(Wuppertal, 11.9.2007) The Volunteer Programme of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) celebrates its 25th birthday this year. The anniversary will be commemorated on Sunday 16th September in a special service and other festivities in the Auditorium Maximum of the Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal.

The UEM Volunteer Programme enables young people to live and work for a year in a country of one of the UEM member churches in Africa, Asia or Germany and thereby to gain worthwhile experiences for their future lives.


The special service, which begins at 11 am, will also mark the opening of this year’s Council meeting, the international decision-making body of the UEM, which will take place from 17th to 21st September in Wuppertal.

The focus of the meeting will be the organisational development process within the UEM. It will also determine the UEM’s working priorities for 2008 and approve its budget plans. The Council meeting will be preceded from 13th to 15th September by consultations of the UEM’s Human Rights Commission and Gender Commission, as well as preparatory meetings for the five members of the Executive Committee, the Standing Finance Committee and the Executive Boards for the Regions of Africa and Asia.


Nine delegates from each of the UEM Regions of Africa, Asia and Germany come together each year in the Council meeting to plan the working priorities for the year ahead.

On Wednesday afternoon, the delegates will be the guests of the church district of Wuppertal. They will be made familiar with the current challenges and working methods in various parishes throughout the district.

You can find up-to-date information on our website, www.vemission.org

Thomas Sandner, UEM Executive Secretary for Public RelationsTelephone: 0202.89004-135 (office) or 0172 26 58 027 (mobile)Email: info@vemission.org