Call for Papers: CEEAMS Annual Conference in Osijek, Croatia, on 13-17 February 2017

The Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies (CEEAMS) is pleased to invite you to the conference

Love, Live, and Delight: Conversations in Central and Eastern Europe on present day documents and commitments on mission

13-18 February 2017, Osijek, Croatia

The 2017 CEEAMS Annual conference seeks to actively engage in worldwide conversations on four mission documents of the last years:

1.      The Cape Town Commitment (CTC) discussed at the Third Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization in 2010, and published by the Lausanne Movement in 2011;

2.      Together Towards Life (TTL), accepted in 2013 at the 10^th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, Korea;

3.      the Evangelii Gaudium (EG), which concluded the year of Faith (2013) and was written in the first year of Pope Franciscus’ Pontificate.

4.      The Mission of the Orthodox Church in Today´s World (MOCT) - adopted in 2016 as an official document on mission at its Holy and Great Council. https://www.holycouncil.org/-/mission-orthodox-church-todays-world

The conference seeks to identify key themes which are missiologically relevant for churches and Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe, to critically analyse these documents and find ways of their translatability at academic level and in mission praxis, in and beyond in the region. Conflicts, clashes, people worrying for their future, isolation, fear for the unknown, characterise the societies of Central and Eastern Europe; Christian communities and churches are challenged not to lose contact with each other and to open up to the societies to which they belong. Love, live and delight are calls for action prominently expressed in these four documents; they are active verbs more than ever relevant in the Europe of 2017, in which so much attention will be given to the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation. Delighting in God, loving God and the fellow human being in order to be able to live together are the basic biblical values from which this conference seeks to find ways through which words of faith transform into lived faith.

At a global level theological-missiological conversations on these four documents have been emerging. The International Review of Mission for example fully dedicated its November 2015 issue to this topic, also the Theology of Mission section of the International Association for Mission Studies discussed these documents at its 2016 Assembly in Seoul, Korea. Yet at the regional level of Central and Eastern Europe, it seems that these documents are hardly debated with a view of their relevance the context, and continue to be discussed in isolation.

The conference seeks to create a platform where scholars and reflective practitioners are challenged to explore key themes relevant for the mission of their churches in the complex post-communist settings, while reading these documents together. It seeks to stimulate creativity for translating the theologies of mission of these documents into the context of every day Christianity.

These statements appeared together with and parallel to numerous conscious engagements by Christian communities worldwide in rethinking mission. Churches and Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe also have been producing mission strategy plans, and mission policy documents; furthermore, synods discuss the future of mission, and mission conferences abound. Nevertheless, the critical question about the motivation behind this mission-mindedness remains. Is it the crisis experience of many communities losing their members, is it the experience of increasingly empty churches, or is it the encounter with a growing number of religious “others”, that lay behind constructing new mission strategies and mission policy papers? In what sense does the motivation for mission in these documents differ from that in our churches and Christian communities? It is common sense that the different theologies of mission lead, prescribe, correct and/or stimulate different models of mission-praxis. It is the aim of this conference to gather both reflective practitioners and mission scholars for mutual enrichment, for strengthening the missional  engagement of our respective churches and for benefiting Christian communities in the region.

Reading together and responding together to CTC, TTL and GE from a contextual perspective, in order to further develop relevant theologies of mission and to deepen missiological reflection in church and academia in the region is the primary aim of the conference.

The documents can be found at:

https://www.lausanne.org/content/ctc/ctcommitment

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/commissions/mission-and-evangelism/together-towards-life-mission-and-evangelism-in-changing-landscapes

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

https://www.holycouncil.org/-/mission-orthodox-church-todays-world

Call for papers:

While intently taking their point of departure in an open attitude of enquiry and invitation for in-depth discussions based on critical readings of the CTC, TTL, GE and MOCT, the organizers of the conference call for papers related to, but not limited to, the following issues:

-         Case studies which contextually explore key themes from CTC, TTL, GE and MOCT and discuss their relevance

-         Contextual understandings of mission

-         Missio Dei in the light of the three documents

-         Trinitarian mission theology

-         Ecclesiology and mission

-         Developments of new theologies of mission

-         Mission and living together with people of other faiths

-         Proselytism, conversion, evangelism, dialogue

-         Spirituality

-         Ecumenism

-         Mission theology and eco-theology

-         Mission theology and social roles

-         Churches’ responses to these documents

For submitting a paper proposal, please send an abstract of no more than 300 words to ceeams@gmail.com by 25^th of November 2016. Abstracts should provide a brief description of the work, clearly outlining the theoretical perspectives and methodology to be applied in the paper.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 5^th of December, 2016.

Selected papers may be published in ACTA MISSIOLOGIAE, the journal of the Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies.

Conference papers should be restricted to 20 minutes of presentation time.

Dates of the conference:

Arrivals Monday 13 February 2017, conference starts with supper.

Plan your arrival at Budapest Airport at 15.00 at the latest to get a reduced price, booked in advance shuttle service to Osijek (25 euro one way).

Departure 18 February after breakfast.

Plan your departure from Budapest Airport after 13.00 to be able to use a reduced price, booked in advance shuttle service from Osijek (25 euro one way).

Conference Venue:

Evangelical Theological Seminary

Cvjetkova 32, PO Box 370, Osijek, Croatia, HR-31103

Tel: 385-31-494-200 // Fax: 385-31-494-201 // Email: info@evtos.hr

Language of the conference: English.

Registration fee: EUR 25

Registration deadline: 1 February 2016

Accommodation:

Accommodation in one-person bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snacks: EUR 175

Accommodation in shared (two persons) bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snacks:     EUR 135

Scholarships:

Participants, especially those whose abstract will be accepted, may apply for partial or full coverage of the conference costs. Travel expenses cannot be reimbursed. Exceptions to the rule will be considered.

Please register as soon as possible using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H1cpX_nb8eLIEMTP0DkZtlF5g4KdA6rJWz_ePhobnio/viewform

Organizers:

Pavol Bargár

Scott Klingsmith

Anne-Marie Kool

Dorottya Nagy

Peter Penner

Ivan Rusyn

Vladimir Ubeivolc

Ruslan Zagidulin

For more information, please contact:

Julijana Tesija, Conference coordinator

Dr. Dorottya Nagy, CEEAMS President: ceeams@gmail.com

2016 Osijek Doctoral Colloquium

OSIJEK DOCTORAL COLLOQUIUM 2016

The Osijek Doctoral Colloquium (ODC) is a program of a consortium consisting of the Osijek Institute for Mission Studies of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, the Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies (CEEAMS), the Eurasian Accrediting Association (EAAA) and a financial support granting foundation.

Osijek Doctoral Colloquium Application Process

Please read the following information carefully. Communication is an important component of your arrival at Osijek. We will do everything possible to facilitate your time here as you communicate your questions, needs, and information to us. If you have been invited to apply for the Osijek Doctoral Colloquium, either as a student or as a mentor, or if you meet the selection criteria, please read the following information carefully and fill out the forms completely. The application form is available here: http://goo.gl/forms/7A94YgtOLy.

General information

The ETS-OSIMS: Who we are?

Osijek Institute for Mission Studies (OSIMS) of the Evangelical Theological Seminary (ETS) seeks to serve as a bridge between East and West, between reflection on the situation of Church and Mission in what was called till recently Eastern Europe and Western Europe.

The geographical location of Osijek in the triangle of Croatia, Romania and Hungary, near the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, could serve bridging the gap between Church and the (increasingly secularized) world, in communicating the Gospel, in essence the Good News that in Jesus Christ the gap between God and men is bridged. The new Institute seeks to build on, renew and strengthen the vision of ETS as a Learning Center for Mission in Eastern Europe.

OSIMS is as an international learning community which seeks to facilitate the academic reflection on the missionary practice of Church and mission and of mission related issues in the societies of post-communist Europe by way of a thorough study of the biblical foundations and a critical analysis of the history of the mission of the Church, and of the contemporary context. The final aim is to support, strengthen and equip the local Church to grow into open, welcoming, witnessing communities of Jesus Christ in today’s world.

The scope of the Institute is contextual, taking its own Evangelical heritage seriously, encouraging a critical reflection on its mission history and contemporary experience in the light of worldwide mission experience and missiological reflection. It also seeks to fulfil a window opening function to church and academia, in ever widening concentric circles, being ready to share lessons learned in its own context, and being ready and open to learning from those from different ethnic or Church backgrounds.

The Osijek Doctoral Colloquium

This program seeks to facilitate a guided study period of 2-6 weeks in the summer months, from July to mid-August to PhD students that have started a PhD program with universities elsewhere in Europe or e.g. South Africa. Also, those seriously exploring the possibility to enrol in a PhD program, working on their proposal are welcome.

It seeks to take those 5-15 PhD students out of their busy environments and bring them into a learning community. A mentor will be assigned to plan, co-ordinate and moderate this project. At least three faculty members will attend as mentors. The outcome of this program hoped for is to provide theological institutions with qualified faculty, but also to develop relevant, contextualized literature, and to have capable people from Central and Eastern Europe participate in broader academic conversations, including those with orthodox and Muslim leaders. The Osijek Doctoral Colloquium could include courses in research methodology.

Lena and George Hendrickson Library

The ODC will take place in the Learning and Conference Center of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. It houses the Lena and George Hendrickson library on the ground floor, and a reference room on the next floor. It also features administrative offices and educational space. At the second floor, space is provided for classrooms, professors’ offices and other educational facilities.

With a library of more than 80,000 books, most of which are in English, but many also in the regional languages, and with excellent facilities, we have been working to make our resources available as a regional research library and learning centre for trainers and educators of Christian leaders in all the countries in the region. It is a resource centre for theological and mission studies unique in Central and Eastern Europe.

Practical Information

The Osijek Doctoral Colloquium will be taking place from July 1^st 2016 to August 13th, 2016.

Each doctoral participant is expected to spend 6-8 hours per day in the study of their selected topic. In addition to your directed study with a mentor, there will be daily group meetings each morning. You should be prepared to present a 30-minute personal testimony and outline of your ministry at home. These brief presentations will encourage us to pray for each other.

We plan to have different events together too, such as an opening and/or closing dinner which may be a wonderful opportunity for you to present music, dance, poetry, or stories from your home culture as part of the entertainment.

Again, please do not hesitate to communicate with us as you have questions, we look forward to meeting you in July and August.

God bless you as you prepare to join us in Osijek.

Obtaining Your Visa

If you are admitted, you will receive a letter and a visa application document to be used in obtaining your visa. These papers should be sufficient to enable you to obtain a visa for the 6-week Tutorial Program.

Medical Insurance

Medical insurance is mandatory for obtaining a Schengen visa and it will offer you an extended coverage wherever you travel in the Schengen area or in Europe. Applicants are required to buy travel health insurance with an insurance company in the country of their residence that is acceptable for the embassy where they apply for the Schengen visa.

Fees and Costs

Costs

The costs of the ODC are a non-refundable registration fee of EUR 25 and a personal contribution towards travelling costs of 100 Euro. Participants have to also cover the costs related to obtaining their visas.

ODC Scholarship

The Osijek Doctoral Colloquium Scholarship covers accommodation in shared (two-persons) bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snack for the duration of the 2-6-week program. It does not include health insurance for the duration of the program. Also, it does not cover personal expenses such as telephone calls, laundry costs, and personal items while at Osijek, or visa application fee, and personal expenses incurred prior to departure for Osijek. It does not cover the cost of shipping personal items home that you have acquired during your time at Osijek. Spouses cannot be accommodated by the ODC participant unless the spouse has also applied and been accepted to the program. The program does not accept children.

For more information, please visit: CEEAMS web link.

Selection criteria:

1.      One should at least have a working proficiency of English, in order to benefit from community life offered by ODC.

2.      One should be willing to respect and contribute to the community focus:

OSIMS is marked by the characteristics: Innovation, Cooperation, Learning Community and Kingdom:

·        Innovation, as it seeks to explore new ways for connecting Gospel and culture;

·        Cooperation, as it seeks to work together with theological institutions and networks for mission studies of different Christian traditions in a consortium format;

·        Learning Community, as it seeks to counter an individualistic approach to education with the strengths of an interactive educational model. 

Focus will be on building, strengthening, and extending the Kingdom of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

3.      The potential areas of study are wide open, preferably one’s research topic should have a missiological dimension or motivation.

The ODC program intersects with one of the aims of OSIMS as development of research into the missionary and missiological developments in Central and Eastern Europe, after the changes and on the place of Christianity in post-Christendom Europe. Missiology is defined as a dimension of each of the theological disciplines. The limiting factors of the areas of study are the possibility to find an appropriate mentor, and the availability and accessibility of library resources at ETS. 

4.      One should be a current or potential key Christian leader within one’s nation.

The ODP program embodies the OSIMS aim to develop an innovative, cooperative platform and learning community for reflection, research and retreats, marked by the transformative power of the Gospel, as a safe space for learning, capacity building and empowering of a new generation of leaders as agents of transformation in their particular churches and societies.

5.      Participants need to be in Osijek preferably for the full six-week program. There is a minimum requirement of two weeks. 

6.      Respect the core values of the ODC program

OSIMS is marked by the following core values, which also characterise the ODC program:

·        Missionary spirituality – is the driving work of mission in all times;

·        „Double listening” – to both to Scriptures and to the context;

·        „Glocal” - analysis of the local context and the exploration of missiological issues in the light of developments in global Christianity;

·        Unity vs. uniformity – unity in mission does not imply uniformity, but rather focus on the common task;

·        Ecumenical cooperation, in light of the complex mission challenges in Europe. However, it does not imply giving up one’s own denomination identity.

·        Service –giving priority to serving and mobilising churches - clergy and laity, to be better equipped to communicate the Gospel holistically with the whole world.

Call for Papers: CEEAMS Annual Conference in Osijek, Croatia, 10-13 May 2016

The Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies (CEEAMS) is pleased to invite you to the conference

Green pastures? Human Mobility and Christian Communities in Central and Eastern Europe 

After the fall of the Communist system, migration experiences in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) intensified and diversified. During Communist times emigration existed in forms of political asylum-seeking or through creative ways to reach the so-called West. Also exchange studentships to befriended countries were some of the variations of migration. While the opening of the political borders after the “changes” in 1989/1990 did generate migration from CEE to mainly Western Europe and North America, migration to CEE through people such as missionaries, international investors, tourists, small entrepreneurs, labor migration, students, professionals had a significant impact on community formation. Typical to these migrations was that it included people from all over the world, from west and north and east and south. Since most of the post-communist countries did not have well-developed migration policies, CEE became an intently diverse field where people of all sorts with a variety of aspirations arrived and left. The “Yugoslav Wars” challenged some of the Balkan countries to experiment with asylum-seeking and refugee services. 

Another significant event regarding migration experiences in CEE was the enlargement of the European Union with new, former communist member states. This resulted in substantial labor migration from CEE to Western Europe, especially from Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, but now also from Hungary and other countries. The consequences of the “Arab Spring”, especially the complex wars in Syria, intensified the refugee question. Next to the cross-border migrations, domestic migration further complicates the processes of transformations in CEE societies. Also the fragility of the internal political situation in a number of CEE countries - with growing right wing tendencies targeting the “foreigner” (read e.g. Roma people, Muslims, and Arab) in their rhetoric -  add to these complexities. Discussions about and responses with immediate action programs (like e.g. building fences etc.) to certain phenomena generated by migration, became part of the daily life at all levels of societies. 

Christian communities, churches and other faith communities are part of the above described societies and migration experiences. In their daily service they encounter situations which demand grounded theological-missiological answers, because after all, migration experiences are about human lives and changes in human lives and societies. Missiologists, theologians, and reflective practitioners are challenged to theologicallymissiologically reflect on questions about human mobility in this region and their relation to the larger worldwide processes, in order to adequately assist the work of churches, ministers, pastors, and above all church members to find contextually relevant answers. In order to address the issue of human mobility, one needs to dig deeper: it is not sufficient to create Christian discourses about migration by collecting proof verses from the Bible which talk about people on the move, and about the position of strangers. Digging deeper asks for self-reflection: what is going on in Christian communities in terms of migration? What do Christians in this part of the world believe about different aspects of migration and why do they do so? What are the most striking aspects of migration which need theological attention? 

Call for papers: 

While intently taking their point of departure in an open attitude of enquiry and invitation for in-depth discussions, the organizers of the conference call for papers related to, but not limited to, the following issues:

- Case studies which contextually explore the relationship between mission praxis and migration 

- Churches involvement in issues of human mobility 

- Missionary presence and migration 

- Missiological assessments of missionary work among people labeled as (“illegal”) migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants, labor migrants, entrepreneurs, international students and professionals 

- Case studies of churches emerged in strong relationship with migration: e.g. Romanian speaking churches in Western Europe or/and Vietnamese speaking churches in CEE.  

- Missionaries as migrants - Communities left behind: case studies related to communities from which large number of people left or temporarily work abroad.  

- The issue of diaspora 

- Exclusion, inclusion, racism, xenophobia, politics of the fear and image-formation  

- Human mobility and new communities/ community formation 

- Inter-faith dynamics influenced by migration 

- Exploring fresh ways of theologizing on migration 

- When more is less and less might become more: in search for a better life and the issue of human relationships 

For submitting a paper proposal, please send an abstract of no more than 300 words to ceeams@gmail.com by 20th of March 2016. Abstracts should provide a brief description of the work, clearly outlining the theoretical perspectives and methodology to be applied in the paper. 

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 27th of March, 2016.

Selected papers may be published in ACTA MISSIOLOGIAE, the journal of the Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies.

Conference papers should be restricted to 20 minutes of presentation time. 

Date of the conference:  

Arrivals 10 May 2016, conference starts in the afternoon.  Departure 13 May after lunch. 

Conference Venue:  

Evangelical Theological Seminary Cvjetkova 32, PO Box 370, Osijek, Croatia, HR-31103

Tel: 385-31-494-200 // Fax: 385-31-494-201 // Email: info@evtos.hr

Language of the conference: 

English

Registration fee: 

EUR 25 

Registration deadline: 

15 April 2016

Accommodation: 

Accommodation in one-person bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snack: EUR 155  Accommodation in shared (two persons) bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snack:     EUR 115 

Scholarships: 

Participants, especially those whose abstract will be accepted, may apply for partial or full coverage of the conference costs. Travel expenses cannot be reimbursed. Exceptions to the rules will be considered.  

Please register as soon as possible using the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mUPrOcyP6zH0NOphUbvKe9I6AIfwAI9Qv8IPyP0HUU/viewform?usp=send_form

Organizers:  

Pavol Bargár 

Scott Klingsmith 

Anne-Marie Kool 

Valentin Kozhuharov 

Dorottya Nagy 

Peter Penner 

Ivan Rusyn 

Vladimir Ubeivolc 

Ruslan Zagidulin  

CEEAMS Membership

Membership of CEEAMS is open both to individual scholars and institutions involved in the study of mission and intercultural theology, on the basis of a commitment to the aims of the association. A recommendation from two CEEAMS members is needed in order to have the application presented to the General Assembly of CEEAMS, that is charged to accept new members of the association. If you do not know anyone who can sponsor you, then please contact Pavol Bargár, secretary of CEEAMS, at bargarp@yahoo.com.
Membership is open for those:
- who have an earned doctorate or are in the process to earn their PhD/ThD, as well as reflective practitioners;
- or who, as mission practitioners, deal with mission both theoretically and practically
and are residents of the region of Central and Eastern Europe or have a research interest in the region.

Members are entitled to complimentary subscription to Acta Missiologiae, the journal published by CEEAMS, as well as to information about the activities of the association.

To get the application form please contact Pavol Bargár at bargarp@yahoo.com.

Payment:

1.       Regular member – CEE  - 10 Euro value in HUF

2.       Regular member – non- CEE – 15 EURO value in HUF

3.       Institutional member – 25 Euro value in HUF

The CEEAMS bankaccount number is:

IBAN: HU87103000021065519249020013

BIC: MKKBHUHB   

Bank: MKB Bank Zrt.

Váci utca 38.

1056 Budapest

Hungary

Press release: CEEAMS 2015 Conference (February 10-13, 2015, Heiligenkreuz, Austria

The annual conference of the Central and Eastern European Association of Mission Studies (CEEAMS) was held in Heiligenkreuz, near Vienna between the 10th and13th of February 2015. Its theme was, Beyond the Iron Curtain: Being Church in Central and Eastern Europe twenty five years after the political changes. The participants told stories of Christians living and working in that region and analysed the trends in the church and mission after the momentous events of 1989.

CEEAMS, established in 2002, is an international, interdenominational and intercultural body committed to the scholarly study of issues related to Christian mission, especially focusing on Central and Eastern Europe, in order to support, strengthen and equip local congregations to function as open and welcoming communities witnessing to Jesus Christ in today’s world.

The organisers of the conference were concerned to make sure that the events of the 25 years were analysed rigorously. Through the experiences of 'Iron Curtain', Europe has been divided in west and east for more than four decades. Christian communities from both sides were challenged to deal with the reality of barbed-wired borders. Therefore the fall of the communist systems had consequences both for east and west. The collapse of the Iron Curtain does not mean it has disappeared, as its rusted pieces continue to influence the life of those who ‘step’ on it.

This conference’s objective was to provide an opportunity to theologians-missiologists to reflect on the questions of the extent and the ways in which the communist experiences continue to influence the life of Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and what it means to be or become church in the post-1989/1990 period.

Often focus is only given to the changes in former communist countries. The present conference departs from the understanding that both west and east are standing on the remnants of the Iron Curtain and therefore it is important to reflect together on the complexities which have been shaping the life, position and form of the Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe in the last twenty five years. The conference aim was to bring together theologians-missiologists, Master and PhD students researching in mission studies as well as reflective practitioners coming from different confessional backgrounds.

But this rigour didn't not leave the practical consequences on the side. Each speaker was encouraged to draw out the meaning of these stories and analysis for the present and future mission of the church here in Central and Eastern Europe. The scene was set in the first two papers given on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. These sessions established the fundamental approaches of this conference; viz. personal and praxis orientated approaches.

It has been said that all theology is ultimately biographical. To achieve this the conference began by Prof. Dr. Peter Penner describing his pilgrimage in mission from being born as an ethnic German in Kazakhstan, at that time still part of the Soviet Union, as a teenager moving with his family to Germany. Since his studies of theology in Germany, he has served in a number of leadership positions in theological institutions became subsequently widely known as a leading mission thinker in Central and Eastern Europe. This personal approach was followed by subsequent speakers.

The second fundamental approach was established by Prof. Dr.  Anne-Marie Kool. She argued that in theology and missiology there is often a dichotomy between theory and practice. On one hand, theology and theological education can remain at the abstract level, not dealing with the context, and, therefore, have no relevance to practical church and mission life. On the other hand, mission can ignore the importance reflecting critically upon mission in the light of the gospel. Missiology must begin with understanding the context where we are placed, taking the issues the context raises, to the gospel and reflect upon the context critically from a biblical-theological perspective. The other speakers followed closely this approach.

In the light of this personal and praxis orientated approach, after each paper, there was vigorous discussion and debate around the subjects expounded. The papers were wide and varied but all focussed upon how the Christian church existed in the past 25 years and how it should move forward into the future.

There are some interesting facts to note within this width and variety. The variety of speakers was very wide. One third of the speakers in the devotional times and the papers were female; an impressive number for missiological conferences! There were also a good number of younger speakers (under 30). They also came from a wide variety of confessions (Protestant, evangelical, Baptist, Orthodox and Roman Catholic) with the majority being local to Central and Eastern Europe as well as others from Western Europe. The thirty participants represented 13 different nationalities.

Not only were the speakers varied but the contexts of reflection were also varied. There were papers on the whole region but also on various countries (Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Moldova, East Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Poland). The denominational contexts were also varied (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Protestant and Pentecostal).

In addition to the variety of contexts, the approaches to the subjects were varied. Approaches including statistical analysis, critical comparison and use of missiological models (Niebuhr’s “Christ and Culture”, the Pastoral Circle, critical postmodernity and generational analysis).

Finally, the themes of study were varied. Subjects ranged from minority ethnic/religious experience and witness, missiological issues such missional church, pluralism, social engagement, missiological education and church/state relations post 1989.

This conference covered a multitude of themes, with a multitude of approaches, in multitude of contexts, by a multitude of speakers, using a personal and praxis orientated approach. The reflection was rigorous, personal and practical. The participants left enriched by the experience of the papers and dialogue. They also have the possibility of bibliographic material, which will help the Churches, missionaries and agencies to approach mission in Central and Eastern Europe in a more theologically coherent way and be more practically equipped to fulfil this task.

For more information contact: Dr. Dorottya Nagy (dorotti@hotmail.com)

Beyond the Iron Curtain: Being Church in CEE Twenty Five Years After the Political Changes (Conference Notice)

Conference notice 

Beyond the Iron Curtain: Being Church in Central and Eastern Europe twenty five years after the political changes

Heiligenkreuz, Austria, 10-13 February 2015

The Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies organizes the conference:

Beyond the Iron Curtain: Being Church in Central and Eastern Europe twenty five years after the political changes

Through the metaphor and the experiences of 'Iron Curtain', Europe has been conceptually divided in west and east for more than four decades. Christian communities from both sides were challenged to deal with the reality of barbed-wired borders. Therefore the fall of the communist systems had consequences both for east and west. The collapse of the Iron Curtain does not mean it has disappeared, as its rusted pieces continue to influence the life of those who ‘step’ on it. This conference seeks to provide an opportunity to theologians-missiologists to reflect on the questions of the extent and the ways in which the communist experiences continue to influence the life of Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and what it means to be or become church in the post-1989/1990 period?

Often focus is only given to the changes in former communist countries. The present conference departs from the understanding that both west and east are standing on the remnants of the Iron Curtain and therefore it is important to reflect together on the complexities which have been shaping the life, position and form of the Christian communities in Central and Eastern Europe in the last twenty five years. The conference seeks to bring together theologians-missiologists, Master and PhD students  researching in mission studies as well as reflective practitioners coming from different confessional backgrounds.

Please find in the attachment the program of the conference.

Date of the conference:

                Arrivals 10 February 2015, conference starts in the afternoon

                Departure 13 February 2015 after lunch

Conference Venue: (see the attachment on more details)

TCM International Institute
Haus Edelweiss
Sattelbach #16
A-2532 Heiligenkreuz N.Ö.
Austria Europe
Phone: +43-2258-8752
Fax: +43-2258-8727-45

Language of the conference: English

Conference costs (to be paid on arrival):

                Registration fee EUR 25

                Accommodation in one person bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snack: EUR 135

                Accommodation in shared (two persons) bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snack:              EUR 112,5

Please register as soon as possible using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H1cpX_nb8eLIEMTP0DkZtlF5g4KdA6rJWz_ePhobnio/viewform

Registration will close on 31st of January 2015

For more information or any question you might have regarding the conference, please contact us at ceeams@gmail.com

Organizers:

Dr. Pavol Bargár

Prof. Dr. Scott Klingsmith

Prof. Dr. Anne-Marie Kool

Dr. Valentin Kozuharov

Dr. Dorottya Nagy

Prof. Dr. Peter Penner

Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Petraru

CEEAMS Steering Committee (since 2015)

As of February 2015, the CEEAMS Steering Committee has the following members:

Dorottya Nagy (president)
Anne-Marie Kool (vice-president)
Peter Penner (vice-president, treasurer)
Gheorghe Petraru
Scott Klingsmith
Levente Horváth
Valentin Kozhuharov
Vladimir Ubeivolc
Ivan Rusyn
Ruslan Zagidulin
Pavol Bargár (secretary)