13 September 1993
European NSC Meeting
About 150 leaders from 16 countries representing European National Service Committees met during September in West Berlin. Previously they had net twice, the last time being in Rome during 1983. They agreed at this year’s meeting to meet annually in order to get to know one another, share ideas. Exchange experiences, and develop new initiatives together.
A basic theme of this meeting was the commitment to evangelization during the last decade of this century. They agreed to search out new ways to evangelize Europe. They discussed how this might be done using insights learned from other Christian bodies as well as sharing the richness of the Catholic tradition with those of other Christian traditions.
European Charismatic Consultation
Leaders of the Charismatic Renewal within a number of European Churches and communities have taken steps to enter into closer relationships with one another.
This intention was made clear by 150 leaders from 18 countries at their tenth leaders’s meeting in Berling during September. For three days they listened to presentations, shared their opinions and experiences, and prayed together about the theme of the conference: Renewal, Unity in Christ, and Evangelization.
“We do not have time to combat one another. We have to trust each other. This is the only way to win Europe back for Christ”, stated Fr. Tom Forrest, director of Evangelization 2000.
Fr. Michael Harper, an Anglican priest from England, stated that leaders should seek fellowship that is characterized by brotherly love. Since Christians live on the frontier between God and the wotld, they must reach out from the security of normal Church life and enter the world with the Good News of Jesus.
Rev. Marcel Dietler, a Reformed minister from Switzerland, asked participants not to allow their theological differences to dissuade them from doing what they could do to evangelize Europe. He encouraged them to learn from one another and discover new ways in which to present the Gospel.
The Consultation will pursue ways of achieving this goal. Among them are a conference for leaders in Berne, Switzerland, and teams to support the Renewal in the various Churches and communities in Europe.
