The EBF has a new President – the Revd Hans Guderian from Germany. He’ll be inducted today at the closing service of the EBF Council, replacing the Revd Valeriu Giletchi from Moldova who has served as the EBF President for the last two years. I first encountered Hans as an avid postal stamps collector, but perhaps another collection might be surfacing at the present. You see, during much of this meeting he has been wearing a very fun tie – from India, he said – with bright elephants on green background. So in one of the coffee breaks, a discussion evolved about this (usually the only) major accessoir for men…
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Gensec’s Europe Matters
You may be interested to check this blog to follow Tony, the General Secretary of EBF, on his travels throughout Europe and elsewhere.
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Peace and Reconciliation at the EBF Council in Lisboa
Though the theme of the EBF Council was “Creation Care and Environment”, perhaps the most notable moment came on the Friday night when Archbishop Malkhaz (Georgia Baptists) invited us to a celebration of the Eucharist and prayers for peace in the troubled region of Ossetia and Georgia. Using a “shortened” version of the eucharistic liturgy of John Chrysostom he co-celebrated with Karin Wiborn (Swedish Baptist Union). The small lecture room assigned for the purpose was soon overcrowded as EBF Baptists, of every liturgical persuasion and non, gathered around the table and joined in the liturgy. We prayed fervently for peace and reconcilation in the region, we shared the one cup…
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Environment at top of the EBF agenda
Whilst ECEN meet near Milan, EBF are meeting at Lisboa (Lisbon) and also reflecting on the theology of creation care. Helle Liht (Estonia) led a devotional on the theme looking at the created order in Genesis. Then the keynote address – “Why we should care from a Biblical perspective” – was delivered in full and handsome manor by scientist turned OT scholar, Dr Ernest Lucas (Bristol, England). However, as Lina blogged earlier, it seems a mountainous journey to awake many in Europe to the concern. I tried to judge the impact of what Ernest was saying on the folk from eastern Europe sat around me, but engaging with the detailed…
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Suffering for the Gospel in Portugal
This week about 120 European Baptist leaders are descending on an Atlantic coast hotel just north of Lisbon. Your advance guard reporter can inform you the sky is blue, the sun is hot, the swimming pool is just below my balcony (no Baptist leaders in at present, but then it is only 07.30am) and the sea and beach just metres beyond! This is the annual Council of the EBF, full of Presidents, General Secretaries, National Directors, Seminary Rectors and all. With great flourish our Russian Baptist leaders proposed a reconciliation meeting with Archbishop Malkhaz and his Baptist bishops from Georgia. The Georgians are coming, but latest rumour is that…