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EBF Council 2011A few weeks ago 38 EBF member Unions and the representatives of the Mission Partners, all together 135 delegates, gathered for the EBF Council meeting in Nazareth, Israel. On the EBF website at www.ebf.org you can find a number of articles introducing some important themes presented and discussed at the Council. This year’s key theme focussed on biblical reconciliation between Palestinians and Jews in Israel and was presented by an organisation called Musalaha (Arabic for reconciliation), lead and supported by Palestinian evangelicals and Messianic believers in Israel. An article giving a short overview of their presentation is also available on our website. New President and the Vice PresidentThe Council elected and warmly welcomed two new leaders to the EBF. Hans Guderian from Germany was elected as the EBF President (previously Vice President) and Otniel Bunaciu, the President of the Baptist Union of Romania, was elected as the EBF Vice President. Both brothers are called to serve in these positions for 2 years until the EBF Council in 2014. Council ResolutionsEBF Council 2011 passed two Resolutions and endorsed the EBF Anti-Trafficking Conference Declaration. All 3 documents are available on our website in the section ‘Resources’ (www.ebf.org/resources). The EBF Anti-Trafficking Conference Declaration includes a call upon the Unions to become informed and involved in order to act against this kind of modern slavery. Why not to look at it again and see how your Union can participate in our common efforts? EBAid conference: Church and Social Responsibility, 11-14 January 2012Enclosed with this email you find the Invitation and the Registration Form for the EBAid conference ‘Church and Social Responsibility’ which will take place from 11-14 January 2012 in the European Baptist Centre, Prague, Czech Republic (first info sent in June 2011). The conference aims to contribute to a mutual learning experience and offer a space to discuss theological and practical aspects of social action and its implications for our churches and the communities in which we serve. Otniel Bunaciu, the President of the Baptist Union of Romania and the EBF Vice President will offer theological insights for the conference to reflect on, and Rupen Das, the CBM Development Expert will guide the participants through the principles of a good development project. The participants will be invited to share case studies from their own contexts, to discuss their ideas and initiatives with other participants and to learn from each other. Make sure that your Union will not miss this good opportunity of sharing and learning! Registration deadline for the Conference is 15 December 2011. EBF Council 2012Hartmut Riemenschneider, the President and Regina Claas, the General Secretary of the Union of Evangelical Free Churches (Baptists) in Germany warmly invited the Council to hold its 2012 meeting in Elstal, Germany. The meeting will take place in the German Baptist Centre in Elstal, near Berlin from 26–29 September 2012. Book the dates now! Future dates introduced at the Council11-14 January 2012 - EBAid Conference, Prague, Czech Republic 13-18 January 2012 - Youth and Children’s Workers Conference, Beirut, Lebanon 30 January–3 February 2012 - EBF/IBTS Religious Freedom Conference, Prague, Czech Republic 13-17 June 2012 - Mission Conference, Arad, Romania 2-7 July 2012 - BWA Gathering, Santiago, Chile 26-29 September 2012 - EBF Council, Elstal, Germany
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