Boek
Binnenkort gaat mijn droom in vervulling met het uitgeven van mijn boek Een bont palet. Over de kerk van Luther, Curaçao, Oekraïne en meer.
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Nieuwste boek
Vandaag mocht ik een exemplaar van mijn nieuwste boek in ontvangst nemen: Een bont palet. Over de kerk van Luther, Curacao, Oekraïne en meer. Het boek is een bundeling van artikelen die ik de laatste twintig jaar geschreven heb. Hoofdstukken zijn o.a. Israël en het jodendom, Luther en de Reformatie en Kerk in de Cariben. Op 17 juli a.s. komt het boek in de voorverkoop, op 31 juli a.s. verschijnt het definitief. Je kunt het kopen bij je boekhandel of bestellen bij de uitgeverij, Boekscout in Soest.
Nieuw boek
Vanaf november 2025 is mijn nieuwe boek verkrijgbaar bij de boekhandel of uitgeverij Boekscout. De titel is: Een nomadisch bestaan. Over het komen en het gaan van een dominee. Het is een autobiografie. Zie ook onderstaande link.
https://www.boekscout.nl/shop2/boek/9789465090061
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: Churches in Ukraine are united in commitment to peace
Head of the of the Reformed Church in Trans-Carpathia for more than 20 years, Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián has recently been appointed chairman of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. The WCC invited him for an interview to learn more about what unites churches in Ukraine, and how the world can support churches and people of Ukraine affected by the ongoing war.
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: I would like to distinguish between two groups: religious communities in the war-affected regions and those in the rear. Let me begin with the latter. Church communities in the rear have experienced a decline in membership; at the same time, there has been a notable strengthening of solidarity, particularly in assisting displaced persons and supporting those engaged in military service. Within Orthodox communities, some tensions have emerged, with past ties to Moscow now often perceived as a disadvantage.
In the war zones, according to publicly available information, Russian forces do not tolerate Christian denominations, individuals under the jurisdiction of the Kyiv-based Orthodox leadership, or their activities in occupied territories. Religious buildings are widely destroyed, and Orthodox churches are no exception. In many places, communities have been nearly eradicated. A significant portion of religious infrastructure has been completely devastated.
What unites all Christian communities and other religious organizations, is the shared longing for an end to the war, and a commitment to prayer for peace. This common prayer for peace brings unity in the protection of human life and creation.
Amidst all the violence and suffering, how do you keep your faith alive?
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: Prolonged suffering and vulnerability prompt people to ask profound questions: why is this happening to us? Disillusionment with worldly powers, failed attempts to end the war, and shortcomings of political leadership have led many to turn toward God. In grief and hardship, people are increasingly drawn to prayer.
We ourselves have come to experience that our faith and hope ultimately rest in God alone. As we often say today: it is not we who sustain faith, but faith that sustains us.
How important is the unity among churches in Ukraine today? What unites churches in Ukraine?
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: Unity among church communities is of great importance. One of the key pillars of Ukraine’s resilience lies in tolerance among churches and believers, the shared desire for peace, and respect for the value of human life. Religious freedom experienced in recent decades is a fundamental value that all denominations seek to preserve and continue to uphold. Despite our differences, this freedom binds us together.
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: Among our responsibilities, I consider it especially important to highlight significant public events. One such example is the National Day of Prayer, during which supporters of Ukraine and members of parliament joins together in prayer—for peace, for the safety of those serving in the armed forces, for the recovery of the wounded, and for the comfort of widows and orphans.
Maintaining dialogue with the Presidential Office is also vital for strengthening the faithful in Ukraine. Communication between state institutions and religious communities is of great value, and I believe that this high-level cooperation should continue in the future, ensuring that the spiritual mission and social engagement of churches receive due recognition.
At the same time, I consider the most important work to be that which often remains unseen: daily spiritual and social service. This includes supporting severely wounded soldiers, assisting their families, and caring for orphaned children and widows who depend on public support and on the solidarity of religious communities. Looking ahead, I also see the need for legislative initiatives that, following the end of the war, will ensure fair opportunities for war veterans with disabilities and for families who have lost loved ones.
What are the most important ways churches and Christians can support people and churches of Ukraine?
Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián: On a spiritual level, I regard prayer as essential. Those who pray learn to value peace, strive to preserve it where it exists, and actively work to create it. This calling is reflected in the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
There are many ways to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and each form of support is meaningful. For example, churches and Christians worldwide can contribute through programs that provide access to prosthetics or by establishing funds to support the education of orphaned or partially orphaned children. These needs are not only post-war concerns; they have been urgent throughout the past years and remain so today. In the future, the restoration and reconstruction of religious buildings will also pose a major challenge for all churches in Ukraine.
We are grateful for your continued prayers and for both spiritual and material support. I sincerely hope that peace will soon be restored in Ukraine, in Russia, and among all nations in conflict. May compassion grow in the world, and may indifference and injustice diminish. May Almighty God hear our prayers and, through His creative power, bring peace where it is most needed.
Learn more about the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations
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Ecumenical theologian reflects on World Council of Churches conference on unity
A World Council of Churches (WCC) conference in 2025 in Egypt is to gather major Christian traditions to explore how churches can call each other to visible unity, inspired by the experiences of the early church, according to one of the key planners of the event.
The gathering – the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order – will mark the anniversary of the world’s first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea of 325, a key moment in the history of Christian faith.
In a WCC video interview, the Rev. Prof. Dr Sandra Beardsall, moderator of the Nicaea 2025 steering group of the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order, reflects on the significance of the Council of Nicaea and the inspiration it provides for the World Conference.
“Nicaea was the very first Council that brought together Christians from all around the world to meet together, to make decisions,” says Beardsall in the interview with Dr Stephen Brown, editor of the WCC’s journal, The Ecumenical Review.
At Nicaea at 325, Christians who only recently had been persecuted in the Roman Empire were able to gather under the patronage of the Emperor to affirm their faith, and witness to the society around them.
Their deliberations led to the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that would “bind all Christians to each other,” says Beardsall, from the United Church of Canada.
“They succeeded for the most part in forming a community that was able to work out, was able to overcome, a lot of social, cultural, and theological differences,” she adds. “And I think there are so many broken places in the world today that need that kind of energy and experience.”
Organized by the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order, the World Conference will take place from 24 to 28 October 2025 at the Logos Papal Center of the Coptic Orthodox Church at Wadi El Natrun, near Alexandria, Egypt.
It will be the centrepiece of the WCC’s activities to mark Nicaea and will be the sixth such gathering since the First World Conference on Faith and Order in Lausanne in 1927.
“Each of these conferences was seeking to response to the issues for the churches in their own time,” says Beardsall.
“So this Sixth World Conference will try to confront the issues that face us today with some of those same questions about our faith and how we live our lives as churches and how we can better call one another to Christian unity.”
In New York City, WCC will impact many facets of UN Summit of the Future
The World Council of Churches (WCC) will be involved in several events unfolding in New York City from 22-28 September as the United Nations Summit of the Future convene.
The Summit of the Future is touted as a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to forge a “Pact for the Future,” or a new international consensus on what the future should look like, and how this can happen. This is envisaged to result in profound changes in the way societies, institutions, and individuals relate with each other.
After submitting comments in February on the zero draft UN “Pact for the Future,” the WCC will be represented at an array of side events in conjunction with the “Summit for the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,” co-facilitated by Germany and Namibia.
The ultimate aim is to adopt an ambitious, concise, action-oriented Pact for the Future.
"This year, we experience world leaders coming together to address the changing times we live in", said Dr Ryan Smith, WCC representative to the UN in New York. "We are working to bring the voice of our member churches to these spaces and remind the governments of the important role the faith community plays in peace, in environment and in commitment to the future for all God's children," added Smith.
The WCC is organizing events in conjunction with the summit, as well as the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
On 20 September, the WCC will attend a “Faith-based Solutions ImPACT Coalition Summit of the Future Action Days,” a side event co-sponsored by UNEP and the UN Multi-faith Advisory Council.
The ImPACT Coalition on Faith-based Solutions was launched during the Civil Society Conference at the UN Office in Nairobi on 10 May. This coalition comprises faith, religious, and spiritual groups, including young people, all of whom are advocating for the inclusion of faith-based language and common values across faiths in UN documents.
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