Mission 21, DM-échange et mission, as well as church representatives will take part in the conferences, workshops and meetings united by the theme “Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship” (Galatians 5:25). Africa, its spiritual dynamism and its economic, cultural, and political realities form the backdrop of this gathering. The conference is hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the largest Protestant church in the country. The transformation of the individual as a response to today’s challenges will be at the center of the reflections, exchanges of ideas and celebrations.
For the Swiss delegation, education will be one of the core themes. Claudia Bandixen, Director of Mission 21 and co-organizer of a workshop on this issue, underscored that “education is the driving force of all change. Mission 21’s work has always been based on this axiom”.
For the delegates of the Swiss churches, this possibility of getting to know Christians from completely different contexts and speaking to them about the present and future mission of the church is extremely valuable. Heinz Fäh, Synodal Counselor in St. Gallen, noted: “It will be exciting to see how the focus on the need for every believer’s personal transformation can be spelled out and agreed upon, given this great diversity of contexts”.
Inter-religious dialogue will play an important role in a country where Islam and Christianity are equally important.
The members of the Swiss delegation are: Hans Joachim Zobel, Claudia Bandixen, Magdalena Zimmermann, Josefina Hurtado (Mission 21), Nicolas Monnier (DM-échange et mission), Bettina Lichtler (Zürich) and Heinz Fäh (St. Gallen).
The delegates from Mission 21 will seize the opportunity to visit their Moravian partner church, located over 1000 km from Arusha in the southwest of the country. In cooperation with the Moravian Church, Mission 21 supports eight projects, particularly in the areas of education and health.