European Union to help it formulate a policy on "religious liberty and ethics questions," the organization said Thursday, October 23.
The EEA, a regional body of the World Evangelical Alliance representing evangelicals in 130 countries, made the announcement amid concern among its supporters that the EU constitution will make no reference to God and Christian values.
In a statement to BosNewsLife after a five-day General Assembly meeting in Budapest, the EEA said it had started a "public affairs team with a socio-political officer and representative to the European Union."
"The EEA aims to raise awareness of religious liberty issues and the legal position of evangelicals within each country, with a view to being able to respond more systematically to increasing challenges in this area," said the Alliance, which claims to have over 10 million members in 33 European countries.
EUROPE
Europe’s future was also discussed during EEA’s General Assembly, where Rev. Nikolai Nedelchev of Bulgaria was re-elected to a second term as President of the EEA. The General Secretary is Gordon Showell- Rogers from the United Kingdom.
The meeting in Hungary’s capital was attended by about 150 Evangelical leaders from 31 countries, including officials from the European Evangelical Missionary Alliance and the Hope for Europe (HfE) Round Table, an initiative to reach Europe with the Gospel.
At last year’s HfE meeting in Budapest Evangelical leaders from 38 European countries asked forgiveness for their involvement or that of other Christians in evil deeds, including racism, nationalism and injustice, while pledging to "reclaim Europe for Christ."
COOPERATION
The EEA said it supports the Hope for Europe initiative and that it wants to increase cooperation with business leaders, professionals and groups working in fields such as apologetics, disabilities and church planting.
Its General Assembly also accepted "a strategic plan for the period to 2010. Key values in the EEA partnership include trust, friendship, information flow, generosity and mutual ministry."
However the organization admitted that "difficulties like economic disparity and information overload," may complicate those objectives but added it "is also convinced that partnership in mission in essential."
MISSION
Rev. Ulrich Parzany from Germany, one of the key-note speakers, said that the Bible teaches importance of Christian partnership. This was mirrored in the overall theme of the conference: "Partnership in Mission: stronger together, weaker apart."
The next EEA General Assembly will be held in October 2004 in Greece, again in conjunction with the Hope for Europe Round Table and the annual meeting of the European Evangelical Missionary Alliance, the evangelicals said.
