Member Church News: Pentecost, Ukraine, Dialogue

In a Pentecost video message, Richard Bott, moderator of the United Church of Canada reminds us that the Church of the 2000-year community of Christ’s disciples―a worldwide communion that is not bound by geography, space, or time. “We are people who change the world—with deep spirituality, with bold discipleship, with daring justice.”

Celebrating the diversity of languages across the Uniting Church in Australia and its unity in Christ, the Being a Multicultural Church Circle and the Uniting Church’s multicultural National Conferences have collaborated on a short video to mark Pentecost this Sunday, 5 June, which this year coincides with World Environment Day.

The Reformed Church of Transcarpathia has been supporting socially disadvantaged people in western Ukraine for many years. Since the start of the war, it has also helped displaced people who have found refuge in the region.

The next round of dialogue between three North American member churches and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops starts in June and will include justice as a topic.

For the first time in Christian Reformed Church in North America history, synod began two weeks before delegates were able to arrive in person with a convening session of Synod 2022 that took place via video conference. “Because Synods 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s agenda is large, and it also includes several weighty items,” explained Dee Recker, director of synodical services. “To help ensure that delegates had adequate time in person to discuss the matters before them, the program committee thought it would be beneficial to hold a convening session in advance of the in-person meeting.”

The Council for World Mission East Asia Regional Assembly, under the theme “Rising to Life with Jesus,” was held online from 24-25 May to facilitate mutual sharing and collective discernment on emerging issues of the region.

Conference of European Churches seminar highlights Ukrainian church voices: Among the speakers were CEC President Christian Krieger, church leaders in Ukraine, and Khrystyna Ukrainets, Head of National Partnerships at the Ukrainian Educational Platform from the Greek Catholic Church.

World Council of Churches webinar offers reflections on colonial and missionary legacy and conflict in post-colonial Africa: “Pluralism, Racism and Xenophobia: The colonial and missionary legacy and conflict in post-colonial Africa,” was held on 24 May, one day before “Africa Day” was celebrated.

_{Image courtesy of EPER/Pain pour le prochain.}