The Bridge Group, a working group of the World Council of Churches Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), was established during the WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Arusha, Tanzania in March.
The World Council of Churches is an ecumenical partner supported by the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment which enables United Methodists to share a presence and a voice in the activities of several national and worldwide ecumenical organizations.
The first meeting of the Bridge Group was held in Hamburg from 3-6 October, hosted by the Evangelisches Missionswerk in Deutschland. The group has developed specific plans to pursue the call and mandate of the Arusha conference in the immediate future and beyond.
"The movement and enthusiasm that were tangible in Arusha dominated the Bridge Group meeting also in Hamburg. The ecumenical mission can be the driving force of the ecumenical movement, when we are heading towards the next WCC assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2021," Jukko commented.
Rev. Dr Risto Jukko, CWME director, was formally introduced and welcomed by Metropolitan Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, CWME moderator. Mor Coorilos also expressed the hope that Jukko's long experience in and steadfast commitment to mission engagements in local, regional and international levels will be a great asset to CWME.
Metropolitan Coorilos also expressed the hope that specific plans that the Bridge Group has identified for the future work of the commission will go a long way toward addressing the mission challenges the Arusha conference has outlined for the global ecumenical movement.
The CWME will next meet in Helsinki, Finland, in May 2019.
World Council of Churches website
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund enables United Methodists to share a presence and a voice in the activities of several national and worldwide ecumenical organizations. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
