The European Central Bureau for Inter-Church Aid

The European Central Bureau for Inter-Church Aid, Europäische Zentralstelle für kirchliche Hilfsaktionen, Office Central de Secours aux Églises d'Europe, European Central Office for Inter-Church Aid., Office Central d'Entr'Aide des Églises
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Founded: 1922
Sources: HB 1929, HB 1936, HB 1938

Officers

An international Executive Committee. (HB 1938)

Seats

Congresses

Object

To help evangelical churches and institutions, theological faculties and students suffering from the consequences of the war. (HB 1929) Venir en aide aux églises et aux institutions évangéliques, aux facultés de théologie et aux étudiants en théologie souffrant des conséquences de la guerre. (HB 1936) Information about the general Church situation and aid to suffering Churches, institutions, Faculties, theological students and religious minorities. (HB 1938)

Finances

Regular contributions of the Churches and individual subscriptions. (HB 1929) Contributions régulières des Eglises et souscriptions de particuliers. (HB 1936) Contributions from the Churches and private subscriptions. (HB 1938)

General facts

The first Protestant conference at Copenhagen (1922), was convened at the instigation of the American Federal Council of the Churches by the Swiss Church Federation. The relief work resulting from it represented practical co-operation between all Protestant Churches of Europe, around also between European and American Protestantism. Since the meeting of its Committee at Prague in 1928, the organisation is to be affiliated to the "Life and Work" movement, but keeps its autonomy. (HB 1929) La première conférence protestante de Copenhague (1922) fut convoquée sur la demande de 1'«American Federal Council of the Churches» par la Fédération des Eglises suisses. L'œuvre de secours entreprise fut le résultat d'une coopération pratique entre toutes les Eglises protestantes d'Europe, ainsi qu'entre le protestantisme européen et le protestantisme américain. (HB 1936) The Office was founded in 1922 at Copenhagen by an official International Church Conference convened by the American and the Swiss Church Federation. It represents practical co-operation between the American Church Federation (Federal Council of Churches) and the European Churches. (HB 1938)

Publications

Hands Across the Sea (Bulletin). (HB 1929) Hands across the Sea (Bulletin), Service de Presse à la presse. (HB 1936)

Activities

The Bureau has given support to churches and evangelical institutions in sixteen suffering continents and countries. After the necessary relief work of the first year, it is taking up more and more constructive tasks and is becoming a kind of " Red Cross of the Churches ". Publication of Zur Lage des Europeäischen Protestantismus ; a book European Protestantism, its Crisis and Outlook ; a number of brochures on the situation in the different countries and Churches. (HB 1929) L'Office a assisté des Eglises et institutions évangéliques dans seize conti­nents et pays atteints par les conséquences de la guerre. Après les travaux de secours nécessaires durant la première année, il assume des travaux de plus en plus concrets et devient une sorte de Croix-Rouge des Eglises. Publication de « Zur Lage des Europäischen Protestantismus »; « European Protestantism, its Crisis and Outlook »; « Religion and the European Mind », et d'un certain nombre de brochures sur la situation des différents pays et des différentes Eglises. (HB 1936) The Office is a centre of information for the Protestant Churches and has published several books and brochures on the religious situation in Europe and America such as Zur Lage des europdischen Protestantisms, European Protestantism, Its Crisis and Otttlook, Dynamis, Forms and Forces of American Protestantism, Religion and the European Mind, Church and State on the European Continent, by Dr. Adolf Keller. The office brought aid to Churches and institutions in sixteen European countries and to old Christian minorities in the Near East. It developed a leadership programme with bursaries for future ministers and helped Christian refugees in various countries. (HB 1938)

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