The city of Durban hosted the Council for World Mission (CWM) Assembly Planning Group on 5-7 February to hone plans for an Assembly that will be a catalyst for transformation.
CWM Moderator Rev. Lydia Neshangwe opened the meeting with a reflection on the Assembly theme, ”Rise to Life: Together in Transformation.”
With Romans 12:2 providing the backdrop of her sermon, Neshangwe challenged the Assembly Planning Group to “rise” and break free from worldly patterns and embrace a renewed and “transformed” perspective rooted in God’s will.
“May this Assembly be a catalyst for transformation, igniting a renewed sense of purpose and empowering individuals and communities to rise to life and be agents of positive change,” she prayed.
Locating the Assembly in Durban represents a meaningful decision for CWM, as southern Africa has endured and continues to grapple with challenges such as political instability, increasing poverty, xenophobia, and spiritual malaise.
The Assembly will serve as an integral platform for CWM delegates and ecumenical partners to engage in meaningful discussions around these critical matters and share best practices, innovative ideas, and collective wisdom, so they can develop action plans for transformative change within their communities.
During the meeting, the Assembly Planning Group reported on preparations accomplished so far for the Assembly in June as well as progress made by the Local Organizing Committee.
The Local Organizing Committee printed of 2,000 colorful postcard sleeves which will serve as promotional materials during the CWM Africa Region Pre-Assembly. These postcards will be distributed to participants to offer a visual representation of the Assembly and its mission.
The Local Organizing Committee is also creating visually captivating and engaging environments for the locations where the various Assembly events will be held.
As the Assembly Planning Group visited the various Assembly venues, they also received updates from staff members involved in logistics, protocol, communications and transport.
