IRD Activities

• Peace and Reconciliation

  Under this slogan, the EMS promotes project to illustrate how people and churches attempt to put the biblical message of peace into practice and to "ground" it. In a world torn by conflict, commitment to peace and reconciliation is an indispensable part of mission and witness of the EMS Fellowship. In Indonesia, the EMS churches offer special workshops for leaders of congregational women and youth work to improve the interfaith dialogue. In Israel and Palestine the focal point of church work is interreligious dialogue with Muslims and Jews. In Ghana, a member church founded a centre so that Muslims and Christians could learn more about each other, and thus break down prejudices through workshops, seminars and conferences on interfaith dialogue and education for peace. In Nigeria, the member church developed (together with Muslims) a programme for peace, which is, inter alia, based on interfaith peace-building teams

• Study Programmes

  The EMS offers a study visit in Japan. Students will be able to learn interreligious and cross-cultural dialogue at the source at the NCC Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions. The English-speaking study programme lasts four to six months. During the study course, young students will learn how to perceive their own multireligious background better and can later sensitise their own church for dialogue. The EMS also offers a study visit in Lebanon. The "Study in the Middle East" programme (SiMO) gives students the opportunity to spend an ecumenical study year at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon. Students at the NEST will learn about churches in the Middle East within their Islamic context. Not only can upcoming theologians of both genders benefit from a study visit abroad. The Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN), which belongs to the EMS Fellowship, offers pastors theological courses for further study in Lebanon

• Musical training for young people

  The Indonesian island of Sulawesi has many young immigrants. They often struggle with identity problems at their new residence. At the music laboratory of the Indonesian Protestant Church in Donggala they receive new prospects for the future and a musical training. Worship services at the Indonesian Protestant Church in Donggala (GPID) on the island of Sulawesi are very lively. This is mainly because of the colourful mixture of churchgoers from Bali, Java and Northern Sulawesi. It is by no means a matter of course that so many different cultures come together under one roof. Many young people find it difficult to settle down at their new residence. They often see no prospects and many of them turn away from the church. The musical training of young people builds a bridge between the various cultures in Indonesia.

Main Focus Countries of Activities

Indonesia - Israel - State of Palestine - Ghana - Nigeria - Kyoto, Japan - Beirut, Lebanon - Banawa, Indonesia