INSiGHT Issue 24

GEM School grounds economic justice biblically The first face-to-face GEM School held since 2019 has opened in Berlin, Germany, with a focus on ecological and feminist economics. The Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics, and Management for an Economy of Life—GEM School—is a program within the New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) project. “The pandemic underlined yet again the need for a new economic and financial architecture that meets the needs of all people regardless of class, gender, or race and sustains the whole world of creation,” said Isabel Phiri, Deputy General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). “In particular we are highlighting feminist economics and ecological economics as they are particularly critical as we reflect on how to build a different financial and economic architecture,” said Athena Peralta, WCC Programme Executive for Economic and Ecological Justice. The 30 participants from more than one dozen countries are ecumenical and church leaders, justice advocates, economic activists, ministers, and theological students. “GEM School provides us with a concrete way to learn from each other together—theologians and lay, economic experts and social advocates, multi-generationally,” said Sivin Kit, Program Executive for Public Theology & Interreligious Relations with the Lutheran World Federation. “The GEM School recognizes that our economics has to be contextual. A lot of our NIFEA work is rightly focused on providing a critique on our advocacy. We also need to see where these alternatives can take root and create change,” said Peter Cruchley, Mission Secretary for Mission Development with the Council for World Mission. As part of its contextual focus, students visited the Brot für die Welt offices in Berlin, as well as with two women’s advocacy organizations, Women in Exile & Friends and Respect Berlin. “Social holiness and personal holiness have to come together, without neglecting the hard work in the political arena to effect economic and social change,” said Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, Geneva Secretary of the World Methodist Council.

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INSiGHT Issue 24

Published on Jul 29, 2022

Council for World Mission

The July issue of INSiGHT arrives as the afflicted world manages the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic & other maladies. It carries CWM General Secretary Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum’s reflection on CWM as a community of Jubilee, & how mission in the post-COVID context requires rebooting and rebuilding of the community with renewed understanding of fullness of life for all. All African Conference of Churches (AACC) General Secretary Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki’s article reminds us that transforming discipleship is a gift &a calling to join in God’s mission & pursuit of peace in a wounded world; URC minister Rev. Dr Neil Thorogood shares his reflections on mission and the pandemic. Also in this issue, Director of Eco-Life Centre Dr Rogate Mshana writes on the role of the church in tackling youth unemployment; and Rev. An-Wei Nehemiah Tan from PCK presents the concept of small missional churches as an alternative during a time of decline of the Korean Church. Be encouraged. Be inspired. Be informed. Welcome to INSiGHT.