Plenaries

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND NEW CHURCHES (Plenary 1)
Rares Galugar, Romania (pastor, dynamic diaconal church developer)
Three flourishing community centers in Romania serve the social, psychological and spiritual needs of the local people. - The young United Methodist Church in Romania started from zero in 2011 as an NGO under the dynamic leadership of pastor Rares Galugar. Hear the exciting story of how love for people, boldness and a strong sense of calling has shaped a new Methodist Church.

VITALITY, PURPOSE, AND HOPE (Plenary 2)
Bishop Knut Refsdal
As United Methodists, we know very well that our theology and practice must be connected to the present world. We know that faith should be expressed in both words and actions, and always in new ways, because the church is a living community, not a static organization. Therefore, the church has, through its history, shown a great ability to develop new language and new practices without giving up its identity. In fact, it is when we do not change that we give up our identity. The world and people are evolving, our living conditions change, and a church that does not know that it belongs to a common human journey through changing times and cultures will die out.
We have dramatic years behind us, with church conflicts, disaffiliations, and a pandemic. The School of Congregational Development is an opportunity to move forward with renewed vitality, purpose, and hope. My contributions at the conference will concentrate on two of my passions: To explore United Methodist identity through vital theology, preaching and worship, and to seek where the Spirit is at work and joining in through fresh expressions of church. Our new bishop, Knut Refsdal will preach at the opening and closing worship services and teach in the plenary on Friday morning.

OFFERING HOPE IN THE SHADOW OF WAR (Plenary 3)
Ukraine has been invaded by Russia and people are killed and injured every day. The rest of Europe is closer to war, than we have been for 80 years. Our governments are telling us to prepare, storing food and water. Jon-Erik Bråthen is leading military chaplain in northern Norway and spends most of his time talking to young soldiers – he will help us reflect on: How we may offer hope to worried and anxious people? How can we prepare to live and be church under extreme circumstances?

RADICAL HOSPITALITY (Plenary 4)
Yulia Starodubets (Ukraine, pastor, leader of the church’s rehabilitation center) + Pavlo Osypenko (Ukraine, former leader of shelter for internally displaced)
What is Jesus calling us to do, when we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a war with thousands on the run from the danger zone? Roads were packed with vehicles and persons walking, trains and busses were overcrowded, and they were alle moving towards the western parts of Ukraine and towards western Europe. The United Methodists opened their churches and homes, and they opened shelter for the internally displaced. Since the early days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, more than 1.500 have passed through our shelters. How do you serve and lead under such extreme circumstances? - Yulia Starodubets and Pavlo Osypenko share their experiences.

REVIVE US AGAIN (Plenary 5)
Leslie Newton (UK pastor, chair of district, author, works with church renewal)
Would you love to see spiritual and social transformation? In his book ‘Revive Us Again’ Leslie Newton explores how the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, achieved extraordinary impact across the UK. With infectious enthusiasm for God and the Methodist movement, Leslie Newton will invite us to be inspired by Wesley’s message and methods and see how, by reclaiming these treasures, Methodism and the wider church may once again transform society. Leslie Newton, is a pastor and district chair (much like a bishop) in the Methodist Church in Britain.

ON THE MOVE – LIVING WHOLEHEARTEDLY (Plenary 6)
Üllas Tankler (regional secretary for Europe and North Africa for Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church)
No one knows European Methodism like Üllas Tankler - he has first hand knowledge of mission and innovative church development and diaconal ministry across Europe. He is passionate about cross cultural ministry, and for years he has equipped and resourced leaders in migrant ministries.
On Saturday evening Üllas Tankler will speak about living as followers of Christ and forming communities of new life, compassion, healing and hope in Europe in the 21st Century.

LIVING AS A CHRISTIAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY – RESPONSIBLE LIVING (Plenary 7)
Daniel Steinvig (Denmark, Cand. mag. in Philosphy and Social Science, theological student, chair UMC children and youth organization, consultant at Green Church)
How can we live responsibly and sustainably – in a world out of balance? Why is it important to be good stewards of creation? How do we connect faith, food and community? It is time for imagination, and for the church to rethink what it means to be Christian in the world we live in.