Council of the European (Catholic) Bishops' Conferences with the CEC together.

CEC (English CEC ) is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva ( Switzerland ). In Brussels and Strasbourg are also offices. The CEC is an independent organization, but works closely with the World Council of Churches ( WCC). Your constant concern is the promotion of Christian unity and service to the whole community.

  • 3.1 German -speaking member churches 3.1.1 Germany
  • 3.1.2 Liechtenstein
  • 3.1.3 Luxembourg
  • 3.1.4 Austria
  • 3.1.5 Switzerland
  • 3.1.6 Italy ( South Tyrol)

History

The movement that led to the creation of the Conference of European Churches, goes back to the time of the Cold War. The fragmented and separate Europe the forties and fifties had first to overcome political divisions in order to once again to the peoples who had torn apart by the Second World War.

During this time, a small group began by church leaders in Eastern and Western Europe, to discuss ways to bring the churches in the different European countries, with their different political, economic and social systems talk to each other. My goal was to help the churches of Europe to play a facilitating role for peace and understanding.

In the years 1953 and 1957 saw the first exploratory and preparatory meetings. In January 1959, representatives from over forty churches gathered in the first assembly of the CEC in Nyborg beach in Denmark. Met here in 1960 and the second in 1962 and the third General Assembly.

Initially presented the organization only a loose connection of churches dar. However, with the adoption of a statute by the fourth plenary session, a significant step towards the formation of a regional church conference in 1964 did. This Assembly was held at sea aboard the Bornholm to avoid occurring at the last minute visa difficulties.

At the fifth plenary meeting, which took place in 1967 in Pörtschach ( Austria ), it was decided to establish a full-time Secretariat from April 1968. More general assemblies convened in Nyborg beach (Denmark ) 1971, Engelberg ( Switzerland ) in 1974, Chania ( Crete ) 1979, Stirling ( Scotland), 1986, Prague ( Czech Republic) in 1992, Graz ( Austria ) in 1997 and Trondheim ( Norway) 2003.

From the beginning, has seen one of its main tasks is the CEC, to build bridges between East and West Europe. To such bridges has also made efforts between minority and majority churches and between Christians of different denominational tradition. Meetings of the CEC are important opportunities to meet and for common reflection on theological and social issues for senior and other members of the churches. Such meetings also give the necessary impetus to constructive action, especially in the area of peace, justice and reconciliation.

CEC has some withstanding voltages in the last few years. The Russian Orthodox Church has suspended its participation in the European Church Association in the fall of 2008. As early as 1997, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Georgian Orthodox Church of the Apostles had left the organization.

Organizational form

The CEC is an association under Swiss law. The supreme governing body is the General Assembly, which meets at least every six years. In between, a 40 -member central committee is responsible for the management of the conference. The Central Committee shall elect a nine -member Executive Committee, the Secretary-General and the members of committees and working groups.

President

The current President of the CEC 's Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis, Chairman of the Orthodox Catholic Church in France.

Staff

The CEC works with a small staff of 14 people. Offices are located in Geneva at the Ecumenical Centre in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Secretary General since 2012, the Belgian Protestant pastor Dr. Guy Liagre. Its predecessors were the Anglican Archdeacon Colin Williams, the Baptist pastor Dr. Keith W. Clements, of the Swiss Reformed Jean Fischer and the Baptist Glen Garfield Williams.

Vice presidents are currently (2010) Cordelia Kopsch, Deputy President of the Church of the Evangelical Church of Hesse- Nassau, and Christopher Hill, Anglican Bishop of Guildford.

Membership

Today, the CEC has 126 member churches in all European countries, about half of them in Central and Eastern Europe. Approximately 30 of the CEC member churches are not members of the World Council of Churches ( WCC). With the exception of the Roman Catholic Church all the great confessional families are represented in the CEC: Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Old Catholics and Pentecostals. Also, some churches with ethnic minorities are members. The member churches have the following basic statement, which closely follows the basic formula of the WCC agree:

"The Conference of European Churches is an ecumenical fellowship of churches in Europe which confess the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures as God and Saviour, and therefore seek to fulfill together their common they are calling to the glory of God the Father, the Son and the the Holy Spirit. "

German -speaking member churches

Germany

Liechtenstein

  • Evangelical Church in the Principality of Liechtenstein (Vaduz )

Luxembourg

Austria

  • Old Catholic Church in Austria (Vienna)
  • Evangelical Church A. B. in Austria (Vienna)
  • Evangelical Church H. B. in Austria (Vienna)
  • United Methodist Church in Austria (Vienna)

Switzerland

Italy ( South Tyrol)

  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy ( Rome)

Associated Organisations

Since 1992 it is possible church groups to become associate organizations of CEC. To date, 43 such organizations have made use of this opportunity to take a close connection with the activities and programs of the CEC. These organizations include National councils of churches and associations of lay people, women, youth, their programs are running in parallel and often in collaboration with CEC.

Cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church is not a member, but there is close cooperation between the CEC and the Council of the (Catholic ) European Episcopal Conferences ( Consilium Conferentiarum Episcopalium Europae, CCEE). One result of this collaboration are six European Ecumenical encounters between CEC and CCEE. These were 1978 in Chantilly / France, 1981 in Løgumkloster / Denmark, 1984, Riva del Garda / Italy, 1988 in Erfurt / GDR at that time, in 1991 in Santiago de Compostela / Spain and 2001 in Strasbourg / France. At the meeting in Strasbourg, the Charter was signed by the Presidents of Oecumenica CEC and CCEE.

CEC and CCEE also organized together three European Ecumenical Assemblies, 1989 in Basel ( Switzerland ), 1997 in Graz ( Austria ) and 2007 in Sibiu (Romania).

Developments

Over the years, the expansion of activities and the increasing number of members brought structural changes. After the rapid succession of plenary sessions in the first time, the general assemblies were held at greater distances from the mid- 60s. In between the contact by a growing number of consultations was maintained on specific topics, each with 40 to 50 participants. About 10 years later programs were created for specific areas. The program for theological studies followed one after the program for inter-church service and a program of human rights, in the context of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, now OSCE) found and together with the Canadian Council of Churches and the National the Churches of Christ was carried out in the USA. Other areas of work include today, " Islam in Europe" ( in collaboration with the CCEE), refugees and asylum seekers, and public relations.

The CEC must specifically provide European situations, as the long history of division and enmity between churches, the relationship between church and state and culture, the situation of minority and majority churches of old and younger Churches as well as the divisions and tensions that have emerged in recent years from the international breaks. In order to better respond to the demands for concern of church and society on the European continent, the General Assembly in 1997 approved the integration of CEC with the European Ecumenical Commission for Church and Society ( EECCS ), which operates offices in Brussels and Strasbourg. This fusion was carried out in 1999, and from the EECCS the Church and Society Commission was - within the CEC With this step, the actions of the churches, especially in the European political institutions should be facilitated.

There is a close cooperation with the WCC, especially in the areas of Faith and Order, World Mission and Evangelism, Between Churches and Human Rights. In some cases, a division of work has been done. A close working relationship exists with the European National Councils of Churches. The annual meeting of its general secretaries has proven to be highly valuable.

Financing

The 11th General Assembly adopted a budget plan of CHF 2'150'000. It is expected that the member churches to the next General Assembly increase their contributions so that this 75 percent of the costs can be covered. The rest is still being covered by free and earmarked donations. Since 1999, the financial framework is then - as a result of integration of the European Ecumenical Commission for Church and Society ( EECCS ) - to CHF 720,000 has grown to CHF 2'870'000. With the contributions of the establishment plans of CEC and the previous EECCS be financed ( the present Church and Society Commission of CEC with offices in Brussels and Strasbourg) with twelve or seven full-time positions and other administrative costs, as well as the meetings of the governing bodies and various commissions. A key to the calculation of contributions has been developed. He tries to spread the burden as fairly as possible. The CEC will be but its reliance on the solidarity between the member churches. Also grants of church agencies and other organizations are still required to ensure that the CEC can realize the tasks assigned to it as a European ecumenical merger.

Previous CEC meetings and their topics

Baptists Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe Articles of association Christopher Hill (bishop) Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy Charta Oecumenica Faith and Order Commission Integrated Authority File
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