CMWA World Conference Concept

You can download this concept in German here (PDF file, 56 KB)
Hier können Sie eine deutsche Version herunterladen: Download (PDF Datei, 56 KB)

United in the conviction that the Christian concept of man is valid everywhere in the world and encourages to take action, city missions all over the world are active in helping people who are stranded and need help. Poverty, homelessness, disease, old age and missing education are urgent topics everywhere – also in industrialized countries.

The work of city missions was taken up as an answer to the social questions of the 19th century – the age of the Industrial Revolution and Urbanization – which brought about deep upheavals and catastrophic effects for the poorer parts of the population.

Even today, in countries of the Two-thirds World larger parts of society are moving away from their traditional surroundings in small villages to living in big urban centers. This tendency is growing. The migration of these people, which is motivated by poverty, often ends in the slums of big cities. Not only are people migrating away from their villages, but also from their traditional family structures, which leads to the loss of social security. Especially women are affected by this, since they have to look after their children on their own.

City missions across the Globe are alert observers of societal developments and the challenges that come with those developments. They try to service especially those that are the weakest of society. Because of the different developments in different countries, city mission programs vary widely across the World. Each program serves the needy according to their needs in that particular country.

Globalization brings new challenges into social work. Because of this the City Mission World Association (CMWA) was founded in 1991. It is a fusion of national and/or regional associations in in Europe, the USA and India, but there are also contacts to city missions in South-East-Asia, Australia and Africa, where the foundation of city missions is nascent, and to several city missions in South-America.

The City Mission World Association is a forum where experiences on an international level can be exchanged, international projects can be developed together and steady partnerships between different city missions are initiated. One of the main reasons the CMWA World Conference is being held is to present “best practice examples” of the fight against poverty in an international context. During the conference the best practice examples will be tested as to their applicability or adaptability in other countries. This happens mainly at the CMWA conferences which take place every four years. This is the first time the CMWA, led by the director of the Berlin City Mission, Reverend Hans- Georg Filker (who was voted into the CMWA presidency in 2006), is extending an invitation to a CMWA conference in Germany taking place in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. People responsible in city missions worldwide are invited and about 200 participants are expected.

Subjects of the Conference

Responsibility in a Global Society

The conference wants to encourage participants to see missionary and social work as a worldwide challenge and to learn how it is put into practice in different countries and cultures. Common factors and differences of projects can be identified so that similar projects can be instated elsewhere in the world if the parameters fit. The main topic is the question of how city missions can improve and do their helping and missionary work in an effective and authentic way.

Challenges and Strategies for Stranded People in Cities

Social and spiritual problems of the people living in the cities are and have always been the main part of the work of city missions. The Berlin City Mission as host of this conference had – also due to the changing and challenging history of Berlin – to react to the changing societal conditions and challenges during the last 132 years again and again. The participants will visit Berlin and the institutions of the Berlin City Mission during one of the days of the conference. Comparing experiences with staff members of the different institutions are a possibility to learn more about new projects and ideas. In addition to that there will be pre- and post-conference offers to give the participants an insight into the wide array of the work of city missions in Germany.

Drawing Strength from the Roots in Order to Shape the Future

The choice of Lutherstadt Wittenberg as place for the international conference was made wittingly. Lutherstadt Wittenberg is the centre of the Reformation and an important place for Protestant churches all over the world. We would like to invite the participants of the conference to (re)discover the power of the Reformation at original historic sites. The work of city missions for stranded people is founded on the power of the Christian Faith and trust in God. Where can this power be experienced and strengthened more intensively than at the place where Martin Luther lived, worked and preached? These days should also be a personal encouragement for every single participant throughout encounters, talks, services, and prayers.

Images: Painting of Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1529), gobe by NASA, other images public domain.