21.03.2017

International Council of UEM meets in Wuppertal

The internationally composed Council of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) has arrived for its first ordinary meeting under the chair of Rev. Willem Simarmata in the mission house in Wuppertal-Barmen. "This house is a historical site for our international communion of churches, that's why we like to come to Wuppertal“, said Simarmata, who had been the Ephorus of the biggest Protestant church in Indonesia, the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) until 2016. The agenda of the Council has to deal with the mandate of the last General Assembly to pave the way for the Rhenish Church in South Africa to become a full member of the international communion of churches. To this end the UEM constitution shall be changed. Besides, the position of the Executive Secretary for the Asian region will be advertised as the present position holder, Rev. Sonia Parera-Hummel will retire mid 2018. The UEM Moderator is supported by three vice Moderators who are Bishop Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara from the North-Western diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Rev. Rosmalia Barus from the Karo Batak Church in Indonesia as well as Rev. Dr. Ulrich Möller from the Westphalian Church in Germany. The governing body consists of 14 members, namely the Moderator and four representatives coming from each region Africa, Asia and Germany as well as a youth representative. The Council advises and supervises the Management Team, elects the General Secretary and appoints the executive secretaries who are members of the Management Team. The Council meets from March 20 to 22 in Wuppertal. Martina Pauly