Member Church News: Corona Responses, Interfaith Encounters

The Evangelical Church of the Rio de la Plata (Iglesia Evangélica del Río de la Plata (IERP)) joined in an interfaith service at which Uruguay’s president was also present.

The Protestant Church in Switzerland has developed plans, policies and processes to deal with the coronavirus (Covid-19) in a spirit of responsibility and fraternal communion. Other member churches are also responding with prayers, advice and pastoral statements, including Uniting Church in Australia, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (USA) and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

For the first time since its approval in 2018, a joint team of Reformed Church in America and Christian Reformed Church in North America representatives met to discuss how the two denominations should reach out to people of other faiths.

The Reformed Great Church in Debrecen (Hungary) hosted the 5th annual Protestant Roma Mission Conference where more than 1500 participants, mostly Roma, discussed, worshiped and prayed together under the biblical motto of the day: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has “come home” to Zambia after 43 years. Colin Sinclair lived out of a car in the African nation for three years in the 1970s when he worked for Christian charity, Scripture Union. He and his wife Ruth revisited some of his old haunts—once again following in the footsteps of missionary David Livingstone—and met with representatives of the United Church of Zambia.

After 12 years of service at United Reformed Church House, Michael Jagessar is leaving to take up a position with the Council for World Mission as its Mission Secretary for Europe.

Today, 6 March, Christian women from 170 countries will observe a World Day of Prayer, drawing millions of people together for a healing message in a divisive world. The theme is “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk,” based on John 5:2-9a, and has been crafted by the World Day of Prayer Zimbabwe Committee.