Press Release No: 17/39
27 October 2017
Brussels

Secularism, mission, migration and the unique role of churches in political and historical contexts of Europe were themes sharply in focus at a consultation organised by Conference of European Churches, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and the Council of Churches in the Netherlands.

The event took place on 25 October in Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

CEC General Secretary Fr Heikki Huttunen was present and he called the consultation pertinent for the CEC’s upcoming 2018 General Assembly, which will be held 30 May – 6 June in Novi Sad, Serbia, addressing the theme “You shall be my witnesses”.

Fr Huttunen said that “the discussion with the Protestant Church in the Netherlands was open and engaging and we appreciated that the Council of Churches in the Netherlands hosted this dialogue, which is significant for CEC’s Assembly.”

“Our conversation was wide ranging and touched themes such as secularisation, the churches’ place in a post Christian Europe and mission,” he added.

Among other participants were CEC staff member Rev. Dr Peter Pavlovic, as well as representatives of local church organisations such as Prof. Dr Leo Koffeman, Rev. Iris Speckmann, Rev. Karin Van Den Broeke, Catharina van Staveren, Frans de Wolf, Dr Ida Overdijk and Fr. Theodoor and Archbishop Joris Vercammen.

The Protestant Church in Netherlands is a Member Church of CEC and the Council of Churches in the Netherlands is an Organisiation in Partnership with CEC.

For more information or an interview, please contact:

Henrik Hansson
CEC Communication Coordinator
Tel: +32 2 234 68 42
e-mail: hhansson@cec-kek.be
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope

The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 National Councils of Churches and Organisations in Partnership. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Brussels and Strasbourg.