Looking Back at our Regional Conference 2023 in Neuendettelsau

From 6 to 10 September 2023, we were very happy to welcome around 150 guests from Africa and Europe to Neuendettelsau under the theme “Hope in a fragile world”. Together with people from different diaconal organisations, Christian communities and churches, we shared five inspiring and meaningful days full of encounters, exchange, spirituality and discussions about the future.

Participants came from many different countries, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. Together, we reflected on current social and diaconal challenges. Questions about hope, responsibility and living community in a world marked by crisis, uncertainty and change were especially important throughout the conference.

In lectures, workshops and discussion groups, participants talked about how climate change, social inequality, global responsibility and the effects of the pandemic are influencing diaconal work around the world. At the same time, many conversations focused on how churches, communities and diaconal organisations can bring hope to people and support them in practical ways today.

Important impulses were given by Kenneth Mtata from the World Council of Churches (WCC), Dorcas Parsalaw from Mission EineWelt, Beatrice O. Opeolu and Cornelia Coenen-Marx. Their contributions opened new perspectives on global responsibility, sustainability and the role of communities in a changing society.

Alongside the conference programme, personal encounters were one of the most valuable parts of the week. Shared prayers and worship services in German and English, conversations between sessions and cultural experiences created space for community across countries and cultures. Guided tours through Nuremberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, as well as insights into the work of Diakoneo, were also part of the programme.

Many participants described the conference as a place of encouragement, new perspectives and renewed hope. Especially meaningful was the opportunity to think together with people from different traditions and backgrounds about the future of diaconia, church and community.

We would especially like to thank Diakoneo for their warm hospitality and support in hosting the conference.

We look back with gratitude on these special days and take many encounters, ideas and new connections with us into the future.