Save the date! Frankfurt am Oder 7 - 9 June 2024

Regime change in many European countries has challenged Christians to seek new ways of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation between individuals and between nations. The Gathering of Christians thus became a platform for discussing the common theme „The past and the common future of Christians from Poland, Germany and the Czechoslovakia“. 

Since then, the scope of the participants has expanded to almost all of Central Europe, and at intervals of about three years, the Gathering of Christians has been held ten times with different themes in various locations in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and most recently in Budapest, Hungary. That was in 2016, but a pandemic mercilessly interfered with further plans.  The planned meeting in Graz in 2020 was cancelled three months before it was due to take place, and the substitute meeting in Ostrava this year will not be able to take place in person either. The pandemic still threatens us and brings with it additional (not only) financial risks. The ECCB representatives communicated these reasons for the cancellation to the International Preparatory Group last September and the ECCB accepted this decision with understanding. The baton of the ECCB has been handed over to the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia, which has already set a date for the next gathering, June 7-9, 2024, as well as a venue – Frankfurt am Oder. We strongly believe that the further postponement of the date will allow sufficient time for the pandemic to recede as well as for the preparations for the next meeting. The joyful singing, prayers, worship, discussions, laughter, sharing of experiences, handshakes and hugs cannot be replaced even by the most technically advanced online transmission and we already miss these events very much!  

Daniela Hamrová