ECEN Assembly 2023 - Every Part of Creation Matters

The ECEN Assembly 2023 will start on 31 August in Roskilde (Denmark). The Assembly will offer a space to discuss key concerns of eco-theology, assess developments related to key EU policy-shaping on the response to climate change, and outline a vision of a sustainable future.

The programme of the Assembly will be shaped by keynote speakers:

Bishop Emeritus Peter Fischer-Møller, Church of Denmark
Prof. Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen, University of Aarhus
Prof. Nikolaos Asproulis, Volos Academy for Theological Studies (Greece)

The event will be an opportunity to welcome among the speakers:

Marianne Bigum, member of the Danish Parliament, vice-chair of the climate, energy and utility committee
Kees Nieuwert from the Christian Council of Churches in the Netherlands
Kenneth Mtata, programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia in the World Council of Churches and
Fiona Paulus from the Ecumenical Youth Council of Europe

The Assembly will offer a space for the discussion, and sharing of experience, as well as to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ECEN.

Particular attention in the preparations, as well as in the program, of the Assembly will be given to the involvement of youth and specific youth concerns related to the care of a sustainable future.

Please find below the links enabling following some sessions of the Assembly online.

Thursday (31 Aug) 16.30 25th anniversary of ECEN – https://youtube.com/live/u30kJksuG2s?feature=share

Friday (1 Sep) 09.00 Every part of creation matters – Pt. 1: Theological concerns –

https://youtube.com/live/2i3PnsSGTjk?feature=share

11.00 Every part of creation matters – Pt. 2: Churches in dialogue with politics –https://youtube.com/live/KBj9GytLPNY?feature=share

Saturday (2 Sep) 14.00 A sustainable future from the perspective of youth – https://youtube.com/live/d41DMFR_tlQ?feature=share

Calendar

04.05.2025	THE NICAEA CENTENARY & CREATION DAY
15.01.2025	A Christian Vision for Sustainable Food Systems – Launch Event
04.10.2024	Closing Prayer Service of the Season of Creation - 4 Oct 2024
30.09.2024	Education for Sustainable Development – Spiritual Dimensions

A few words about the new ECEN Secretary

Claire Mesnards

My name is Claire des Mesnards. I have been working within the United Protestant Church of France as a pastor for 6 years. Before turning to theology, I worked with Civil Society Organisations in networks like the European Confederation of NGOs for sustainable development and international cooperation (CONCORD) and the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) of which I was coordinator for the European region during the Action2015 campaign on climate and the Sustainable Development Goals. These were the first places where, after studying philosophy and political science, I tried to voice together with others my genuine concern for people and the planet. For me this concern is deeply rooted in Christian faith and explains why I responded to a call to serve Jesus Christ as a pastor.

Currently, I live in Nîmes, a small and beautiful Roman city known as one of the Reformation’s cradles in France. I am working full time for the local protestant parish. Together with a number of friends I have been closely involved in founding a Peoples University on Religions. The purpose of this specific project is to provide an open and neutral space where the diversity of beliefs can be approached in-depth by a wide audience. In the French context where religious questions are often relegated to the private sphere as a result of the 1905 separation of religion and the state, there is a desperate need to overcome ignorance and the resulting tensions that it can trigger between citizens.

Beside this and the usual activities related to pastoral care, I share my day-to-day life with Paul Kleiber, an Earth-lover who has over the years helped raise my awareness about the state of our planet. We are getting married on April 26! We will then move to the countryside in the North of France where we hope to get involved in permaculture – a dream Paul has had for a long time and which I now share. This new move brings together my initial background in biology and my long-standing interest in health and the environment. We would be grateful for your prayers and support as a new chapter of our lives opens. We strive for balanced relationships with God’s Creation and are eager to learn from every encounter.

Looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you!

Keywords

ECEN on Facebook

European Christian Environmental Network

ECEN Assembly

European Christian Environmental Network announces its next Assembly, which will take place under the title: ‘Reconciled with creation: a call for urgent action on climate and biodiversity’ from 29 August – 2 September 2020 in Evangelical Academy Bad Herrenalb ( Germany).

Every part of creation matters – invitation to the discussion

Caring for God’s creation is an integral part of the calling of churches. How can this be done? The publication Every Part of Creation Matters produced by the Conference of European Churches serves both as an invitation to dialogue within and amongst the churches, as well as an effort to identify questions for further dialogue with politics. This discussion paper has been prepared as an opportunity both to share thoughts and to stimulate further discussion.
Every Part of Creation Matters (2022) is freely available for download in electronic form and as a printed version from Amazon. Every Part of Creation Matters is a consultation document. The paper is commended for further reflection. We invite churches, interested groups, and individuals to react to the paper and share experiences and comments from different parts of the continent.
Reactions are welcomed at: Ecenecen [dot] org