Steering Committee News

Maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Steering Committee News

Annual Report to WCRC Executive Committee Meeting
May 2023

Annual Report to WCRC Executive Committee Meeting
May 2023


Martina Wasserloos
President of WCRC-European Region

A happy reunion of the gathered communion in Europe
After two years of Corona-distancing, the European Area Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches met in Thessaloniki on 4-6 May 2023. More than thirty delegates and guests discussed current issues affecting the organisation and its nearly forty member churches, including the ongoing constitutional amendment, responses to the humanitarian and political situation caused by the war in Ukraine, and the document entitled About true worship in the Church in the distress of the present – Seven Theses, prepared by the theological working group of WCRC Europe.
Confessing Christ and living out communion in times of Crisis – the war in Ukraine
In the last year, the European Area and its Steering Committee have been paying particular attention to the war in Ukraine and the Reformed community's advocacy and support for Transcarpathia.



Faros Final Report for World Communion of Reformed Churches

 Reporting period: 1 January 2020 - 30 March 2021 Date of report: 15 May 2021

Introduction There are around 3.700 unaccompanied refugee children and youth in Greece, of which it is estimated that a quarter are reported to be in very insecure living conditions. These youth often struggle for basic needs and most lack the support networks necessary to overcome the trauma stemming from violence in their countries of origin and the inadequate living conditions in Greece. Psychosocial support and education and are sorely needed by unaccompanied refugee children and youth. These are the children and youth that Faros seeks to help through our holistic approach, where we provide basic care, psychosocial support, and opportunities to engage in educational activities.



Advocacy statement on situation of migrants and
refugees in Europe

A joint statement of 13 churches, organizations and communities

The recent events in Moria camp on the island of Lesbos in Greece highlight longstanding shortcomings of EU migration and asylum policy, inconsistent with the EU’s own core values and with fundamental ethical or faith principles. Churches and international church-based organizations reaffirm their commitment to a compassionate response to people on the move. We call for adequate support both for people on the move and for their host communities. We appeal for an EU Pact on asylum and migration that respects relevant commitments under international law, the Global Compacts on Refugees and for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and the EU’s core values of respect for human dignity and rights, and of effective solidarity among EU members.


Eine gemeinsame Erklärung von 13 Kirchen, Organisationen and Gemeinschaften

Die jüngsten Ereignisse im Flüchtlingslager Moria auf der Insel Lesbos in Griechenland werfen auch ein Licht auf die seit langem bestehenden Defizite der EU-Migrations- und Asylpolitik, die im Widerspruch zu den Grundwerten der Europäischen Union sowie den Grundprinzipien von Ethik und Glauben stehen. Kirchen und internationale kirchliche Organisationen bekräftigen einmal mehr ihre Verpflichtung zu einer teilnahmsvollen und barmherzigen Reaktion gegenüber Menschen auf der Flucht. Wir fordern eine angemessene Unterstützung sowohl für Menschen auf der Flucht als auch für die aufnehmenden Gemeinden. Wir verlangen ein EU-Abkommen über Asyl und Migration, bei dem die entsprechenden Verpflichtungen gemäß internationalem Recht, dem UN-Flüchtlingspakt und dem globalen Pakt für eine sichere, geordnete und reguläre Migration und die Grundwerte der EU, nämlich die Achtung von Menschenwürde und Menschenrechten, sowie die tatsächliche Solidarität unter den EU-Mitgliedern Beachtung finden.

Solidarity Visit to Cairo and the Synod of the Nile, March 4–9 2020

A report from Jenny Dobers (Uniting Church in Sweden)

In the beginning of March, before we all new about the total grip Covid-19 would get on the world, the steering committee paid a solidarity visit to our church in Egypt, the Synod of the Nile (SON). We grieved at the time that our Italian committee member could not join the trip, made some sincere considerations if we could stick to our plan to travel, but took off and had some very awarding and enlightening days with our sisters and brothers in Cairo.

Letter of Information

A letter from Martina Wasserloos-Strunk to all Member Churches of WCRC European Area

As you may all know, Lebanon is now facing the worst Humanitarian crisis in its recent history.
I have just sent out a letter of solidarity on behalf of the European Area to the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL). Also, an instant aid of 5,000 EUR was sent from our reserves for the reparation of damaged homes in the Beirut Port area, which work is being coordinated by the Compassion Protestant Society of the NESSL.
 

Letter of solidarity

A letter from Martina Wasserloos-Strunk on behalf of the European Region of the World Communion of Reformed Churches to The National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon

In these days of hard trials for the people of Beirut, when Lebanon is facing the worst Humanitarian crisis in its recent history, allow us to express our deepest solidarity with the congregations of the National Evangelical Synod, in the spirit of the Gospel: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
 

Report about the situation on Chios/Greece

It was obvious that the EU Hotspot is unprepared for a COVID-19-outbreak.

It was a question of time when the first case occurs. The authorities in Vial on Chios encouraged protection seekers to wear masks. But didn’t distribute any. Even more: in Vial barely any staff member of any authority was wearing masks or any other type of protection.

Some days ago, it was the day: it was reported that a woman is tested positive.

Today it was confirmed that an employee of the European Asylum Support Office - EASO is positive on the virus. After the person was on vacation. The answer of the authorities is: to lock the camp and to close the services inside until at least 25 August. Close the camp?
Effectively this means, letting the virus spread inside. Among extremely vulnerable persons, that have no option to socially distance or to even wash their hands on a regular basis. They sleep in tents on the bare ground. And now they are terrified of getting seriously ill and suffer or die. And they are terrified for a good reason. ItNew is the foreseeable catastrophe. And shows more than a simple failure. It shows the sheer indifference for the lives of human beings.

Reference: Newspaper article from POLITISCHIOS - Translation: Alexandra Nikolara



Report from Dimitris Boukis

about the visit in MORIA REFUGEE CAMP, 17 February 2020, Lesvos, GREECE.


On Monday, February 17, 2020 Martina Waterloos, Kerstin Kosh and Dimitris Boukis visited the «refugee camp» in Moria on the Greek Island of Lesvos. Lesvos is the third biggest island in Greece with a coastline of 370km. It is home to approximately 100,000 residents and is only a few miles away from the SW coast of Turkey, making it the main “refugee gate” to Europe in the SE Mediterranean sea.


> read more > PDF-Document





Bericht über die Reise nach Lesbos und Chios

von Martina Wasserloos-Strunk


… Mein Reisebericht vom Besuch in zwei der großen griechischen Flüchtlingslager ist möglicherweise nicht ganz objektiv. Nein – er ist ganz sicher nicht objektiv. Er ist sauwütend. Ich bin erschüttert und wütend darüber, dass so etwas in meinem Europa möglich ist. Mehr noch als manche andere Reise hat mir diese vor Augen geführt, wie privilegiert wir sind und wie viel Energie von uns darauf verwendet wird, diese Privilegien abzusichern.


> read more > PDF-Document

WCRC Solidarity Fund in time of crisis

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the situation of some member churches of the European Area has become critical.

The smallest churches in Europe are particularly affected. Some of them are unable to continue financing their social work, others cannot even pay salaries for their pastors, or rent fees for the facilities they use. Some churches literally depend on money box donations during sermons; consequently, the suspension of church services by law created a very difficult situation for them. Some of these churches cannot acquire crisis subsidies from public funds as compensation, the political structures of Europe have abandoned them.
 

WCRC-Europe supports project for young refugees in Greece

Together we can light their way

The Horizon Center is an educational and training center for young refugees, offering a 6-9 month program where participants attend regular classes and workshops to introduce them to some basic and intermediate skills. Design and ideation classes, computer classes and electronics, workshops of carpentry, tailoring, 3D printing and video classes are some of the courses Horizon Center is offering to refugee youth. All the workshops are delivered in partnership with MIT D-Lab and they are based on Creative Capacity Building methodology, where students build their creativity as well as their problem solving capacity. In parallel, psychosocial support and language classes (Greek and English) are basic elements of the project. The Center does not offer individual, one-off classes but instead, all participants are expected to enroll and commit to the full program.
 
WCRC EUROPE is happy to support this important project. During our last visit to Faros they just got the good news of receiving scholarships for two youngsters for further education. This underlines the success of the good work of the Horizon Center.

Input from Martina Wasserloos-Strunk to ExCom meeting, Switzerland 2019

Fear God - Honour the emperor

In Germany, about 60% of the population are church members. 21.5 million are members of one of the Protestant Churches, 23.3 million are Roman Catholics. In addition to that, people are members of the Orthodox Church or of other evangelical denominations. This means, therefore, that 40% of the population do not identify with any church but are either members of other religions or are not religious.

For God did not give us a spirit of fear

Steering Committee Letter to WCRC Member Churches

In these days we are experiencing great uncertainty

The fight against the spread of the Coronavirus requires measures which have great affects on our daily life. The public life of many European countries is standing still. Experts want us to avoid our social contacts and we are all affected by the consequences of the Coronavirus.
As the Steering Committee of WCRC Europe, we call you to pray for those who are suffering from the situation especially the sick persons and their families. Let us also pray for those whose health puts them at higher risk and for those who are facing major changes in their lives.

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