During its 2012 General Assembly in Florence, the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) commissioned new doctrinal discussions to take place. One of these was to deal with the question of “church communion,” which is the model of unity lived out between these churches. It requires constant deepening and reworking, not least of all regarding the binding commitments and mutual obligations of the churches of the CPCE. What do we wish to achieve? How can it be increased? How can the various churches, whose diversity is an asset, live a common life in Europe together?
As in previous doctrinal discussions, the Institute in Strasbourg was involved in this work. André Birmelé was charged with the responsibility for doing so. He together with Michael Beintker, a Reformed theologian in Münster, led the group. A first meeting of a smaller working group took place in Strasbourg at the end of May. It drew up a preliminary outline of the project. This will then be revised in consultation with churches and theologians so that a first colloquium with representatives of the member churches can take place. The results will be presented to the churches in 2016, so that at the next General Assembly in 2018 concrete conclusions can be drawn.