Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 09-14/e

Brussels, 16 March 2009

Church and Society Commission of CEC discusses future work programme in light of CEC 50 Year Jubilee Assembly

The last annual plenary meeting of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), before the 13th CEC Assembly, met from 11 to 15 March 2009 in Nyborg Strand, Denmark, the place where the European churches met for the first CEC Assembly in 1959. Issues discussed included the evaluation of the Commission’s work over the previous six years and the strategic aims and the work programme for the period 2009–2015.

The Annual Review of the Commission’s work was adopted, as well as the working plan for 2009/10, which highlights preparations for the 13th CEC Assembly in Lyon (France, 15-21 July 2009).

The Church and Society Commission addressed the Council of Europe on its 60th Anniversary and the European Union and its member states for protecting Sunday as a weekly day of rest.

The representatives of the Danish churches, led by the Bishop of Funen, Kresten Drejergaard, and the deputy mayor of the City Council, Mr. Alex Ahrendtsen welcomed the 24 members of the CSC Commission and staff in St. Knud’s Hall at the Cathedral in Odense. A presentation on freedom of religion, interchurch affairs and ecumenical life in Denmark was given by Mr. Paul Verner Skaerved, the Chair of the Council of International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark and by Rev. Holger Lam, from the Baptist Church in Denmark. Many of the church representatives present at the meeting, who have been involved in the life of CEC in the last 50 years, shared their testimonies, witnesses and anecdotes including accounts from the pre-meeting at Slagelse in 1957 and from the ship MS Bornholm in 1964. Representatives of the Church of Denmark affirmed their long standing commitment to the ecumenical movement, and their willingness to respond to future challenges from the Danish context.

Ms Anthea Cox, co moderator of the Church and Society Commission said: “This plenary provided time for reflection on the significant work of the Commission over the last 6 years. It was also a time for looking forward and asking what public issues will need consideration by the churches in the future and which areas of concern will the churches need to speak about in the years to come. Inevitably the challenge of climate change will continue to need to be addressed and the Commission agreed to a CO2 Compensation Scheme for its own work, in accordance with the demands the commission has been making to political leaders.”

A worship service was held in Copenhagen Cathedral on Sunday, which was followed by a public event on the theme "The role of religion in the public sphere".

During the plenary, Commission members thanked all the staff, under the leadership of the Director of the Commission and Associate General Secretary, Rev. Rüdiger Noll, for the valuable work they have undertaken in the previous six years.

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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.

The Church and Society Commission of CEC links member churches and associated organisations of CEC with the European Union’s institutions, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, NATO and the UN (on European matters). Its task is to help the churches study church and society questions from a theological and social-ethical perspective, especially those with a European dimension, and to represent common positions of the member churches in their relations with political institutions working in Europe.

For more information:
Church and Society Commission of CEC
Phone +32 2 230 17 32
Fax +32 2 231 14 13
e-mail: csc@cec-kek.be