Ms Christina Biere, Evangelical Church in Germany

1. What are the most burning issues you are facing regarding the role of the churches in your society?

science and technology: genetic engineering; competence (especially for young people) for critical reflection on scientific developments and their ethical implications
awareness for healing and reconfiguration processes of the former divided country (Germany) and Europe; youth exchanges and ecumenical formation seminars to be mainstreamed in church education
contradictory understandings of mission in postmodern culture (evangelical and ecumenical positions); what means mission in a post-socialist, secular, multireligious, post-colonial country?
Justice and Peace: What means the challenge of economic justice within Germany for the churches? How can there be a critical voice towards capitalism from the churches in solidarity with the majority (and especially children) who have not the freedom any longer to participate fully in social and cultural life in cause of poverty? How can the church withstand the new phenomenon of xenophobia following the situation of injustice?
Security: What does it mean to be church in a country / in Europe with a high rate on armament exports and an increasing walling-off of migrants?

bringing churches together for consultation on the different issues: from contexts of being minority in society, of dealing with reconfiguration processes, of experiences with economic violence; of interreligious contexts etc.
export ecumenical formation models and create new ones
fostering the dialogue with experts from different parts of society (science, business, politics) and church leaders

There are experiences and engagements of churches in all of these areas in Germany; the willingness of participation in WCC programmes is still very high among those who have been involved once; this could be encouraged