Utrecht, Netherlands
Young adults dubbed “ambassadors for ecumenism” are to scrutinize the work of the Council of Churches in the Netherlands for one year as of September.
The council’s chairperson, Henk van Hout, made the announcement at a June 21 symposium to mark the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the council, the main ecumenical body in the Netherlands. The grouping will also request the “ambassadors” to examine the readiness of their own denominations to work with other churches.
Council leaders said the initiative heralded a shift in focus towards young adults aged between 20 and 35, who, said Mr. Van Hout, organize themselves differently from previous generations. “[They think] more in terms of projects than structures,” he said.
“They communicate with images and impressions rather than with dogmas or abstract concepts.”
The council has asked each of its member churches to propose at least one young adult to serve in the ambassadorial role, the council’s general secretary Klaas van der Kamp told Ecumenical News International.
