"Spirit on Tour – God's Spirit Worldwide"

On Pentecost Monday, the UEM celebrated an international worship service under the motto "Spirit on Tour – God's Spirit Worldwide". The event took place at the evangelical CityKirche in Wuppertal (Germany) and was broadcast live by the German radio stations WDR5 and NDR Info. An estimated 500,000 listeners experienced a culturally diverse and musically vibrant service whose theological depth gave much to reflect upon.

In his sermon, UEM General Secretary Rev. Andar Parlindungan addressed the concept of mission and how it is perceived in Germany today: "Many people immediately think of colonialism, violence, cultural arrogance, racism. And yes, mission was never perfect. There was guilt. There was exploitation. There were people who did not respect other cultures. We must not remain silent about this." At the same time, the Indonesian theologian called for the other perspective to be heard as well — that of many Christians in Africa and Asia: "Because for many of us, mission is not only a story of oppression, but also a story of education, of healing, of hope, of faith."

As a personal example, he drew on his own family history: educational pathways that became possible early on thanks to missionaries, and that would not have been available without the Christian mission. He also stressed that African and Asian cultures must never be regarded as inferior: "They had dignity, history, wisdom. Mission must never mean: one culture is superior to another." Yet the concrete experiences of many people in the Global South must not be dismissed outright: "Many families say honestly: through mission, we were able to learn to read, we were able to go to school, hospitals were built. People experienced dignity. Women gained access to education. Communities were formed. And above all: people heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

For churches in the Global South, an exclusively negative view of mission raises a painful question, Parlindungan noted: "Is our church today truly God’s will? Or are we merely the product of colonial mistakes?" His answer: "God works through imperfect people. The disciples were not perfect either — and yet God worked through them."

Besides, the voices of numerous UEM staff members from Africa, Asia and Germany were heard, sharing what Pentecost personally means to them and how the Holy Spirit moves within the UEM communion.

The service was led by Rev. Marie-Anne Halim (UEM) together with Rev. Julia-Rebecca Riedel, deputy Protestant broadcasting commissioner at the WDR radio station. Among those attending the service were many former staff members who remain closely connected to UEM.

Listener response by telephone was largely positive: many callers expressed gratitude for the sermon and praised the firsthand change of perspective on the topic of mission. The contributions from the Global South and the musical diversity were also warmly appreciated. Hymns and songs from Africa, Asia and the German Protestant hymn book were sung throughout.

Musical lead was provided by Jörg Spitzer. The project band comprised Manuel Füsgen (guitar), Jannik Hoffmann (drums), Enea Kanani (piano) and Daniel Njikeu (bass); vocals were performed by Iris-Melanie Inci, Mariam Muwanga and Priscilla Pascua-Quezon. Further contributors included Katharina Haubold as well as Rev. Emmanuel Muhozi, Rev. Félicité Ngnintedem and Rev. Norita Sembiring of the UEM.

The service ist available on the WDR-Mediathek