The more than 100 churches of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) will be meeting in Italy in 2012, in Florence, a city which is important for European Protestantism.

Press Release 5/2009

The coming seventh General Assembly of the 105 churches of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) from 29 countries will take place in Florence in autumn 2012. This was decided by the Council of the CPCE at its last meeting in Oslo, between 16 and 18 January. With this decision the Council of the CPCE is accepting an invitation from the Evangelical Lutheran, the Methodist and the Waldensian Church in Italy.

“Florence is an important city for European Protestantism,” remarked the President of the CPCE, Pastor Thomas Wipf. Decisive influences for reform have come from Florence since the time of the Reformation. Today the CPCE sees itself in this tradition. “In 2012, too, we shall play our part in helping the churches to grow together,” he continued.

“At a time of growing responsibility on the part of Christian churches for a Europe of reconciled confessions the choice of Florence is an important sign for the Protestant minority churches in Italy,” added Holger Milkau, Dean of the Lutheran Church in Italy. He pointed out that the Protestant churches in Italy had developed forms of collaboration which could be a stimulus for other European situations.

The Council of the CPCE will hold its last meeting in Florence before the General Assembly, in February 2012. Further planning of the content of the General Assembly will take place during the coming meeting of the Council of the CPCE from 2-4 October 2009 in Geneva.

Berne, 12 February 2009

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At present 105 Protestant churches in Europe (including five South-American churches originating from Europe ) belong to the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE). Lutheran, Reformed, United and Methodist along with pre-Reformation churches such as Hussites and Czech Brethren grant each other pulpit and table fellowship on the basis of the Leuenberg Agreement of 1973. The Secretariat is housed in the Severin-Schreiber-Gasse 3, A-1180 Vienna, office@leuenberg.eu, tel. +43.1.4791523.900, fax .110 The CPCE press officer is Dipl.theol. Thomas Flügge (Bern), tel. +41.31.3702502, t.fluegge@leuenberg.eu.

12.02.2009 Thomas Flügge

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