We are pleased to welcome three new colleagues to the Ecumenical Center. We introduced them to their ministry in a church service and asked God to bless them.
On January 1, Uli Baege took over the position as secretary of Development and Partnership with a focus on our partner relationships with churches in Africa. Pastor Daniel Happel started as Development and Partnership secertary on July 1 last year, focusing on our partner relationships with churches in Asia.
Their tasks include developing and supporting these relationships, shaping their conceptual, thematic and development policy profile and reflecting on fundamental issues in the context of our international partnership relationships. This is done in cooperation with parishes, church districts, deaneries and the respective partnership committees. Both bring a wealth of experience from their previous careers to these tasks. Uli Baege from his eleven years at the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), where he was responsible for international partnerships and project work. Daniel Happel from his time in the United Church of Christ in the USA and as pastor of the German-speaking congregation in Singapore.
Tzehaie Semere started as a secretary for the Church Development Service on December 1. His tasks include drawing up concepts for development policy learning and advising and supporting congregations, deaneries, church districts and partnership committees in matters of development-related actions. However, the tasks also extend beyond the churches in cooperation with regional committees and networks and in representing the Center for Ecumenism and the two churches in regional and national committees, networks and institutions. For these tasks, he brings extensive experience from the development of integration concepts for local communities and as a One World Promoter for Migration, Development and Participation in the Development Policy Network of Hesse.
„Together with my colleagues at the Ecumenical Center, I am looking forward to good cooperation and joint projects with you!“ said Detlev Knoche, Director of the Ecumenical Center, at the end of the introduction.
