More than 100 guests met on Sunday afternoon, June 30, in bright summer weather in Basel for the Mission Festival. In the garden of the Mission House there were numerous words of greeting and gifts for the new director of Mission 21, Rev. Jochen Kirsch.
The traditional Mission Festival as the conclusion of the Mission Week took place this year under the sign of transition: Many international guests welcomed Pastor Jochen Kirsch, the incoming new director of Mission 21, with symbolic gifts for a successful future. Jochen Kirsch was previously installed in his new office during a solemn service in St. Peter's Church. The installation was performed by Gottfried Locher, President of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Marianne Wagner, Oberkirchenrätin of the Protestant Church of the Palatinate, and Johannes Blum, President of the Board of Mission 21. The participation of Gottfried Locher and Marianne Wagner shows the strong anchoring of Mission 21 in the churches in Switzerland and southern Germany. Jochen Kirsch, currently head of Mission 21's International Relations Department, will take over as director on September 1, 2019.
Peace and solidarity at the center
The festivities on Saturday and Sunday concluded an intense week with numerous events, including public ones. The motto "Arise and become ... peace ... justice ..." became concrete in the synod. Delegates from Africa, Asia and Latin America reported on the burning issues of their continents. One problem that is observed worldwide is the increase of radical, fundamentalist currents. Be it Islamist groups undermining interreligious tolerance in Indonesia or the terrorist militia Boko Haram, which continues to pose a threat to Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria with its armed attacks. But Christian fundamentalists also threaten peaceful coexistence: For example, politicians in Latin America are forming alliances with conservative Catholics and certain Pentecostal churches, so that fundamental democratic values, solidarity and environmental protection are coming under pressure.
The statutory business, on the other hand, gave little to discuss and was dealt with quickly: The annual report and financial statements were approved, and the new budget was approved without dissenting votes. The board was discharged and Frieder Vollprecht from the Herrnhut Mission was elected as a new member of the Mission 21 board.
Resolution against sexual violence against womenÂ
The International Women's Conference, with participants from four continents, discussed on Wednesday the disadvantage and oppression of women, which often culminates in sexual violence against women. Accordingly, the conference adopted a resolution for the attention of the Mission 21 Synod calling for decisive action against sexual violence against women. The afternoon of the women's conference offered participants the opportunity to find emotional approaches to urgent problems in a theater workshop.
Effective development cooperationÂ
In the Continental Assembly Europe, the public part in the afternoon offered an insight into the question of when and how development cooperation can be successful. Journalist (former Radio SRF, "Echo der Zeit") and economist Markus Mugglin presented theses for obstacles and success factors for international cooperation. Youth delegates from Africa, Asia and Latin America contributed to these theses their own experiences they had with development cooperation.
This year's Mission 21 Youth Summit also offered a critical examination of the topic of development cooperation. The organizing team of the young@mission-21 youth network, together with almost all of Switzerland's young parties, had put together a program with presentations and discussions explicitly for young adults up to 30 years of age - the most prominent participant was Ambassador Manuel Sager, Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Around 70 young adults took part, showing that a young generation can also be gripped by the burning issues of justice, peace, environmental protection and poverty.
Challenges for Mission 21 partnersÂ
The Friendship and Encounter Day provided an impressive insight into the work of Mission 21's partners and the international networking of the organization. On Saturday afternoon (June 29), four leaders from Mission 21's partners reported on the situation and challenges in their countries. Additional insights were provided by the general secretary of the African Churches' umbrella organization AACC, Fidon Mwombeki, and Sonya Elmer Dettelbacher of the SDC. (A detailed report can be found here.)
This event was followed by the celebrations of the transition in the management. The many words of greeting showed how important it is for building trust between international partners when continuity is highly valued in the management of a plant.
â–º You can also find numerous video statements, photos and reports about the Synod 2019 on the Mission 21 Facebook page.
â–º Radio report on the change of management of Radio Life Channel
Text: Christoph Rácz, Photos: Tobias Frey
