WCC NEWS: Christ’s Love (Re)moves Borders – GETI 2022 in images

GETI 2022, the third global iteration of a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute, brought together some 100 young theologians from across the globe for six weeks of intense ecumenical sharing and learning – first online for four weeks and then for two weeks in person onsite – as the World Council of Churches (WCC) recently gathered for its 11th assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. Participants at the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) build a symbolic wall, to represent the borders that divide people in this world, during the opening celebration of GETI 2022 in Karlsruhe. The participants shared examples of moments in life in which borders were removed and people brought closer together. They built and then dismantled a wall to symbolise that Christ’s love can (re)move borders. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 13 September 2022 Following Busan (2013) and Arusha (2018) a Global Ecumenical Theological Institute is organized to nurture young people’s formation and participation at every such major WCC milestone. Bishop Heike Springhart from the Evangelischen Landeskirche in Baden shares what is for her the first official word of welcome to a WCC assembly-related event in Karlsruhe on 28 August 2022, as she addresses GETI students on the opening day of the programme. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC In Karlsruhe, GETI 2022 participants, alumni, facilitators, and guests from a variety of academic and theological institutions worked together to explore the theme of ‘Christ’s Love (re)Moves Borders’, echoing the main theme of the WCC 11th Assembly: “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” Students start to get to know each other at the opening of the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute 2022, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC GETI participants unpacked and reflected on the assembly theme through the lens of five thematic areas: Healing Memories; Kairos for Creation; Witness from the Margins; Engaging with Plurality; Body Politics: Body, Health and Healing, 4th Industrial Revolution, & AI and Human Identity in the Context of Global Digitisation. With youth engagement emphasized as a priority in the worldwide fellowship of churches, GETI 2022 brought the voices of younger and emerging ecumenical theologians into the proceedings of the assembly, as students participated both informally in assembly home groups and in the formal Ecumenical Conversations. GETI students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and confessional traditions interact during the study programme in Germany. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC Set as a culmination of the programme, 7 September then saw an event headlined ‘GETI Goes Public!’ – bringing visitors from over ten academic institutions within Germany and from nearby France and Switzerland for an afternoon of learning, networking and reflection. The event – which brought to the fore some of the many learnings and their implications for ecumenical theological education in the future – included two lectures presented by Dr Rudolf von Sinner and Dr Septemmy Lakawa as well as a panel of four GETI alumni who spoke to the experiences of past GETIs, at Busan (2013) and Arusha (2018). Irene Pontain Bufule (right) joins in a warmup exercise as GETI participants gather for the culmination of their programme on 7 September. Photo: Mike DuBose/WCC Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) meets in Karlsruhe, Germany Reflections from GETI underscore friendship coupled with knowledge (WCC press release of 13 September 2022) Young theologians begin exploration of borders, reconciliation, and unity (WCC press release of 28 August 2022) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland