From 23 to 25 April 2026, the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE), together with the Church of Norway, held an international consultation in Oslo under the title “Rethinking Ministry in the CPCE: Responding to Diversification through Ministry, Ordination, Episkopé.” The consultation focused on the continuing relevance of the 2012 CPCE document Ministry, Ordination, Episkopé (MOE) in light of changing realities in church ministry and leadership.
Broad International and Ecumenical Participation
The consultation brought together 38 participants from 17 countries, representing a wide range of church, academic, linguistic, and ecumenical contexts. Participants included theologians, church leaders, specialists in ministerial formation, ecumenical officers, and representatives of church governing bodies.
Among those present were Marko Tiitus, Susanne Schenk, Matti Repo, Cornelia Richter, and Ján Hroboň. Anglican guests, including representatives of the Church of England and the Church of Ireland, also contributed to the ecumenical dimension of the discussions.
New Challenges for Ministry and Ordination
The consultation responded to developments that have become increasingly significant since the adoption of the document on Ministry, Ordination and Episkopé by the CPCE General Assembly in Florence in 2012. These developments include new patterns of ministry, changing leadership models, increasingly diverse ministerial biographies, and ongoing ecclesial and ethical debates.
Particular attention was given to the theological Statement of the document and its ten Recommendations. Discussions explored how ministry, ordination, and episkopé — understood as spiritual oversight and leadership — should be interpreted and further developed today within the framework of unity in reconciled diversity.
Theological Contributions and Comparative Perspectives
The programme combined keynote lectures, comparative case studies, plenary discussions, and structured group work. Ulrich Körtner opened the consultation with a presentation on the hermeneutics of the ministry models in MOE. Harald Hegstad presented reflections from the Church of Norway on ordination and the ministry of Word and Sacrament within a plurality of ministries.
Additional contributions came from churches in Belgium, Hungary, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, and the Methodist tradition. Topics included the diversification of ministries, women’s ordination, church leadership, training for new ministerial biographies, and the future of the model of unity in reconciled diversity.
Working Groups Shape Common Conclusions
The working groups played a central role in the consultation. They provided space for participants to deepen theological reflection and formulate common perspectives. Discussions focused on two key questions:
- What message should the consultation convey regarding the diversification of ministry?
- Which of the ten recommendations of MOE may need revision, expansion, or further development?
The outcomes of the group work were brought back into plenary discussion and helped shape the consultation’s shared conclusions.
MOE Confirmed as a Continuing Resource
A major outcome of the consultation was the shared conviction that Ministry, Ordination, Episkopé remains a valid and valuable instrument for theological reflection within the CPCE. At the same time, participants identified several areas in which changed circumstances require further development and clarification.
These areas include:
- the diaconate,
- women’s ordination and leadership,
- inclusion,
- recognition of ministries and ordinations,
- misuse of power,
- the role of catechists and church musicians,
- ministry in political contexts,
- theological education and continuing formation,
- and the contribution of non-ordained persons to church service.
Church Communion and Ecumenism Belong Together
The consultation emphasized that deepening communion among CPCE churches and contributing to the unity of the wider church are not competing goals. Rather, the discussions highlighted that the CPCE’s practice of mutual recognition of ministries also has important ecumenical significance and strengthens the credibility of Protestant churches in Europe.
Next Steps Toward 2027
As a next step, a small drafting group will prepare a short letter for the CPCE Church Leaders’ Consultation in Wittenberg in 2027. The aim is not to replace the MOE document, but to summarize the main insights emerging from the Oslo consultation.
Further possible follow-up initiatives discussed in Oslo included:
- digital formats for exchange,
- a CPCE map of ministry practices,
- regional discussions,
- and more focused work on ordination and its theological and liturgical dimensions.
Particular attention was also given to the question of how ordination within a communion of churches can become more visible in ordination liturgies.
MOE as an Enduring Common Reference Point
The consultation concluded that the document adopted by the CPCE General Assembly in Florence in 2012 continues to deserve careful reception and ongoing engagement. Ministry, Ordination, Episkopé has demonstrated both flexibility and lasting relevance.
At the same time, participants agreed that new challenges concerning diversity, recognition, episkopé, interchangeability of ministries, women’s ordination and leadership, and the limits of diversity require further common theological reflection.
In the view of the consultation, MOE remains an important shared point of reference:
- for shaping church order,
- for theological education and preparation for ministry,
- and for ecumenical relations and dialogues.
The document therefore continues to contribute significantly to deepening communion among CPCE churches, strengthening their ecumenical witness, and supporting the churches’ common mission and service in Europe.