11.09.2024

Trust is Built in Shared Experience

Participants exchanged in the plenary, as well as in smaller discussion groups.

Photos: UEM

From August 23 to 25, 2024, the Former Coworkers’ Day of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) was held in Wuppertal.

This annual event has become a significant platform for former missionaries and UEM staff to exchange memories, discuss current issues, and collectively reflect on the future of the mission as implemented by UEM members in three regions. The opening address was given by the UEM General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Andar Parlindungan, who warmly welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of the meeting. This year, the theme was: “Mission and Colonialism – Past, Present, and Future”.

He invited participants to engage by saying: "Please take this opportunity to talk about your life, your work, your faith, and your future. We hope that this time will provide you with a few relaxing days in a learning and spiritual space." He concluded by expressing his hope that the meeting would lead to a proposal on how to understand the role of the mission during colonial times, which could be presented at the next UEM General Assembly in 2025 in Tanzania.

Dirk Scherenberg (Assistant, Asia Department) reported on the political situation in Indonesia and the challenges associated with the construction of the new capital, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). The new project by the HKBP missionaries also received special mention. For the Africa Department, Rev. Dr. John Wesley Kabango Executive Secretary Division Africa/Germany, member of the UEM Management Team, Deputive General Secretary and Sarah Nephuth (Assistant, Africa Department) reported on current developments and the role of the UEM in the region. For the Germany region, Rev. Marie-Anne Halim (Head of the Germany Department) presented current projects and initiatives relevant to the UEM's work locally.

Trust in the Mission – in different times

Following the news from the three UEM regions, Rev. Dr. Norita Sembiring (Head of Global Learning Department) introduced the main topic. She posed the question of how mission should be understood in the past, present, and future. The discussions highlighted not only the positive achievements of the mission but also openly addressed the negative chapters of that history.

She invited participants to engage in group discussions, which provided an opportunity for them to share their own experiences with the topic of trust in the mission. A lively exchange developed, in which good or healing experiences could be shared, as well as bad or hurtful ones.

Angelika Veddeler (Team Leader, Regional Service, Germany Department) highlighted a key aspect: “Living together was important. When you felt that we had experienced grief and joy together, good and bad things. The simple sharing of everyday life was the most important thing to feel connected to each other.”

Kabango added a recollection that showed how trust grows over time: “The first experiences of being in another country are always difficult. We work with churches. At the first encounter, you do not trust the people you meet and they do not trust you. You must first learn the local customs and see how to discover one another. The initial hesitation is present on both sides, but it is not that deep. […] It takes time. When I arrived in 2011, it was different from today. We can now easily exchange ideas with other congregants. It takes time to build trust.”

Parlindungan also shared a personal experience: “Sometimes I still feel like I’m not at home here – even though I’ve been in Germany for ten years. I have many friends and colleagues here, but I don’t feel integrated into this society yet. At the UEM, I feel accepted like in a family. That is enriching for me, and the mission is enriching.” This way, mission can contribute to a space where trust is possible and grows.

Particularly moving was the contribution of Rev. Yoram Karusya (Coordinator, Regional Service), who recalled his personal experience during his time as a pastor in Germany: “Some families wanted to baptize their children and celebrate weddings. Some would explicitly wish to have my German colleague officiate or lead the service. But others explicitly wanted me to do that and not my colleague. Such moments have stayed with me.”

Mission, Trust and Faith

These diverse perspectives illustrated that trust in the mission is not only built through knowledge of culture and customs but, above all, through shared experiences and a willingness to engage with people.

The first day concluded with an evening devotion in which the deceased were remembered. This moment of reflection and contemplation offered participants an opportunity to focus on the spiritual dimension of the meeting and strengthen their bond in faith.