Celebrating God's love

The Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Austria took place in Vienna from May 29 to June 1, 2025. Under the motto "We celebrate the love of God: We make a difference!", the members of the Annual Conference and numerous guests celebrated a festive worship service to open the 96th session of their church parliament.
 
The power and implementation of the 3-year motto "We celebrate the love of God: "Let us encourage! - Let's promote development! - We make a difference!" was impressively visible and tangible in the reports and discussions during the conference sessions, but also in the overall interaction of this small, highly committed conference. Already at the opening service, which was also dedicated to the inauguration of the newly renovated sanctuary, the joy of what had been achieved was evident.
 
We make a difference!
The various reports, worship services and discussions were characterized by a sense of visibility and grateful amazement at what had been achieved or had developed well. The report of the six-member "steering team" already showed the first results following last year's shift from a Church led by commissions to a "network for a Christian community of learning and being jointly on the move". Looking and listening are fundamental to this. For example, during the three-person discussion walk or the presentation of the results of the University of Vienna study "What does Austria believe?", which was presented by Professor Dr. Regina Polak with a focus on 14 to 25-year-olds. It is, therefore, not surprising that Superintendent Stefan Schröckenfuchs wrote in his report to the Annual Conference: "I hope that during the course of the conference we will continue to discover together what we are already achieving as a Church. And I hope that this will encourage us to continue building communities of learning and being jointly on the move – and to do this in the future perhaps even more purposefully."
 
Finish tasks, take on new ones
In a small conference with many responsibilities and tasks, it is important to keep an eye on the strengths of the people involved. The people in charge are aware of this. Pastor Michael Nausner was released from the ministry with regret, but sincerely blessed, to take up a new ministry in Sweden. It is therefore all the more pleasing that new pastors have been recruited. Pastor Antje Klein, who comes from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg, is looking forward to getting to know the UMC and fulfilling her ministry in Vienna-Fünfhaus. The American L. Michael Kelley has been accepted as a retired deacon into the community of ordained ministers and will continue to use his gifts in Salzburg.
 
The Spattstrasse Diaconia Center, which emerged from the UMC and continues to be closely associated with it, is also facing a major personnel change. After almost 20 years, Managing Director Heinz Wieser is retiring at the end of June 2025. Roland Siegrist, President of the Church Council, paid tribute to his many years of service. With clarity on the one hand and a human touch on the other, he has repeatedly succeeded in winning the employees - who now number 1,200 - for change processes that became necessary because the environment had changed. Heinz Wieser will be succeeded by Edgar Hagmüller.
 
The "barbecue" in the church garden following the meeting once again provided a wonderful opportunity to talk to each other.
 
Joint worship service at the end
The members of the Annual Conference concluded the gathering with a joint worship service by the Vienna-Fünfhaus congregation and the English-speaking UMC in Vienna. The internationality was impressively experienced in the singing and music, but also in the readings and prayers. Antje Klein was commissioned as pastor of the UMC. In his sermon, Bishop Stefan Zürcher referred once again to the motto of the conference and also to the report by Superintendent Stefan Schröckenfuchs, who wrote: "We don't just achieve anything. We achieve exactly what God wants to achieve through us: that the love that God gives us and all his creatures can flow". Using the example of the Good Samaritan, Bishop Stefan Zürcher made it clear how God, as the source of love, enables us to do good or, as the new vision statement of the worldwide UMC puts it: "to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously".
 
Lea Hafner, Delegate of the Annual Conference Switzerland-France-North Africa /
Bishop Stefan Zürcher
 
 
Photo: Celebrating God’s love with many voices