The Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) is holding its General Meeting in Freiburg in Baden. Some 50 delegates from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe are meeting at the Catholic Academy. The delegates jointly elected a new Presidium and voted on an amendment to the EMS constitution.
On Thursday afternoon, the EMS delegates unanimously elected Rev. Anne Heitmann as their new chair. The 57-year-old theologian is a Church Councillor and head of the Ecumenism and Church Worldwide department of the Protestant Church in Baden. She has been involved in the work of the EMS Mission Council since 2014 and has already served as a member of the Presidium for the past two years. “At a time when the world is becoming more deeply divided and polarised every day, the EMS is the best place to work together to make a difference. We stand together and we act together for justice and peace. We also listen together to the word of God, which helps us not to lose hope,” says Anne Heitmann. As Chair, she will work to strengthen internationalisation and ensure that the voices of young people and women are given the space they need. Anne Heitmann succeeds Rev. Dr. H.C. Detlef Knoche who did not stand for re-election due to his pending retirement.
The EMS is an international association of Evangelical churches and mission societies, representing the concerns of roughly 25 million believers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. All the members of the EMS have equal rights and work together on an equal footing. They support each other and stand by each other in times of crisis. They promote partnerships, ecumenical learning, and joint missionary programmes. The Presidium represents the EMS externally and presides over the committees of the international church fellowship.
Rev. Markus Jäckle was elected member of the Presidium. He is a Senior Church Councillor of the Protestant Church of the Palatinate and heads the Diaconia and Ecumenism department. Rev. Andrew Jackson Odjawo was also elected member of the Presidium. He is the Ecumenical and Social Relations Director at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Finally, the delegates elected an additional member of the Presidium, Rev. Junita from the Toraja Church in Indonesia.
This is the first time the EMS Presidium has comprised four members. This was made possible by an amendment to the EMS Constitution which was previously discussed and adopted. This amendment aims to ensure that the composition of the Presidium is a better reflection of the international association.
Other amendments to the Constitution adopted by the Presidium aim at ensuring that more women and young EMS members will be represented on committees in the future. This matter is very close to the heart of Chair Anne Heitmann.
