EBM Mission Council and Jubilee Conference
April 29 - Mai 2, 2004 in Berlin-Schoeneberg, Germany

pictures from EBM Mission Council ==>

Carry out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ - together and mutually
The reelected EBM President, Dr. Helmut Rabenau, thus described the aim to achieve in the next four years. He pointed out that it is of great importance to make the necessary and practical steps in this direction in collaboration with the all the Baptist member Unions. Other important goals in this period of time will be a further consolidation of the financial situation and the development of structural and personnel perspectives in the mission work, which is in a process of transformation. Dr. Helmut Rabenau and Micaël Razzano were reelected, meanwhile Helene Ramirez-Kaeser was elected for the first time into the Executive Committee. After many years of membership and dedicated service Jeltje Blaauw van Lune, Netherlands, has now left the committee.

Mission Council 2004 - following God's calling
Due to the Jubilee Conference, the Mission Council 2004 had to be much shorter than usual. So the deliberations had to be realized on Thursday and Friday within 24 hours only. As above mentioned, the discussions mainly turned around the question of the future mission work under a common responsibility, between the African, Latin-American and European Baptist unions and conventions. The German Baptist Union made a request, demanding the change of the functioning and the structures of EBM as a necessary condition for the transformation of mission work. So the tasks and the assignment for the next years will be to continue the process of transformation, which has already been initiated, to promote the communication about what has already been achieved and to learn together how to take the necessary steps into this direction. The Mission Council confirmed the appointment of the couple Jorge Manuel Pérez Zuñiga and Paloma Ludeña Reyes from Spain for Equatorial Guinea and of the couple Anne and Gudleik Husby from Norway for Sierra Leone. Furthermore, Thomas Klammt, missionary in South Africa, was appointed EBM Regional Representative for the Southern African region for the next two years.

When heaven is touching earth
The EBM/MASA Jubilee Conference started on Friday evening with a look back. Dietrich Weiand and Michael Kisskalt gave a vivid retrospective over the past 50 years of EBM mission work in Africa and 35 years of MASA activities in Latin America. Especially the Interview with Horst Borkowski, who is now 82 years old, was very touching, when he remembered the very beginning of MASA. Some of his slogans are still remembered, as e.g. "A sunshine place for a child in darkness". Dr. Helmut Rabenau took up the idea that God's ways in mission work can be very challenging, but in the end they will always become a blessing, and thus turning into moments, when heaven is touching earth.

A colorful day - just as colorful as the EBM
Saturday, the day of the Jubilee Conference was very colorful and full of variety - reflecting the portrait of the EBM. The morning began with a Bible study by Waldemiro Tymchak from Brasil and continued with a solemn reception in the huge multi-functional hall of the Berlin-Schoeneberg Church. Besides words of greetings and speeches, a special high-light of the morning was the seminar held by Dr. Denton Lotz, the General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, Washington, D.C./USA. Another high-light was the common Declaration of the participants in the Jubilee Conference concerning the Berlin Conference of 1884. This declaration was prepared and read publicly by Dr. Dietmar Lütz. This paper points out that the way from a paternalistic mission concept, which, certainly, was based on good intentions, but led into dependency, towards a mission work based on partnership and mutual responsibility can not be reversed. The solemn reception ended around 2 p.m. with a buffet for all the participants and guests.

An international market place with many booths as well as a big choice of workshops offered the opportunity to get to know the variety of missionary life within the European Baptist Mission. In the booths you could buy music from Argentina or handicraft articles from Cameroon, etc. In the workshops it was possible to join the discussion of important subjects around world mission, as e. g. the changing role of the missionary, the EBM/MASA identity, the role of women in missions or HIV-Aids, etc. Many participants and among them many former and actual EBM missionaries took a chance to greet and have a time to share.

The theme of the evening meeting was to look forward. Nearly 20 participants of the Jubilee Conference were involved in the program, giving personal examples of being active in missions with their mind, hand and heart. The program ranged from African music, mime, to a solo in song. Some short testimonies and a big globe with candle-lights illustrated Jesus' command to his disciples to be the light of the world.

Manifold and mutual encouragement
On Sunday morning the international EBM co-workers held mission services in more than thirty churches of Berlin and the region of Brandenburg. This showed to be another opportunity for Christians from different continents and backgrounds to encourage and to strengthen each other in our common responsibility for worldwide mission. The Jubilee Conference finished with a Sending Worship Service presided by Hans Guderian, Regina Claas and Siegfried Grossmann. This Service was also the starting point for the campaign "How to practice a missionary life-style" lanced by the German Baptist Convention. The initiative of a prayer walk from Berlin to Cottbus is meant to be a symbol for the spiritual and missionary relationship between the EBM and the Baptist Union of Germany.

We want to give a very warm thanks to all co-workers of the EBM team, the German local committee and especially to the Berlin-Schoeneberg Baptist Church who was a gracious host.

God bless!

Volker Bohle