The Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) will continue strengthening the cooperation, solidarity, and fellowship among its members.

During its online meeting from 17 to 19 November the EMS Mission Council approved the revised budget for 2025/2026. “I am relieved to see a stable financial basis for EMS despite numerous challenges,” said Ute Kauffmann, General Manager at EMS, during her presentation. Nevertheless, strategic efforts ensuring the financial sustainability of EMS are required in the coming years.

Like previous years, the revised budget continues to provide funding for programs and projects of EMS members amounting to about 1,37 million Euro for 2026, as well as 150,000 Euro for the Small Project Fund. These funds support the promotion of justice and the fight against poverty, education and peace education, women’s empowerment, mission and theology, health and environment.

Commitment to international cooperation

A novelty in the EMS fellowship is the commitment of the Church in South India (CSI) and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) to co-finance positions in the India and East Asia units in the EMS Secretariat. “This is an important step in our joint efforts to internationalise EMS and an encouraging indicator of the strength of the ties in the fellowship,” said the General Secretary of EMS, Rev. Dr. Dieter Heitmann.

“EMS Sunday” to strengthen fellowship

The members of the EMS Mission Council also voted for the introduction of an annual “EMS Sunday” around its founding date 16 September. Celebrating a worship service around a shared liturgy would “raise awareness of the international EMS fellowship in all EMS congregations,” bringing them closer together, they said. The liturgy will be developed by one of the EMS members or regions and made available worldwide. In addition, a special programme for children services or Sunday schools is planned.

“The EMS member churches represent a global community of approximately 25 million people,” explained the EMS General Secretary. “A small contribution from these members to the offering collected during EMS Sunday will help to stabilise the work of the global EMS fellowship financially and put it on a broader footing.”