Europe
A new era of mission in Russia
The PC(USA) mission presence with partners is in transition
Countries
All countries in this area are listed below. Countries with Web pages giving Presbyterian-specific information are highlighted. For other countries, there is currently no PC(USA) involvement in this country or the Web pages have not yet been prepared. The PC(USA) also participates in or relates to work in other countries through ecumenical relationships.
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Albania Andorra Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Denmark Estonia Finland Georgia |
Greece Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Netherlands Norway |
San Marino Scotland — See United Kingdom Slovenia Sweden Switzerland Vatican City |
Overview
Europe Area, as defined here, reaches from Iceland to Siberia. In the last seven years, the nations of the Europe Area have been drawn together by a common need to build a new regional and national identity to replace the one they lost when the old division of East and West, as defined by the Iron Curtain, ceased to exist.
The new European identity has its own new divisions, to be sure; there are the rich nations of the north and west and the poor ones in the south and east. There are the nations of the (mostly nominally) Christian West and the nations that identify themselves in one way or another as Muslim. Inside the nominally Christian part of Europe, there are the nations that use the Latin alphabet and those that use a Cyrillic script, a division that coincides roughly with ancient boundaries between the old Russian Empire and its Slavic allies on the Cyrillic side and the old Hohenzollern and Hapsburg empires on the Latin side. Finally there are the nations that are members of NATO, the nations that want to join and probably will, the nations that want to join but won't be allowed and Russia and Belarus, which are quite unhappy about the likelihood that NATO will expand in their direction.
The churches in each part of Europe also face their own special challenges: In central and eastern Europe, the church is re-establishing congregations, seminaries and diaconal ministries of all kinds as it recovers from decades of oppression. In southern Europe the church is offering a faithful evangelical witness at the same time it is seeking to demonstrate to its Muslim neighbors that it approaches them as a respectful friend and not as an enemy. In northern and western Europe the church is trying to model for their entire societies how it is possible to integrate immigrants and refugees from the poorer nations to Europe's south and east. All over the region the churches and individual Christians are working to embody Christ's imperative for peacemaking.
Staff
Amgad Beblawi, area coordinator for Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia
Rylan Truman, Administrative Assistant
Amgad Beblawi began service in October 2010 as coordinator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s mission work in the Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Beblawi served for the previous five years as the General Assembly Mission Council’s associate for Middle Eastern congregational support in the United States. Prior to serving on the PC(USA) national staff, he worked at Fuller Seminary as academic advisor and director of the Career Services. He also served with nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C., area for a short time prior to his appointment as General Assembly staff.
“I believe Amgad will be an active and dynamic resource for our mission personnel serving in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, other Presbyterians from the United States involved in these regions, and our partners there,” said Doug Welch, Presbyterian World Mission’s associate director for mission partners and programs. “He brings a wealth of experience and commitment to his new role.”
Beblawi succeeds Victor Makari, who has been serving as Middle East coordinator, and Jon Chapman, who served as Europe coordinator. Both retired this year and their positions were combined.
Beblawi holds master's degrees in theology and biblical studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, Calif. A native of Egypt, he grew up and was active in the Presbyterian Church of Egypt, Synod of the Nile. He immigrated to the United States in 1985 and has 15 years experience in church and parachurch ministries, higher education administration, and academic and career counseling.
Beblawi lives in Louisville with his wife, Susan Templet Beblawi, and son, Justin.
Regional liaisons (mission co-workers):
Doug Baker, regional liaison for Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Burkhard Paetzold, regional liaison for Central and Eastern Europe
Gary Payton, regional liaison for Belarus, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
Resource
Ten Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving for Roma in Europe
See the 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, pp. 191, 193
See other individual country pages, and these that do not yet have a web page:
Albania
2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 214
August 1
Greece
2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 215
August 2
Italy
2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 215
August 2
Portugal
2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 194
July 12
Switzerland
2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 201
July 19
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I am the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Carlisle, cental PA. Eric and Becky Hinderliter, now serving in Lithuania, are members of the Pine Street Church in our Presbytery. We are planning a trip next year to continue conversation we have had with the Reformed Church of Lithuania. I am seeking other American Presbyterians who have been working with the Lithuanian Church or the Hinderliters. I do not believe there is now Lithuanian mission network. I also would like to invite the area coordinator or regional liasion or Hunter Farrell to also join us on our trip.