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The United Methodist Church in Central and Southern Europe consists of approximately 30.000 members and friends living in 13 countries (you can find a map here), celebrating worship services in about 20 languages and share God’s love in even more languages and expressions.

On this website you will learn more about this unique part of the  worldwide family of The United Methodist Church.

Bishop Dr. Patrick Streiff

Bishop Dr. Stefan Zürcher

The United Methodist Church in countries directly or indirectly neighboring to Ukraine is very active in the ministries with and for Ukrainian refugees. Here you can find regular update reports (in English language) on these activities and on the situation in the various countries.

Dash of Thought April/May 2023

Receiving and reflecting
The theme of this year's meeting of the Serbia-North Macedonia-Albania Annual Conference was: "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). In the closing service, I preached on the preceding verses. In the 2nd verse, John describes how he sees the Holy City coming down from heaven, from God. Not by human hands, but by God's hands it is made. Not from the bottom up, as we humans build our structures, but from the top down, God's city comes into being.

One of the superintendents asked in his report about the mission of the church. A partial answer is given by the verse mentioned: It is not the mission of the church to build the Holy City, which means God's new world, the new creation. This is entirely God's business! History shows: Where people in the past have tried to build paradise on earth, it failed thoroughly, and injustice and violence did not decrease, but increased. Actually, no miracle! For when people try to take God's place, it can only go wrong.

But what is our business then? I'll try it this way: Our first task is to let ourselves be loved by God, to simply expose ourselves to Him and His unconditional love, to stretch out our empty hands to Him so that He may fill them. Our second task: filled and permeated by his transforming love, to love him, to give him of our time, to praise him. Finally, transformed and empowered by his love, to do good to people and all creatures, thereby reflecting and transmitting God's love in this world. This means reflecting something of what characterizes the "Holy City" – God's new world: God's love, shalom, justice, joy.

Is this not relieving and liberating and a reason for gratitude and joy? Not to have to frantically build God's new world, but simply to receive and reflect what He is doing to us! And to marvel at how again and again our words become his words and our deeds his deeds!
 
Bishop Stefan Zürcher

Celebrating God’s Love - Giving Courage

The 94th Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in Austria met at Linz UMC from May 18-21, 2023.


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Setting the course in Czechia

The Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in Czechia met in Prague from May 12-14, 2023.


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When uncertainty gives way to new courage of faith

The United Methodist Church in North Africa is experiencing difficult times. However, signs of hope are becoming visible again and again.


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When spring is in the waiting

Stable. Unchanged. It is adjectives like these that are heard again and again when the United Methodist coordinators for the work with people who have fled Ukraine try to assess the situation in their respective countries.


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Your word keeps me alive

From April 13-16, 2023, this year's session of the Annual Conference Hungary took place in Szeged (Hungary) and Comsesti (Romania) together with delegates from The United Methodist Church in Romania.


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