The Conference of European Churches (CEC) was represented at a landmark signing of the revised Charta Oecumenica in Berlin. CEC General Secretary Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach attended the service, where 18 churches committed themselves to implementing the document in Germany.
The Ecumenical Service for the Signing of the Revised Charta Oecumenica was organised by the Council of Christian Churches in Germany (ACK). It took place on 15 September 2026 at the French Friedrichstadt Church in Berlin. Fischbach led the intercessions.
Bishop Frank Kopania, CEC Vice-President, signed the Charta on behalf of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD). Also present were Lea Schlenker and Sr Minsey Estelle Mical Sogbou, members of the joint CEC-CCEE working group that prepared the revised document. Schlenker served as the group’s CEC Co-Chair.
The signing marked the formal reception of the revised Charta by churches in Germany. The document provides guidelines for cooperation among churches and strengthens their commitment to common witness and action.
“The signing is an encouraging sign of what the revision of the Charta Oecumenica has achieved,” said Fischbach. “It shows that the document matters to the churches and is being adopted for ecumenical life in Germany. The Charta will come to life when its commitments are taken up locally and regionally.”
During the service, representatives of 14 regional ACKs shared how they intend to implement the Charta in different parts of Germany. Their contributions outlined practical plans for cooperation among churches at regional and local levels.
The sermon was delivered by Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He said the continued division of churches should not be accepted as normal. He also highlighted the Charta’s call to resist the misuse of Christianity for nationalist, political or populist purposes.
The revised Charta Oecumenica was signed at European level in Rome in November 2025 by the presidents of CEC and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). It addresses current challenges, including peace, migration, new technologies and the participation of young people.