Dear ECEN Supporter,
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None of us can escape the global news of war, financial crisis and unrest. Underneath these headlines remain the climate crisis which has not improved despite successive COP promises year on year.
On many levels the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) has sought to be a network of Christians speaking out of these issues for the last 25 years. Before bringing you up to date on our current situation may we visit our history?
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In 1997, the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz (Austria) agreed to establish a network within the churches of Europe. In 1998, 60 people gathered in the Czech Republic to establish ECEN. They represented 24 countries in eastern and western Europe, including Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. ECEN has been proactively engaging with this agenda on behalf of all the churches with a European perspective.
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This has remained the situation for 25 years until in 2023 the Conference of European Churches decided to focus on different priorities and the environment was not in these priorities. From 2023 until now ECEN has been looking for a way it could have the degree of autonomy the CEC decision required and recently we have been able to establish a charity and a bank account in France to support the Network.
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So we the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) remain a distinctive Christian response to environmental challenges, formed and sustained through the collaborative witness of the European churches. We are a network grounded in the Christian faith, ecumenical cooperation, and theological responsibility for Creation.
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We continue to facilitate Assemblies that in the past have drawn together Members of European Parliament, leading authors, influential theologians and church leaders. Between Assemblies, thematic groups have taken forward the engagement with a number of institutions across a wide variety of subjects, more recently in its contribution to the success of the Season of Creation. We are overseen by the Executive Secretary and the current Enabling Team.
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Help shape the next chapter of ECEN's life
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The statutes that describe ECEN have hardly changed since we were formed and we need to revisit a new constitution and prepare for future challenges. Therefore, we are writing this letter to invite you to help shape the next chapter of ECEN’s life, to enable the voice of our European Christian Churches to be heard, encouraged, and equipped for the mission of the church to safeguard Creation. To do this we would like to invite you, or a representative, to a consultation on
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Monday 15th Sept 6.30pm – Wednesday 17th Sept 1.30pm
at the Notre Dame Chant d’Oiseau Training Centre, Brussels
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To help ECEN to continue advocating for climate justice from a Christian perspective we now need to secure financial resources for the Network. If you would like to make a contribution either you can speak to our Executive Secretary Rev Claire des Mesnards or directly contribute to the account the details of which are below :
IBAN: FR76 4255 9100 0008 0281 2628 511
SWIFT: CCOPFRPPXXX
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We remain united by the joy to think and act with the Creation for the glory of God, together with you, our churches and communities across Europe.
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In Christ,
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The ECEN Enabling Team
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European Christian Environmental Network
c/o Association de soutien à ECEN
9 lieu-dit les Froidsmonts | 02360 Parfondeval, France
tel: 00 33 6 27 75 56 37 | mail : ecen ecen [dot] org | www.ecen.org |www.facebook.com/ecen.org
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