Kristine Greenaway shares Swiss fair trade chocolate with Hongtiong Lyim and Ljenljenman (Photo: IERP/ASE)

By Kristine Greenaway

As Ljenljenman spoke, I knew I had found the story to sum up my time in Geneva as head of the Communications office for the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). In September, I move to Toronto, Canada to take up my new position as the person responsible for the United Church of Canada’s French Ministries Team.

During my visit to Paiwan Presbytery in April as a guest of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan (PCT), Ljenljenman told me about her work as Women’s Secretary for the predominantly aboriginal presbytery that sits at the southern tip of Taiwan.

Ljenljenman, who is a member of the Paiwan people, told me that women in the presbytery were preparing to celebrate Women’s World Day of Prayer in April with a service focused on the concerns of immigrants to France. The funds gathered at the service would go to support a Taiwanese woman missionary in Ethiopia who is involved in a Bible translation project in the country. I was awed by the vision of Paiwanese women praying for people who are seeking a new life in a European country they have never seen. And I was impressed by how a direct connection to a missionary, such as the woman serving in Ethiopia, can generate support for a mission project.

In a few brief minutes, I had heard a story that described the benefits of creating communication links among WCRC member churches so that they can identify common concerns and programme opportunities via the web, print, email and social media. There was no better story to convey what has made my years with WCRC so vital and why I care so passionately about the role of communication in global ecumenism.

When I conclude my 4.5 years working at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva and return to Canada, my “baggage” will include stories of how global migration, culture and faith can form bonds that cut across church and political boundaries. I hope that in some ways these and other stories I have shared since 2009 may have touched your lives and enriched your understanding of why we struggle to keep the global Reformed ecumenical movement alive.

As I send my final edition of Reformed Communiqué to press, I want to thank those who have contributed their skills and dedication to the production of this quarterly publication. The newsletter is produced in French and English and published in both a print and electronic edition. Selected articles are translated to Spanish for publication in La Voz, the magazine of WCRC’s Latin American region, AIPRAL. Articles in German are posted to the website of the Reformierter Bund.

This would not be possible without Stéphane Gallay, the layout artist and designer loaned to us by the Lutheran World Federation, Hartmut Lucke, our dedicated volunteer German translator, Roland Revet, our gifted French translator, and the contributions of WCRC colleagues, including interns, who serve as writers, proof readers and administrative assistants. I will miss working on this creative enterprise, but the stories will continue to flow through the Communion and into the wider world.