From 1 to 4 October 2026, Tallinn hosted the European meeting of synod members of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE). Synod representatives of CPCE member churches met in this format for the fifth time. The series, which began in Bad Boll in 2012, continued in Budapest (2015), Bern (2017) and Bad Herrenalb (2023). The central theme of the four-day meeting in Tallinn was “Passing on the Faith to the Next Generation”. Through lectures, workshops, institutional visits and joint worship services, participants reflected on how the Christian faith can be passed on authentically in the rapidly changing, increasingly diverse and secularised societies of Europe.
The meeting started on 1 October with a Eucharistic service at Tallinn Cathedral, where Archbishop Urmas Viilma preached. At the official opening ceremony in the evening, representatives of the host church, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, welcomed the participants, together with Tamás Kodácsy, a member of the CPCE Governing Board, who addressed the gathering on behalf of the organisation. General Secretary Susanne Schenk then introduced the work of the CPCE.
On the second day the programme explored how faith can be passed on within families and through various areas of the Church’s mission. Participants had the opportunity to visit and learn about two initiatives in Estonia: the Bethel Social Centre and the Kaarli Church School. In the afternoon, Professor Randar Tasmuth gave a lecture on the purpose of mission and the relationship between faith and practice. This was followed by a session led by psychologist Jana Zemanová, which focused on the transmission of faith within the family.
On the third day, the morning lectures and group discussions first examined the role of institutions – congregations, schools, diaconal services and theological training institutions – in passing on the faith. The discussions then turned to the opportunities and challenges of Christian witness in an open and pluralistic society. Among other things, participants reflected on what should be retained from existing forms of transmitting the Christian tradition, what needs to be reconsidered, and which practices may need to be left behind.
The afternoon programme, entitled “Mission in Europe”, provided an opportunity for various European churches to present their mission initiatives. The Hungarian Protestant churches were represented in two workshops. Katalin Lázárné Skorka, Pastoral President of the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary, presented her church’s approach to mission under the title “The Mission Concept of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary”. Reformed Synod member Endre Iszlai led a workshop entitled “Seeds of Faith, a Future of Hope – Mission through Nursery and Kindergarten Ministry”. His presentation highlighted the fact that church institutions serving the youngest generation are not only places of education and care, but can also provide important settings for passing on the faith and building relationships with families.
At the end of the day, participants reflected together on the experiences and insights gained during the meeting. Under the guidance of General Secretary Susanne Schenk, they also discussed the role the CPCE can play in strengthening relations between the synods of its member churches. The evening programme continued at St Michael’s Swedish Church in Tallinn with a cultural programme, a devotional service and a fellowship dinner.
The four-day meeting concluded on Sunday, 4 October, with a Eucharistic service at Kaarli Church in Tallinn. For the participants, the gathering in Tallinn provided not only an opportunity to learn from the experiences of different Protestant churches across Europe, but also to reflect together on how the Church can become, for the next generation, a community in which the Christian faith is not merely an inherited tradition, but a reality that can be personally lived out and passed on to others.