(21/06/08) The 4th General Assembly of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) has come to a close. On Thursday, the delegates passed far reaching decisions concerning the UEM's future areas of work and its structure.

Diaconia is to become a new field of work of the Communion of Churches in Three Continents. Diaconia is well established in the individual member churches, however, the UEM wishes to pool resources and enable UEM members to learn from each other, for example in the field of HIV and anti-Aids work.

Evangelism is to be become more emphasis as a key area of mission. Trainings on mission theology are to be offered to UEM members. Moreover, the UEM wishes to reach new target groups, for example by making use of elements of popular culture.

»Climate justice« is another key word on the future agenda of the UEM. The climate change concerns all member churches in one way or another. A UEM exhibition with the same title was opened on Borkum and is to be seen in congregations throughout Germany.

»The glory of God and his children is seen and experienced in the love, care and saving of the downtrodden and marginalized, the wiping of tears of those who cry, the healing of the sick, the lame, the blind, the mentally retarded, the release of the captives, the healing of the poisoned creation and the resurrection of the dead«, outgoing UEM Moderator Bisho Zephania Kameeta said in his sermon in the closing worship of the General Assembly.

 
For more than a week, about 160 delegates, UEM staff and guests stayed on the German island of Borkum as guests of the Evangelical reformed Church. The UEM thoroughly enjoyed the local congregation's outstanding hospitality which greatly contributed to the success of the Assembly, Bishop Kameeta stressed.  Jann Schmidt, Moderator of the hosting church said that the UEM gave important impulses to the ecumenical relations and work of the reformed church.

The UEM has admitted the national Church of Christ in the Congo (ECC) as a new member of the UEM increasing the number of UEM member churches to 35.

The 14 members of the newly elected council are: from Africa: Juanita Loami Engelbrecht (Namibia), Dr. Anneth Munga (Tanzania), Dr. Kakule Molo (DR Congo), Lefoko Moagi (Botswana); from Asia: Eirene Gulö (Nias, Indonesia), Nathalie Dacanay (Philippines), Bishop Elizier Pascua (Philippines), Dr. Tuhoni Telaumbanua (Nias, Indonesia); from Germany: Barbara Roth (Evangelical Church in the Rhineland), Birgit Krome-Mühlenmeier (Church of Lippe), Dr. Wilhelm Richebächer (Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck) and Dr. Ulrich Möller (Evangelical Church of Westphalia). The youth delegate representing all three regions is Shalom Tomas from the Philippines. Regine Buschmann from the von Bodelschwingh Institutions is the new Moderator and successor of Bishop Kameeta. The three Vice-Moderators are Dr. Kakule Molo, Dr. Tuhoni Telaumbanua and Dr. Ulirich Möller.

Birgit Pfeiffer, info@vemission.org