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The Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe

The United Methodist Church in Central and Southern Europe consists of about 33'500 members and friends living in 14 countries: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Tunisia. The worship services are held in more than 20 languages, but there are many more languages and ways in which members of this Church share the love of God with their neighbors.
History
1925 Constitution of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe (member-countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Baltics, Russia, Germany, Switzerland)
1936 Constitution of the Central Conference in Germany. The other Annual Conferences of the Central Conference of Central Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Switzerland and Yugoslavia) fell back into their old Connection to the General Confernce and constituted the episcopal "Sprengel" of the General Conference. Bishop Nuelsen located his office in Geneva. It was the birth of the Geneva "Sprengel".
1938 Austria became annected to Hitler-Germany. Consequently, the Mission Conference in Austria was integrated into the German Central Conference.
1939 Integration of «Methodist Episcopal Church North», «Methodist Episcopal Church South» and «Protestant Methodist Church» in the USA. As a consequence, conferences in Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia were integrated in Geneva Sprengel.
1945 Geneva Sprengel now consisted of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Madeira Mission, North Africa, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Yugoslavia.
1954 On October 14, the constitutive meeting of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe took place in Brussels/Belgium. Ferdinand Sigg was elected as first Bishop of this Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe.
1966 After the decease of Bishop Ferdinand Sigg (1965), District Superintendent Franz W. Schäfer was elected as the new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe.
1969 The Methodist Church in Belgium left the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and assembled with other Churches to the United Protestant Church in Belgium in the course of of the following years.
1989 Heinrich Bolleter was elected new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe as successor of Franz W. Schäfer.
1998 The Methodist Church in Albania was established and added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe.
2005 Patrick Streiff was elected new Bishop of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe.
2006 Bishop Patrick Streiff took office; Bishop Heinrich Bolleter retired.
2010 A United Methodist congregation in Brussels/Belgium was added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. In the same year, the congregational work in Croatia was discontinued.
2011 The Methodist Church in Romania was established and added to the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe.
2022 The UMC in Bulgaria left the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and became part of the Global Methodist Church.

"People got used to living with war."

In and outside Ukraine, war is becoming part of everyday life. It does, however, not lose its horror. People in the UMC in Ukraine and in neighboring countries continue to help. But the strength of the volunteers is dwindling.


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Faithfulness is not Laziness

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the leaders of the UMC in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania have been involved in a variety of ways for refugees from Ukraine - regardless of whether these people are on their way to Western Europe, whether they want to stay in this neighboring country temporarily or long-term, or whether they are trying to return to their homeland.

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Simultaneous Short and Long-Distance Running

Facing the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Methodists in the war-torn country itself and in neighboring countries are challenged to do both – to respond to the immediate needs and to develop visions for a more long-term assistance.


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Because it is bright

When the duration of natural illumination from direct sunlight increases, it often has a positive effect on people - a fact also pointed out by men and women of the United Methodist Church who work with internally displaced persons in Ukraine and with refugees from Ukraine now living in neighboring countries.


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