The EUD Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) Advisory took place in Brussels, Belgium, from 18 to 21 March 2024, at the permanent office of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR). The event was organized by the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) Department of the Inter-European Division, gathering the EUD PARL leaders and AIDLR secretary-generals for training and engaging with the Brussels religious liberty community.
Present were the PARL leaders of the countries within the territory of the Inter-European Division. The meeting was enriched by the presence of the General Conference PARL leaders, Ganoune Diop (Director) and Nelu Burcea (Associate Director), who presented the foundational principles, vision and strategy of PARL work and its contribution to the Church’s mission. A great privilege was also hosting the former PARL world director, current director of the CILRAP study centre in Collonges and AIDLR permanent representative to United Nations in Geneva, John Graz, who gave a presentation on how to find, train and be a Church ambassador. The executive secretary of the Inter-European Division, Barna Magyarosi, was the representative of the Administration, as well as the person responsible for the devotionals, and a chaplain assigned to meeting, assisting and supporting leaders at their request. The devotionals were based on lessons from the Old Testament about service and leadership, focused on the experiences of Saul, Baruch, and Moses.
The event was introduced by Paulo Macedo, EUD PARL director, who wanted to specify the objectives of the PARL Department of the EUD, namely, to organize regional events, inform, train, support, and represent the national teams at the European level. Advisory meetings are an important moment for creating collaboration and synergies between national PARL leaders.
Ganoune Diop, PARL Director at the General Conference level, gave an overview of the history and objectives of the PARL Department, since its inception (1901). The main objectives of this important department are, therefore, to protect the good name and image of the Church, to interface between church and state, and, finally, to manage legislative cases involving the Church in the public sphere. “It is absolutely necessary not to isolate ourselves as a church. We must combat misinformation involving our Church and protect ourselves from the prejudices that surround us. The credibility of our Church is at stake.”
Nelu Burcea, PARL associate director at the General Conference and liaison of the Church to the United Nations, described the work and goals of the Church within this important global institution. “My role is to generate strategic contacts within the United Nations and to protect the image of the Church in the international context.” At the end of his presentation, Burcea showed and distributed an official Press Dossier of the Church that he developed.
Members of the Advisory were privileged to welcome former General Conference PARL director, John Graz. Graz focused on the role of PARL directors of the Adventist Church: “You are ambassadors, and your department can be identified in some way with a national Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You represent the Church, not yourselves, and you have the duty to protect the image and interests of your church.”
“Build a network of local ambassadors,” advised Graz, “educating them as future leadership, and always try to build bridges with your interlocutors.”
“Also take care of your image,” concluded Graz, “study the protocols and procedures well, look after your moral integrity, and be humble. Be steadfast, loyal and faithful, and always give the glory to God!”
One of the Advisory's welcome guests was Ian Sweeney, PARL director of the Trans-European Division (TED). Sweeney gave an overview of the challenges his division is facing within its member states.
Another high point was represented by the speech of Prof. Stefan Höschele, professor for Systematic Theology and Adventist Studies at Friedensau University. Höschele presented his book “Adventist Interchurch Relations”, explaining the history of interreligious dialogue of the Adventist Church since its birth and differentiating it from the various levels of existing ecumenism. “The Adventist Church's interreligious dialogue has always been based on its mission, never on the desire to build new structures or organizations for their own sake.”
During the Advisory, all the PARL Leaders of the EUD territory had the opportunity to present a work report from within their country, describing the challenges, opportunities and prospects linked to their work. The comparison with other colleagues allowed them to broaden their vision and find new solutions.
The participants in the Advisory were spiritually accompanied by a special chaplain, Barna Magyarosi, executive secretary of the Inter-European Division. Magyarosi began the committee, each morning, with a spiritual message, focused on the work of public affairs. “Since you work in the sphere of political power, and since you meet powerful people, be careful to resist the allure of power. Many men chosen by God began their journey with humility and ended their role with arrogance,” explained Magyarosi. “The deepest challenge is to always let God's will prevail over one's own. When you confuse your will with that of God, then you begin to lose your way.”
“Do not justify your mistakes, but repent of your mistakes,” continued Magyarosi, “and never lose sight of the fact that you are totally dependent on God. Give preference to faithfulness over success,” concluded Magyarosi.
The participants in the Advisory also had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament, learning more about its structure, history, function, and work, and to engage with several key agents of the European institutions in AIDLR meetings.
“This Advisory was important because it revealed to all participants the fact that they are not alone in the work, but that they can count on the collaboration of their national, regional and global colleagues,” said Paulo Macedo, PARL director in the Inter-European Division and organizer of the event. “We have among us, not only experts in the religious and institutional fields, but also experts in law, communicators, etc. Together, we can face the many challenges that come our way. Our vision is to form a single synergistic force together,” concluded Macedo.
The EUD PARL team is composed by Paulo Macedo, Mercedes Fernandez, and Andreas Mazza.
Pictures: David Milard and Andreas Mazza
