printed 3 September 2024
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Representatives of the Church of Scotland lately traveled to Italy to affix the Waldensian Church in celebrating their 850th anniversary.m anniversary
The Waldensians, who hint their founding to Peter Waldo in 1173, are followers of a church custom inside Western Christianity that developed earlier than the Reformation.
The go to comes after the Normal Meeting of the Church of Scotland handed a launch congratulating the Waldensian Church on their anniversary in Could.
On Sunday 25 August, the Rev Tara Curlewis, minister of St Andrew’s Church in Rome, was acknowledged by the Waldensian Synod at its inaugural session as a full communicant of the Waldensian Church. Ms Curlewis is the primary appointed liaison officer to the newly-established Reformed Ecumenical Workplace in Rome, a collaboration between the Church of Scotland, the Waldensian and World Communion of Reformed Church buildings (WCRC) and the Uniting Church of Australia.
Rev Dr Ian Alexander, Church of Scotland’s Worldwide Partnership Assist Supervisor, shared the Normal Meeting’s greetings with members of the Waldensian Synod on Monday.
Dr Alexander stated Waldo emphasised the ‘want for non secular renewal of the Church’ and ‘freedom in preaching the Gospel’, commenting on its relevance for the Church of Scotland at this time.
“Within the Church of Scotland, we’re grateful for the Waldensian collaboration to work with the Rev Tara Curlewis, Minister of St Andrew’s in Rome, and for the primary appointment to the newly established Reformed Ecumenical Workplace. Ecumenical Dialogue in Rome,” he stated.
“It’s a collaboration between the Church of Scotland, the Waldensian and World Communion of Reformed Church buildings (WCRC) and the Uniting Church of Australia, to characterize the WCRC in relation to different Church buildings in Rome and worldwide our bodies.”
The Church of Scotland additionally works with the Waldensian Church by means of its mission companion Fiona Kendall, who works with the Federation of Protestant Church buildings in Italy’s refugee and migrant program Mediterranean Hope.
“Fiona’s put up is a wonderful collaboration between the Federation within the US, Tavola, UK Methodists and the United Church of Christ (UCC)/Disciples International Ministries,” stated Dr Alexander.
“Whereas the talk on migration stays so polarised, initiatives like Mediterranean Hope (MH) are actually necessary, and we’re delighted to congratulate MH on its tenth anniversary.
“Leaded by Paolo Naso and now Marta Bernardini it’s a highly effective witness to the world, reflecting a theology of hospitality and justice by means of its numerous initiatives.”
The Rev Mary Cranfield, one other Church of Scotland minister, additionally attended the celebratory synod and introduced congratulations as president of the Scottish Waldensian Society, even talking in Italian.
One other Scot, the Rev Professor Euan Cameron, additionally attended and gave a presentation on the symposium on Waldensian historical past and place within the Reformation household. He lately retired from Union Theological Seminary in New York Metropolis and is president of the American Waldensian Society.
Final 12 months, the Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, earlier Moderator of the Normal Meeting of the Church of Scotland, visited the Waldensian Church in Rome in anticipation of 850m anniversary
Whereas there, he met with Waldensian moderator Alessandra Trotta to debate such various subjects as Hope’s work within the Mediterranean, look after the aged, violence towards ladies, and youth involvement and theological schooling for ministry coaching.
