Traditional Balinese dance with Christian content: The meeting of the International Mission Council of the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) in Bali/Indonesia was opened with a festive worship service. Dancers from the Christian Protestant Church in Bali (GKPB) represent Christian angels who honour God with their dance. 

Bishop I Bagus Herman Suryadi welcomed the International Mission Council on behalf of the ten Indonesian member churches. He referred to the basic principle of harmony that unites Balinese culture across all religious boundaries. “We experience this harmony as well in the worldwide EMS fellowship,” explained the Bishop.

In a symbolic act, the members of the Mission Council planted small crops during the service - as a sign of the harmonious coexistence of humankind and nature. 

EMS President Rev. Anne Heitmann thanked the Protestant Church in Bali for its hospitality. " In a world where polarization and self-interest are on the agenda the fact that we have come together as churches form three continents, different cultures and Protestant traditions is a sign and a statement. This makes it all the more important to experience in the global church fellowship of EMS an international cooperation organised in a completely different way: on an equal footing, characterised by trust and solidarity." Equal cooperation in the global EMS fellowship sends out a signal: "We come together and ask questions, even if we don't always agree: What is our common mission and our common message in this world today, in the face of its beauty and its crises?"

The Mission Council is meeting in Bali until next Sunday. The discussions will focus on the further development of international cooperation in EMS and the preparation of a development plan for the next five years. Rev. Junita from the Toraja Church in Indonesia, member of the EMS Presidium, called on the churches in her opening prayer: „Let this meeting not be just about programs and plans, but about truly hearing the Good News – so we may own it deeply and share it boldly. Lord Jesus, You walked in solidarity with the suffering, with the forgotten, the oppressed, the joyful and the broken. Teach us to do the same. Let Your mission be our mission.”