Thorsten Latzel, President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, made an official four-day trip to the UK in August to visit the United Reformed Church and partner organisations.
The purpose of the trip was to visit innovative local churches and learn more about their contexts.
First on the ecumenical trip for Mr Latzel and representatives of the German church, was a meeting with the Revd Dr John Bradbury, URC General Secretary, at Church House, the URC’s London office.
In London, the group went onto visit the Revd Eddie Boon, Thames North Synod Discipleship Enable, and colleagues at St Martin-in-the-Fields and The American International Church.
Travelling to Birmingham, Mr Latzel and his colleagues visited Lodge Road Community Church, home to the Newbigin Pioneering Hub, spending time with the Revd Dr Ash Barker, Founder of Seedbeds, an organisation which seeks to grow local community leaders and their communities.
In Cambridge, the group visited Downing Place URC where they had lunch in the garden and met with the Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young who facilitates the church’s Solidarity Hub – a pioneering project aimed at creating inclusive spaces for people who feel on the fringes of society, reducing isolation and working for social justice.
Mr Latzel, who has been President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland since March 2021, said some of the takeaways gleaned from the trip centre were:
- Daily worship – strengthening Christians in their everyday worship to help them flourish their own gifts
- Urban leadership – the different view of cities obtained when taken into the “living environment” of communities and “theology by walking around”, characteristic of the missionary and social space-oriented work of the congregations
- Poverty – church that builds up from the poorest – with a gift-oriented approach: not for, but with the people
“I take many impressions of the trip with me from exciting people who are pioneers in their church, community and society in very different ways,” Mr Latzel said.
“Special thanks go to John Bradbury who welcomed us, made contacts and opened doors for us. Likewise, thanks to Anji and Ash Barker and Alex Clare-Young for doing wonderful work with their projects in Birmingham and Cambridge respectively.”
Learn more about Mr Latzel’s trip to the UK and his four takeaways.