22.02.2024

Ethics, Knowledge and Reflection

In the ECP Workshop, coworkers from different churches meet, each of them bringing their individual experiences to the table: This way, a global discourse on evangelism emerges. Photo by: UEM

The current group comes from all three UEM Regions and started its work in 2022. Photo by: MC-SL

What is salvation? What do Christians hope for? How do we understand the Kingdom of God and eternal life? And what does all of this mean for our evangelism practice?

This year’s Workshop of UEM Evangelism Contact Persons (ECPs) started from theological questions. 22 out of the current 25 ECPs met in Kandy (Sri Lanka) this February. They come from ten countries and are coworkers of UEM member churches.

From the theological questions, the workshop moved to ethical concerns:

What are the basic changes expected from someone who wants to follow Christ? What does this mean concretely in the field of eco-theology and gender justice as well as sexual ethics? The ECPs come from different contexts and find different answers to each of these questions.

The workshop ended with two days of exposure: First they went to the Sri Lankan highlands. Here the group learned about the conditions of tea plantation workers. The MC-SL* is engaged in education and advocacy together with these people against their marginalization and exploitation. On the second day, the group met with leaders of different departments of the MC-SL to learn about this church’s evangelism and social justice work.

*MC-SL = Methodist Church of Sri Lanka