Château de Bossey, Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland – Rev. Nathan Day Wilson, Director of Communications at CTS, will participate in an extensive seminar program on “Equipping Each Other for Christian Witness in a Multi-cultural and Multi-faith World” at the Ecumenical Institute de Bossey from August 5-15, 2019.
The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey is the international center for encounter, dialogue, and formation of the World Council of Churches. Founded in 1946, the Institute brings together people from diverse churches, cultures and backgrounds for ecumenical learning, academic study and personal exchange.
According to the hosts, “this seminar is designed to provide an opportunity for church leaders and young persons to equip each other for Christian witness in a multi-cultural and multi-faith world in inter-generational dialogue.
“The multi-cultural and multi-faith realities Christians live in today and a world of post-modern values and concepts are challenging the public witness and pastoral accompaniment of pastors, congregations and churches almost everywhere. In reaction to increasing plurality xenophobia, racism and nationalist populism are growing. This is the world of young people that they know and experience and it is also the context for leadership decisions that respond to the situation.”
The methodology of the seminar builds on the approach of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace – celebrating life, visiting the wounds and transforming injustices together. Participants will be asked to prepare for sharing their own experiences and examples from their contexts, learning together from best practices as well as failure.
Wilson reflected on this invitation: “I’m honored to be invited. My premise, often confirmed in discussions with pastors and those training to be, is that an increasing number of Christian leaders are ready to grow our relationships with those of other religious communities beyond the excitement of encounters and joint activities to deeper consideration of important, albeit sometimes difficult, issues.”
About his lecture, Wilson explained, “I plan to address the difficult balance of humility and conviction, that patriotism at the expense of another nation is as wicked as racism at the expense of another race, and four or five categories of consideration for honest Christian witness in a religiously pluralistic world.”
The seminar schedule includes:
- Community building – Morning prayers with Bossey students (language course) prepared by participants
- Sharing of failures and encouraging examples in inter-religious relationships by participants
- Reading the Bible in a multi-cultural and religious context (Prof. Fr. Lawrence Iwuamadi)
- Celebrating together – musical and liturgical workshop (Rev. Dr. Mikie Roberts)
- Lecture and reflections on the challenges of religious pluralism (Rev. Nathan Wilson)
- Workshops in groups
- Experiences of the Jewish community in Switzerland – young people
- Experiences of the Muslim community in Switzerland – young people
- Experiences of the Taizé community – visit to Taizé, participation in prayer, discussion with youth and brothers
