HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL DOCUMENT

Draft Synodical Document

Τετάρτη 26 Αυγούστου 2020

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN CHURCHES: ''RECONCILED WITH CREATION: A CALL FOR URGENT ACTION ON CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY'' - ASSEMBLY OF EUROPEAN CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK

The Assembly of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) addressing the theme “Reconciled with creation: a call for urgent action on climate and biodiversity” will be held from 28 May – 2 June 2021 at the Evangelical Academy Bad Herrenalb, Germany.
An essential aspect of the ECEN Assembly will be connecting European churches’ work for ecology and care for creation to the 2021 Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe.
The ECEN Assembly will offer a space to highlight churches’ practices leading to sustainable future and governance supporting these practices. Particular attention in Assembly preparation will be given to youth involvement. Close cooperation with the Ecumenical Youth Council of Europe and the World Student Christian Federation – Europe will be part of the process.

Response to climate change and efforts for sustainable future are linked to an ethical dimension and to broader questions of individual and collective freedom, pursuing of justice and responsibility for future. Churches and faith communities have been increasingly aware of these challenges.   

In pursuing these challenges, European Christian Environmental Network announces its next Assembly, which will take place under the title: ‘Reconciled with creation: a call for urgent action on climate and biodiversity’ from 29 August – 2 September 2020 in Evangelical Academy Bad Herrenalb ( Germany). 

An essential aspect of the ECEN conference 2020 will be relating work of European churches in ecology and care for creation to the 2021 Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe. Partnership and close cooperation between ECEN and WCC has been successfully developing for years. The WCC Assembly in Europe, first after more than 5 decades, offers a unique opportunity for manifesting close link and support of European churches to the Assembly through many ways. ECEN has an ambition to emphasise this link in highlighting a joint efforts of churches in Europe and WCC in works on care for creation and ecological justice, and through the conference contribute to a meaningful way leading to the WCC Assembly 2021.

ECEN Assembly will offer a space for highlighting churches’ efforts for practices leading to sustainable future and to the governance supporting these practices. Particular attention in preparation as well as in programme of the Assembly will be given to involvement of youth and specific youth’s concerns related to care of sustainable future. Close cooperation with Ecumenical Youth Council of Europe and World Student Christian Federation – Europe will be an essential part of the process.