Europe's Protestant churches say social exclusion is greatest challenge

Protestant churches from across Europe have identified social exclusion as their greatest challenge in a new survey.

The survey was conducted by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) among 100 of its members and member churches. The results were made public during the CPCE's third consultation on new social challenges to Europe's Protestant churches, held in Tallinn in Estonia last week.

Among the respondents, 24 per cent agreed with the statement that "The growing gulf between poor and rich is leading to social exclusion".

After social exclusion, 16 per cent said they felt the stress on the individual to be the greatest social challenge, whilst 11 per cent mentioned the social integration of migrants and a lack of inter-cultural dialogue. The social effects of globalisation and the climate and energy crisis were other concerns flagged up by 8 per cent of respondents.

Delegates at the consultation stressed the responsibility of the churches to engage in social and political issues.

Archbishop Andres Poeder of the Lutheran Church in Estonia said churches needed to root their public responses in their Christian history.

"This background - the Gospel - must also become clear in political statements," he commented.

He noted that in some European countries, churches have become a minority presence in society.

"That makes it all the more important for the churches to speak with a common voice," he said.

The Tallinn consultation brought together around forty theologians and thinkers from the CPCE member churches.

A working group will continue to develop a Protestant response to the social challenges in Europe today and present their findings together with the conclusions drawn from the the Tallinn consultation at the CPCE Council's next meeting in Oslo in January 2009.

The CPCE said it hoped the findings would help its member churches "to co-ordinate their activities and speak as often as possible with a common voice".