Topic overview:

• Editorial
  
• Ecumenical encounters
• News form the member churches
• News from the regional groups
• News from the working processes
• News from the head office
  

For the first time in three years CPCE and EBF came together for their hitherto annual meeting in the Baptist House in Amsterdam. In the meantime there have been several personnel changes on both sides, so that despite personal continuities almost all functions were newly filled. In the last twelve years the partnership between EBF and CPCE has grown and both are planning an evaluation meeting of the cooperation so far for 2023.

At the end of their European tour, Church President Leonardo Schindler and General Secretary Ricardo Schlegel of the Iglesia Evangélica del Río de la Plata visited the CPCE office. The church represents a Protestant diaspora in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay and is particularly involved in society through its diaconal commitment. The social challenges include poverty (in Argentina almost 50% of the population currently live below the poverty line with an inflation rate of 60%), resulting aggression and violence against the state and democracy as well as increasing fundamentalist tendencies. The role of the South American churches within CPCE was also an important topic during the visit.

The Reformed Walloon Dutch Church Hanau, an independent and committed member church of CPCE since 2012, celebrates its 425th anniversary this year. Pastor Marcin Brzóska, Poland, from the CPCE Presidium, gave the sermon at the festive service with ecumenical guests.

Church Communion between Protestant churches is lived out and experienced esspecially at regional level. Within CPCE there are several regional groups, some of which have significant histories of their own. The 2018 General Assembly in Basel commissioned the CPCE regional groups to work on the theme of church and democracy. Over the last year there have been a number of meetings, encounters and discussions addressing particular aspects of this theme.

Last week we have sent the invitation to the consultation "Christian Speaking of God" to the member churches. The meeting will take place in Bad Vöslau (near Vienna) from 1 to 3 December 2022. Member churches can nominate participants until 31 July. The aim of the consultation is a joint discussion of this weighty topic in debate with the now available draft of the study document of the same name and a compilation of guidelines for its further development. In addition, the consultation will prepare a proposal to the CPCE Council on the composition of the editorial group.

CPCE supports seven church aid projects for children whose parents work abroad. At the 2nd networking meeting those responsible for the projects reported on how the war in Ukraine is influencing their work. It is evident that the infrastructure that has been built up in the projects could also be used for refugees from Ukraine. The participants chose the working conditions of migrants and their impact on family systems as the main topic of the meeting. Another networking meeting is planned for 2023 in Katowice, Poland.

Prof. Dr Martin Friedrich was CPCE study secretary for 20 years. He accompanied the theological processes and ecumenical dialogues of the CPCE and published countless articles and volumes on theological questions around the Leuenberg Agreement. Now the Westphalian theologian has retired. His successor as study secretary is Prof. Dr Thomas-Andreas-Põder. We wish Martin Friedrich God's blessing for his future!

Within a special-assistant-year at CPCE, a week in Brussels is part of the programme. Together with General Secretary Mario Fischer our special assistants Kathleen Müller and Marcus Hütter visited the City in the Heart of Europe from 20 to 25 of June 2022. Follow the link to read the interview about what they experienced at the meetings i.a. with Eurodiaconia and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and what particularly impressed them.