German summary: Diese ELM-Seminarreihe beschäftigt sich mit der Zukunftsfähigkeit von Kirchen international. Gemeinsam mit Christ*innen aus der internationalen Ökumene suchen wir nach kreativen und hoffnungsbewegten Lösungen für typische Probleme unserer Kirchengemeinden. Die Konferenzsprache ist Englisch.

The topic "… and forgive us our sins …! - (How) Do sins and forgiveness feature in our faith and church services?” can evokes conflicting emotions. While some see the talk of sins as portraying a church acting like a strict headmaster, devoid of all fun and being obsessed by norms and laws, others see the talk of sin and forgiveness as something immensely soothing: I am addressed as the person I am – “warts and all” – and am offered a way forward in spite and in the midst of my weakness. Is the talk of sin and forgiveness a culturally dependent aspect of faith, which is centrally prevalent in certain cultures while being pushed aside in others?

We are grateful to again have identified speakers who will engage us on this topic:

• Ms Nkosingiphile Nzuza – originally hailing from a rural area east of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa – works as a lab technician for the National health laboratory services in their regional office in Limpopo Province. For many years Ms Nzuza was an active member of ELCSA St. Michael’s congregation, where she taught confirmation class. Also, she was a founding member of the Young Adults League in the Durban Circuit.
• Rev. Bradn Buerkle – originally from North Dakota/USA and having worked as an ELM co-worker in Siberia/Russia for many years, is currently ELM co-worker for theological training in intercultural contexts. He highly values being exposed to Christian faith and worship in such diverse contexts as Russia or Germany, or during visits in Malawi or South Africa. He will share from his experience when tackling the question: (How) Do sins and forgiveness feature in our faith and church services?

The event will take place via Zoom. The participation link will be sent by email in advance. 

Saturday, 4^th May 2024. Online seminar from 4pm (German time (MESZ) = South African time (SAST)). This online seminar will be held in English only.

Please register before 12 noon on 2^nd May.