On 28 May and 30 May, the stewards met digitally via Zoom for the first time to prepare and get to know each other for the General Assembly. Twenty-nine young people from 27 different CPCE member churches took part. We are very impressed by the diversity and commitment of the future stewards.
The speakers and CPCE Staff members Stefan Cosoroaba and Oliver Engelhardt provided initial insights into the country, city, local churches and accommodation as well as the structure and subject areas of the CPCE and the processes of the General Assembly. Pastor Deborah Drensek, delegate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg, gave a motivated foretaste of the stewards’ areas of responsibility. She reported on her personal experiences as a former steward in Basel 2018. Drensek also spoke about her continued work at the CPCE as part of the Young Theologians in Communion reference group and the enriching contribution of the Young Theologians to the Assembly. The most important thing in her time as a steward was “getting to know young people from churches all over Europe”. She encouraged the group to “take the opportunity to get to know each other, to engage in discussions and conversations, to learn about other churches and their backgrounds, the challenges they face, to gain new perspectives and to broaden your own horizons.”
The stewards will arrive on 22 August and begin their preliminary programme in Sibiu.
We wish the stewards good preparations and a good realisation of all their tasks for the General Assembly!
(Contribution by Pastor Kathleen Müller)