Greetings to the new president of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) Rev. Christian Krieger

Dear Mr Krieger,

I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC), as well as on my own behalf, on your election as president of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and to wish you strength, courage, vision and success in this important position!

A few weeks ago we met in Freiburg im Breisgau during a meeting of the Permanent Committee for Consensus and Collaboration of the WCC. In the festive dinner offered by the host church, you presented briefly a coherent and inspiring ecumenical vision for Strassburg and for the region. I am confident that you developed the same kind of ecumenical vision for our Conference of European Churches.

I look forward to strengthening the cooperation between the CEC and the WCC in our joint calling to develop our work for unity, justice and peace in the world. Together, we will continue to find ways to address together the strong dividing forces, as well as the fear of the stranger that leads to populist expressions of exclusion towards refugees and other migrants in Europe, undermining the human fellowship and our Christian values.

Yours in our common Lord,

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit,

General secretary of the World Council of Churches