The Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE, also GEKE for Gemeinschaft Evangelischer Kirchen in Europa) is a fellowship of over 100 Protestant churches which have signed the Leuenberg Agreement. Together they strive for realizing church communion, especially by cooperation in witness and service to the world. Prior to 2003 the CPCE was known as the "Leuenberg Church Fellowship".
Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe | |
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![]() Gemeinschaft Evangelischer Kirchen in Europa Communion d'Eglises Protestantes en Europe | |
Abbreviation | CPCE, GEKE, CEPE |
Type | Communion |
Classification | Protestant |
Structure | Council |
Leader | Presidium |
Region | Europe |
Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
Official website | https://www.leuenberg.eu/ |
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In membership are most Lutheran and Reformed churches in Europe, the united churches that originated from mergers of those churches, and such pre-Reformation churches as the Waldensians. The European Methodist churches joined the CPCE by a common declaration of church fellowship in 1997.
The General Secretary of the CPCE is the Reverend Dr Mario Fischer. The Community's offices are located in Vienna, Austria, and are shared with those of the (Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria).
History
In 1973, theologians from major European Lutheran and Reformed churches met at the Swiss conference centre Leuenberg (near Basel) and finalized the Leuenberg Agreement or Leuenberg Concord, an ecumenical document declaring unity through Jesus Christ. Under this agreement the churches agree on a common understanding of the Gospel, including elementary agreement on important doctrines including christology,predestination,Eucharist and justification. They declare church fellowship, understood as pulpit and table fellowship as well as full communion in witness and service.
The churches involved were originally joined in an organization called the "Leuenberg Church Fellowship". In 2003 this was renamed the "Community (since 2020: "Communion") of Protestant Churches in Europe" as a sign of growing beyond the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, and now includes several Methodist churches. Since then, the CPCE has started ecumenical dialogue with Anglican,(Baptist), and Orthodox churches.
In 2006, the CPCE published a statute of church constitution, and in 2011 published new guidelines for churches wishing to join. This declaration made clear that "churches wishing to join recognize the ordination and ministry of women ministers in other CPCE churches".
Member churches
European countries
- Iceland
- Norway
- Denmark
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- (Lutheran Church in Ireland)
- Presbyterian Church in Ireland
- Netherland
- Luxembourg
- (Protestant Church of Luxembourg)
- (Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg)
- Austria
- (Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria)
- Reformed Church in Austria
- Liechtenstein
- (Evangelical Church in Liechtenstein)
- Germany
- Protestant Church in Germany
- Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany
- (Union of Protestant Churches in the EKD)
- (Conference of Churches on the Rhine)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg
- (Pomeranian Evangelical Church)
- (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
- Evangelical Church of Bremen
- (Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia)
- (Protestant Church of Anhalt)
- (Evangelical Church in Central Germany)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick
- (Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover)
- (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe)
- Church of Lippe
- (Evangelical Church of Westphalia)
- (Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony)
- (Evangelical Church of Hesse Electorate-Waldeck)
- (Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau)
- Evangelical Church in the Rhineland
- Evangelical Church of the Palatinate
- Protestant Church in Baden
- Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg
- Evangelical Reformed Church in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania in Exile (Germany)
- Switzerland
- France
- United Protestant Church of France
- (Evangelical Lutheran Church of France)
- Reformed Church of France
- Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine
- (Protestant Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine)
- Protestant Church of Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine
- United Protestant Church of France
- Belgium
- (United Protestant Church in Belgium)
- Spain
- (Spanish Evangelical Church)
- Portugal
- (Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal)
- Italy
- Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches
- Waldensian Evangelical Church
- (Methodist Church in Italy)
- (Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy)
- Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches
- Romania
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Romania
- Reformed Church in Romania
- (Reformed Diocese of Királyhágómellék)
- (Reformed Diocese of Transylvania)
- (Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession in Romania)
- Greece
- (Greek Evangelical Church)
- Croatia
- (Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia)
- (Reformed Christian Church in Croatia)
- Slovenia
- (Evangelical Church of Slovenia)
- Serbia
- (Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia)
- (Reformed Christian Church in Serbia)
- Hungary
- Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary
- (Reformed Church in Hungary)
- Slovakia
- Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia
- (Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia)
- Czech Republic
- Czechoslovak Hussite Church
- (Church of the Brethren in the Czech Republic)
- (Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren)
- (Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession)
- Poland
- Polish Reformed Church
- (Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland)
- Ukraine
- Russia
- (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Central Asia)
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania)
- (Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church)
Other countries
- Argentina
- (United Evangelical Lutheran Church) in Argentina
- (Evangelical Methodist Church in Argentina)
- (Reformed Church of Argentina)
- Argentina – Uruguay – Paraguay
- Waldensian Church of the River Plate
- (Evangelical Church of the River Plate)
- Ecuador
- Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Ecuador (Evangelical Lutheran church of Ecuador)
International churches
- United Methodist Church
- United Methodist church, Nordic and Baltic Area
- United Methodist Church Eurasia Episcopal Area
- Moravian Church
- (Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad)
Participating churches
- Sweden
- Church of Sweden
- (Uniting Church in Sweden) (part of the (Swedish Free Church Council))
- Finland
See also
References
- "Agreement between Reformation churches in Europe" (PDF), Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, 16 March 1973
- "Agreement" (1973), §2, 4, 9, 21-23
- "Agreement" (1973), §24-25
- "Agreement" (1973), §13, 15, 18-20
- "Agreement" (1973), §6, 8, 10, 12, 13
- Henkel, Reinhard (2006), "State-church relationships in Germany: past and present", GeoJournal, 67 (4): 307–316, doi:10.1007/s10708-007-9063-2, JSTOR 441148127, S2CID 145144675, p. 314
- "Memorandum of Affirmation and Commitment Between the British and Irish Anglican Churches and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe – Leuenberg Church Fellowship" (PDF), Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, 2012
- "Agreement for EBF and CPCE to become mutually Co-operating bodies" (PDF), Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, 2010
- "Dialogue with the Orthodox churches", Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, 2006
- "Statute of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPEC) – Leuenberg Church Fellowship" (PDF), Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Budapest, 18 September 2006
- "Guidelines on the Establishment of Membership in the CPCE" (PDF), Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Frankfurt, 12 February 2011
- "Guidelines" (2011), §6