Balancing the local and the global is a challenge the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe faces at every one of its events. The presentation of the 2025 volume Practice and Theology of the Lord’s Supper exemplified this through a hybrid format.
Guests gathered in person at the “Atelier” of the Zentrum Verkündigung in Frankfurt, including the three editors, Jochen Arnold, Christine Oefele, and Stefan Cosoroaba. At the same time, participants from various regions across Europe joined online.
The European breadth of the discussion became particularly visible through contributions from three experts: Jørgen Thaarup (Methodist/Denmark), Evelina Volkmann (Lutheran/Württemberg), and Agnes von Kirchbach (Reformed/France). Reflecting on the document—received by the General Assembly in Sibiu in 2024—they expressed satisfaction as well as unease, certainties as well as personal learning experiences.
The conversation around the volume also highlighted the limits of what the CPCE can achieve. It cannot issue binding directives to its member churches. What it can do—and this is already significant—is to demonstrate how different churches approach a shared topic and to discern what finds a place within the “Protestant corridor” and what does not.