Bossey helps young people to make sense of ecumenical organisations today. In this issue:

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1 Spring 2013 Bossey helps young people to make sense of ecumenical organisations today Are international ecumenical organizations still relevant to the struggle for justice and peace in today s world? This is a very important question for young people who are doing internships at Geneva-based ecumenical organizations such as the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). In February, Bossey and the WCC Internships Programme organized a one week session of intensive ecumenical formation as an attempt to answer this question. The course was attended by ten young interns from Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. The first day was dedicated to Nadine Labaki s 2011 film Where do we go now? (original in French: Et maintenant, on va où?). The film is about a remote village in Lebanon where Muslims and Christians no longer live in peace after they have access to mass-media, and what the village women do in response to the growth of interreligious tension particularly among men. Following the discussion on the construction of imaginary inter-religious encounter and conflict, the attention was turned to the work of ecumenical organisations in the area. This included first hand accounts of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme of vulnerable populations in Palestine and Israel, a Skype conversation with the WSCF representative in the Middle East, and detailed information about the LWF and the WCC human rights advocacy at the United Interns gather at Bossey to discuss the challenges facing ecumenical organisations today In this issue: Editorial Taking a Sabbatical at Bossey New Book Published by Dagmar Heller Consultation on the Changing Face of Christianity Bossey Here and There The 64th Graduating Class Says Goodbye to Bossey Rothang Chhangte Continues to Inspire Others Through Service of Christian Unity News from the Faculty 2013 Course information Nations. At that point, the young interns were ready to take a step forward and reflect on the respective visions of those organisations. A Bossey professor facilitated a session on the biblical and theological basis of the ecumenical vision shared by them. This was followed by a historical introduction to the emergence of those organisations and their establishment in Geneva during the first part of the 20 th century. A review of the main issues facing ecumenical organisations today, a lively discussion on the community of women and men and the unity continued on page 2

2 2 Dear Reader, As director of the Ecumenical Institute, I have seen over the years thousands of people come and go, all on various journeys of learning and reflection. Scholars, teachers, students, clergy from all faith communities, conference attendees, university groups, church groups, organisations and individual guests and spiritual sojourners of all faiths seeking enrichment have all been welcomed here at Bossey. People like Susanna Storck whose quest to be a part of an international community led her to Bossey. I invite you to come to Bossey for individual sabbaticals, to attend lectures or classes, and to enjoy our extensive library. Our faculty and staff can help guide you on a particular research topic or theme of study and make suggestions for excursions to Geneva and beyond, for a visit to the World Council of Churches headquarters and to learn more about the significant Christian history of this places and their unique significance. Most of all I welcome you to become a part of our community and to share in its life and dynamic spirituality for a day, a week, a month, or longer. It will be an immensely enriching experience Prof. Fr. Dr. Ioan Sauca Director Susanna Storck - Sabbatical at Bossey Arriving in late October after the graduate students had already settled into their routines, Susanna Storck nonetheless quickly found herself welcomed into the Bossey community. Coming from the Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland, Susanna was given the gift of a four-month long sabbatical by her church. She chose to do her sabbatical at Bossey because she desired to concentrate on ecumenical studies. She describes herself as a pilgrim trying to learn more about God through pilgrimage and she seeks out diversity in order to learn the word of God. Some people like to eat the same dish everyday, but there is a richness in diversity she says. We can realize the mightiness of His Word through other people. When asked what she learned during her four months at Bossey, she quickly replied Ecclesia Creatura Verbi. By all our efforts, we can t create unity; it s a result of the word of God. She was happy that she chose Bossey for her sabbatical and found the teaching staff very professional and inspiring. Susanne audited three classes and stayed with a friend who lived in nearby France. But her real inspiring moments came from being in community with the other 28 students; eating meals, participating in outings, and working in the organic garden. She felt enriched by the high level of theological interpretation she found in the classroom It was like going into a garden and digging deep. The faculty were like good gardeners. The spiritual nourishment she found in the daily chapel worship also inspired her. What I experienced in the chapel is that all people are disciples of God. We are all one in listening to the word, it was a blessing. When asked how she feels about leaving and returning to her post as a religious studies teacher in a private Catholic school in Germany, she had this to say, Leaving here, I feel like a camel coming home from a long journey with lots of treasures, values, and deep spiritual impressions. I have the feeling of belonging to an international family. BB Susanna, second from left, with her new friends continued from page 1 of the Church, and an intensive introduction to the theology inter-religious encounter, completed the course. Participants were invited to grade the course methodology and each element of the programme, and to answer the question what would you do differently? Some of their answers converged on the importance of further exploration of both the biblical and theological basis of the ecumenical vision, and the history and contemporary challenges faced by the ecumenical movement. A promising sign! BB

3 Spring Baptized into Christ by Dagmar Heller What happens if I change from one Christian confession to another? Would I have to be baptized again? These are the kinds of questions, which initiated the completion of a recent publication Baptized into Christ: A Guide to the Ecumenical Discussion on Baptism by Rev. Dr Dagmar Heller, Professor of Ecumenical Theology at the Ecumenical Institute and Programme Executive of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. Dr Heller, who is from the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), shares in the Preface This book results from my teaching in the ecumenical theology at the Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey, Switzerland, during winters of The book gives an overview on the different theological understandings of baptism in the different Christian traditions as well as a systematic presentation of the theological underlying issues, in order to understand and possibly find solutions for the difficulties churches still have in recognizing each others baptism. What follows is an account of the historical development of divergences on baptism, as well as an account of the ongoing bilateral and multilateral dialogues that point a way toward the realization of Paul s vision in Ephesians 4:5 of Christian unity in one Lord, one faith, one baptism. To mark this research milestone, a book launch event was form of an international ecumenical panel discussion, was organized 11 January 2013 at the Ecumenical Institute. It involved the author presenting her book and two panelists offering their thoughts as readers prior to publication: Christos-Filotheos Kolliopoulos, an archimandrite of the Greek Orthodox Church and a doctoral student of the Ecumenical Institute and Jean-Daniel Plüss, chair of the European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association in Switzerland and a leading Pentecostal participant in ecumenical dialogues. Kolliopoulos acknowledged that The book is helpful to students of the ecumenical movement, or to anyone who wants to start a serious study of the issue of baptism today. He regretted it was not yet available when he studied under Heller s leadership for his Master of Ecumenical Studies degree a few years ago. Plüss affirmed that the work was an outstanding book. Readers will learn to sympathize with others points of view while remaining deeply respectful. The launch event was attended, among other guests and interested persons, by the students of the autumn semester of the academic year Baptized into Christ (288 p.) is published by WCC Publications and is available through WCC distributors in UK/Europe (Gazellebookservices.co.uk) and North America (isbs.com), as well as Amazon.com BB The Changing Face of Christianity: WCC conference on world Christianity at Bossey In March, representatives of the world s major study centres on global Christianity met for a consultation at Bossey. The meeting, organised by Dietrich Werner, head of the WCC programme Ecumenical Theological Education and Amélé Ekué, professor and dean of the Ecumenical Institute, brought together 20 international scholars from universities and other theological institutions engaged in the study and teaching of Christianity from such diverse academic settings as Japan, Britain and the USA among others. Eminent speakers who have conducted longstanding research in the field shared their findings and included: Afe Adogame on mission and migration in the context of current World Christianity, Todd Johnson on methodological considerations on mapping the demographic shifts in World Christianity, Namsoon Kang on the critique of the concept of World Christianity, and Christine Lienemann Perrin on the conceptual contours of understanding Christianity today. The exchanges were marked by an interest to evaluate current theoretical approaches to World Christianity and to test their validity, as well as by an intentional effort to create synergies continued on page 5

4 4 Bossey Here and There and Throughout the World.... Bossey alumni who serve as ecumenical officers for the WCC attend a meeting in December. Left to right: Ms. Wararat Chaisuk, Rev. Bruce Myers, Rev. Margaret Rose, Fr. Sergei Kapral, and Rev. Prince Devanandan Visitors from the Korean mission in Geneva make a donation to Bossey. From left to right: Rev. Jooseop Keum (WCC), Mrs. Soyun Kim (chair of women s group), Professor Dr. Ioan Sauca, Mr. Wang Kim (chair of mission committee) The Finnish Ecumenical Council visits Bossey to learn more about its programmes. From left to right, Mr. Perry Johansson, Ms. Anna Hyvärinen, Fr. Heikki Huttunen, Ms. Sirpa-Maija Vuorinen, and Professor Dr. Ioan Sauca Visitors from the Presbyterian Church USA are welcomed by Bossey staff. Left to right: Rev. Dr. Dagmar Heller (Bossey) Dr. Marina Behera (Bossey) Rev. Robina Winbush (PCUSA) and Dr. Charles Hardwick (PCUSA) A group of pastoral students from the Church of Sweden came to Bossey for a 4-day-seminar (April 21-25) on ecumenism as part of their pastoral training". Friends of Bossey UK held their annual meeting in March. Left to right: Michael Davies, Paul Ballard, Andrew Prasad, Linda Williams, David Gosling, Roger Spiller (Chair) Donald Norwood, Sally Theakston, Angela Berners-Wilson, John Bradley, and Brian Castle

5 Spring The 64th graduating class says goodbye to Bossey During a light drizzle of rain in late January, the 64 th graduating class assembled in the chapel for the closing worship of their five month long engagement in ecumenical studies. Close bonds, shared worship and ecumenical studies were at the forefront of students lives as they thrived together during the academic year. The class represented a wide range of geographic regions and confessions with students coming from 27 countries. When Victor Audu first arrived at Bossey from Nigeria, he was instantly immersed in more cultures and faith traditions than he ever experienced before. He wondered: would people from such different contexts really find commonality? The experience here has been quite enriching, he said. In the end, I was able to deduce that the differences we make a lot of theological noise about might not be theological at all, but cultural and political. We are closer than we realize. Merlyn Hyde-Riley from Jamaica had this to say about her experience, Bossey provided me a kind of retreat from the hustle and bustle of life while at the same time facilitating communion, memorable connections, academic study, deliberate ecumenical exposure beyond expectation and less intentional learning experiences without which the time spent at Bossey would not have been the same. Helen Baber from the UK expressed it this way However you looked at us, we were a diverse bunch of people, but even at the most difficult times, we were brother and sisters in Christ and this always won. This year the annual trip to Rome was especially enriching. Father Iwuamadi Lawrence, Professor of Biblical Hermeneutics, accompanied the group which included an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. We didn t know it at the time, but we were the last Bossey group to see him during the worship for the closing of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It was a very moving experience for all of us. BB continued from page 3 and build networks among individual researchers and institutions dedicated to the study of contemporary Christianity. By providing a space for open and constructive analytical interrogation around questions like whose/which world in world Christianity?, the consultation sharpened the participants awareness on the nuance between the descriptive category of Christianity in the world and the discursive notion of world Christianity. The latter carrying the danger of a binary between Christianity-inthe-West versus Christianity-of -the rest, and thus unconsciously reinforcing the dichotomy between East/West and North/ South in Christian expressions. A series of regional reports highlighted the multiple facets of the theme reflected in theological and ecumenical formation, in the establishment of new chairs and research institutions, and made visible by how the study of the changing face of Christianity demands apart from methodological precisions, also the constant verification with empirical realities. In this context Ken Myamoto s contribution was momentous in drawing attention to the vulnerable situation of Christianity in Japan. As the world continues to experience changes in the religious landscape and theological discourse, World Christianity raises questions on how these changes challenge the current paradigms of the ecumenical movement and the future implications for relations between churches. The participants consented that the conversations started in Bossey offer ample inspirations for further collaboration. BB The 64th graduating class at the Casa Maria Immacolata in Rome

6 6 Rothang Chhangte Continues to Inspire Others Through Service towards Christian Unity Back in 2002, when Rev. Rothang Chhangte was a student at Bossey, she knew she was preparing herself for a life of service dedicated towards Christian unity, but the impact she has had since leaving Bossey has been an inspiration to many. Chhangte currently serves as the Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, general secretary of ABCUSA and former Bossey student (1973) said, Rothang is an outstanding choice. With her rich Baptist heritage, she has been a wonderful representative of our denomination and the believer s church tradition in ecumenical circles. Her contributions to the Decade to Overcome Violence made it a powerful witness for peace. Likewise, she was an advocate in the World Council of Churches for the situation in Burma which resulted in a Rev. Rothang Chhangte during a break at the 2011 WCC Central Committee Director of Baptist World Aid, which distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in relief and development aid around the world. In February, she received the news that she will be the 2013 recipient of the Luke Mowbray Ecumenical Award, which recognizes commitment to achieve Christian unity. Chhangte is also former liaison for Refugees from Burma with American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), the domestic mission arm of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA). visit to the Mae La Refugee camp in Thailand, followed by a visit to Burma, by a group of religious leaders, who went to encourage the churches there. Her formidable gifts in ministry are serving the worldwide Baptist community as she serves as the Director of Baptist World Aid. During a conversation with Rothang in 2011, she was asked how Bossey has prepared her for her ecumenical work. Bossey has spoiled me! she replied. I am open and can dialogue with anyone because of the encounters I had at Bossey. When asked what she thought was so special about Bossey she remarked that the passion of the staff about what they do and speak is contagious. She further commented that she hopes that individuals and congregations will continue to financially support the Ecumenical Institute since Bossey is actually doing the work of Christian unity. rather than just talking about it. Rev. Chhangte holds a Master of Divinity degree from Palmer Theological Seminary and an MBA degree from Eastern University, two Baptistaffiliated schools near Philadelphia. She was also a business major in her Bachelor's degree program at another Baptist school, Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition, she holds diplomas from the Oxford Graduate Summer School of Theology in the United Kingdom as well as the Ecumenical Institute. BB Beyond Boundaries wishes to all its readers a wonderful Summer!

7 Spring 2013 News from the Faculty: Putting names to faces of women in mission history In 2010 women engaged in missological research, gathered at the Ecumenical Institute to participate in an ambitious international project on the historiography of women s contribution to Christian mission in different regions of the world. The recent publication edited by Christine Lienemann-Perrin, Atola Longkumer and Afrie Songco Joye, Putting Names with Faces. Women s Impact in Mission History, to which faculty member Amélé Adamavi-Aho Ekué contributed, is an encouraging result of this consultation process offering an inspiring cross-cultural and microanalytical study by making visible the involvement of women in the transmission of the gospel. The book was also selected as one of the "Fifteen Outstanding Books of 2012 for Mission Studies," in the April 2013 issue of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research. See: Amélé Adamavi-Aho Ekué: "Mothers for All: The Missionary Impact on Models of Femininity and Maternity in West Africa", in: Christine Lienemann Perrin/ Atola Longkumer/ Afrie Songco Joye (Eds.): Putting Names with Faces. Women's Impact in Mission History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012: Other publications of faculty members: Dagmar Heller, Das Lima- Dokument und neuere Kirchen Ein möglicher Dialog, in: Una Sancta 67/2012, Dagmar Heller, Was sind die derzeitigen Herausforderungen an die Ökumene?, in: Religion & Gesellschaft in Ost und West (RGOW) 40/2012, Odair Pedroso Mateus. Liturgia e Amizade, in C. Carvalhaes (ed.), Entre o Altar e o Mundo: Aportes Multidisciplinares da Liturgia. São Paulo, Fonte Editorial, 2012, BB Upcoming Events May 2013: Eco-theology Seminar August 2013: Building an Interfaith Community 17 June August 2013: Intensive English Summer Course 9 September January 2014: 65th Session of the Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies 9 September June 2014: Master of Advanced Ecumenical Studies (MAS) BB 7 I wish to: Support the work of Bossey by a gift of Please, see instructions on page 8. Place for a postal stamp. Receive Beyond Boundaries: Please, write your address below. Change my address: Please, write your address below. Family name: First name: Street address: The Ecumenical Institute Beyond Boundaries P.O.Box Crans-près Céligny SWITZERLAND Postal code: Town: Country:

8 Bossey is the international dialogue and formation centre of the World Council of Churches P.O.Box Crans-près-Céligny Switzerland Tel: Fax: T he Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey was founded in It is attached to the Autonomous Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Geneva and part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) representing some 560 million Christians on all continents of the globe. Since 1946, thousands of women and men from numerous countries and most Christian confessions and cultures have come to Bossey for seminars, conferences and academic study programmes. Many have testified to life-changing experiences in this ecumenical laboratory. More information about the academic programme or how the contemporary hospitality facilities in splendid historical surroundings overlooking the French Alps may be of use to you can be found at Support the work of Bossey! By online giving: > Support Bossey > Online giving By bank transfer: Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (BCV) Case postale 300, CH-1001 Lausanne, Switzerland Account holder: The Ecumenical Institute of Bossey IBAN: CH U Swift code: BCVLCH2LXXX By postal account: (in Switzerland only) Account holder: The Ecumenical Institute of Bossey BEYOND BOUNDARIES is a periodic newsletter of the Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey. Editorial Team: Kelly Brownlee, Dagmar Heller, Odair Pedroso Mateus and Anu Talvivaara. Printed at the Ecumenical Institute in May 2013.The Ecumenical Institute shall not be under any liability to any person in respect of any damage, however caused, which may be incurred or which arises directly or indirectly from reliance on information in this publication. Bossey is the international dialogue and formation centre of the World Council of Churches P.O.Box Crans-près-Céligny Switzerland Tel: Fax: