Strengthening regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe

Martin Balcar, head of the central office of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, spoke of the response of local congregations in his country, where 150 churches opened their doors to over 2000 Ukrainian refugees. After a complete ban on diaconal work under the Soviet regime which ended in 1989, he noted, the Diaconia of his church is now the second largest in the country and a “really relevant partner of the state.”  The challenge, he added, is that this vital grassroots work is rarely seen and acknowledged in the same way as the contribution of national or international non-governmental organizations. 

Klára Tarr Cselovszky, head of the department for ecumenical and foreign affairs for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary, said the church in her country also has “a stronger impact on society than the numbers imply.” Lutherans, she said, make up about 2.5 percent of the predominantly Catholic country and have developed a relationship of what Bishop Dr Tamás Fabiny terms "critical solidarity" with the government, cooperating on education and diaconal work but also speaking out clearly for greater inclusion of refugees and marginalized communities. 

Bishop Leon Novak of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia noted that Lutherans in his country, who number just one percent of the population, enjoy “huge recognition” from the state, partly due to the role that the 16th century Reformer Primož Trubar played in shaping the nation’s language and identity. Relations with neighboring churches and with the wider LWF communion are also important for training of pastors and strengthening the position of the church, he said. 

Dr Anna Sóos, vice-president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania highlighted the challenge of reaching out to young people and strengthening education at all levels from pre-school to university and seminary training at the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca in the northwest of the country. Speaking from the perspective of a predominantly Orthodox nation, she also emphasized the need for the LWF to help “bring us together and foster dialogue with Christians and non-Christians too.” 

Bishop Jaroslav Javornik of the Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia also highlighted the important role of the LWF in strengthening the capacity of minority churches across the region. He praised the Retreat of Newly Elected Leaders (RoNEL) program which the LWF hosts to support closer ties among church leaders from different parts of the Lutheran communion. Speaking of a new joint program to empower women in churches across the Balkan region, he said all of these churches need stronger support for the diaconal work of their congregations.

Rev. Andris Krauliņš, Secretary of the department for international affairs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, said “the future of the church will not be easy” with churches, especially in rural areas, becoming “emptier and emptier,” particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Yet he also noted that around a thousand new members join the church each year, some wanting a religious wedding, others invited by Lutheran parishioners or attracted by Alpha courses offering an introduction to Christianity.

Participants were warmly welcomed by the head of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic, General Bishop Ivan Elko, who spoke of the history of his church and the suffering of its people over the past century. Delegates also heard from Bishop Jerzy Samiec, head of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland which is preparing to host the LWF’s Thirteenth Assembly in Krakow next September.  

Bishop Samiec spoke of the Holocaust and the implications that this tragedy history continues to have for churches in the region today. “Exclusion starts slowly,” he said, “so the challenge for us as churches is to look around at what is happening today and speak up for all excluded people, even though we may not share their attitudes, beliefs or values.”  

Reflecting at the conclusion of the consultation, LWF’s Regional Secretary for Europe, Rev. Dr Ireneusz Lukas said: “This gathering is the only space where leaders of all LWF member churches of the region can meet together. It enables them to nurture mutual relations, not only by attending worship services and reflecting on the Word of God, but also by sharing experiences and seeking common solutions to contemporary challenges facing their churches. This year, an important part of our consultation was preparing for the LWF Assembly, which will take place next year in Poland - for the second time in the history of LWF in our Central and European region.