a church on the move

The first fruits of the Augsburg Agreement – full communion between The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB) – emerged recently in Augsburg and Munich as Episcopal and Lutheran ministers celebrated communion in one another’s churches.

The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe represented at the UN Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva, Switzerland, by the Right Reverend Mark Edington and Giulia Bonoldi, Chief Welcoming Officer.

Moving the edges of understanding while creating a safe and open space for discussions on racism and racial justice have become hallmarks of the Convocation’s Racial Justice Book Group (RJBG), which is part of the Racial Justice and Beloved Community (RJBC) ministry.

On January 31st, 2026, an online conversation was held with leadership from The Episcopal Church, facilitated by the Rt. Rev. Mark Edington, to discuss issues facing the Episcopal Church today and how those realities intersect with the life and ministry of Episcopal communities in Europe.

The Rev. Johnathan Denson is the Convocation’s inaugural Ministry Fellow, a two-year fellowship position for a priest who is new to ministry in the Episcopal Church. The newly established position provides an opportunity for ta priest to be further formed for ordained ministry in the unique setting of the Convocation churches across Europe.

“It’s a great honor to take on this role, particularly to follow in the footsteps of Walter Baer, who has done the role with such distinction,” said the Venerable Michael Rusk, who received the mandate to be the new archdeacon of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe from Bishop Mark Edington in late January.

The original deed and building contract for the American Cathedral in Paris, as well as handwritten notes by Hamilton Fish—U.S. Secretary of State from 1869 to 1877, and one of the founders of the parish of the Holy Trinity in Paris, are amongst the treasure trove of documents recently rediscovered in the Board of Foreign Parishes’ archives.

Socorro Heepe was the Convocation’s Racial Justice Ministry representative to the conference – “Hope Makers: From Hostility to Hospitality – which brought together representatives from the Church of England (Diocese in Europe and the Racial Justice Unit), the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the World Council of Churches (WCC), United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), academic institutions, interfaith organizations, and civil society partners.

Christ the King in Frankfurt began renovation of their sanctuary recently with two goals in mind, according to Ansgar Richter, one of CtK’s two junior wardens. “One is safety. The building is from 1957, and the electrical system is still from that period.

“The second is to make the church a little more beautiful.”

“Fragrance is always inviting. Fragrance reaches out, it can reach out to people who are not expecting fragrance to come,” said Fr. Vinod Victor. And being a fragrant presence in the southern German city of Freiburg is the aim of an extensive refugee outreach program developed by the Anglican Church Freiburg using a grant from the Convocation Refugee Grant Program (CRGP).