MÖWe - The Institute for Mission, Ecumenism and Global Responsibility of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia
Our Principles
Church needs mission – Church lives from the inviting and open movement towards people; thus it participates in the mission of God (missio dei) aiming at the salvation of the world.
Church needs ecumenism – Church is part of a global community of female and male Christians; it lives from discovering the riches involved, from sharing and learning from each other.
Church needs to assume global responsibility - its responsibility for justice, peace and the integrity of creation does not end on its own doorstep; if one member suffers, all other members will suffer as well – worldwide.
Who We Are
As an Institute of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and in cooperation with the Ecumenical Desk in the Church Office of the Regional Church the MÖWe staff consists of nineteen members. The Institute is located in the House of the Regional Church in Dortmund and is headed by Reverend Peter Ohligschläger.
The MÖWe Institute consists of an office, an administration and a management as well as five desk officers. One particularity of the Institute can be seen in its regionalized structure.
Eight ministers, female and male, work in seven different regions of our regional church as so-called regional ministers for mission and ecumenism. They support the congregations in one ore more neighbouring church districts and are contact people and advisors of their church districts in all issues of mission, ecumenism and global responsibility. Two regional ministers are located in the Ecumenical Workshop in Bielefeld-Bethel.
What We Do
MÖWe’s main task consists of strengthening the internal ties in the field of mission, ecumenism and global responsibility of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia with its various institutions and manifold female and male salaried and voluntary staff in church districts, regions and institutions of our regional church.
The MÖWe Institute is a service facility, particularly for multipliers and salaried staff in the field of mission, ecumenism and global responsibility. It develops and produces material, it collects information about resources and competences within the scope of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and its own field of work.
Furthermore, it gathers information and ensures a rapid flow of information. Individuals, groups, congregations and church districts can, of course, make use of the service of the MÖWe Institute. The Institute supports basic groups and initiatives, it provides assistance with the implementation of projects, it helps in the mediation of contacts and gives this commitment a public voice.
The MÖWe Institute introduces the topics of mission, ecumenism and global responsibility into education and training of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and thus cooperates with various training institutes in Westphalia – from universities to training courses for vergers.
The MÖWe Institute represents the field of mission, ecumenism and global responsibility in the committees of the regional church. It also accompanies and advises decision-making processes – such as decisions of the regional church synod – in its field of work.
The MÖWe Institute prepares and accompanies central events for the Evangelical Church of Westphalia, for instance ecumenical consultations, ecumenical visits, events within the framework of the Ecumenical Decade to Overcome Violence and the Westphalian Mission Conferences.
Public Relations, Press Reports and Regular Publications
The MÖWe Institute wants to maintain the public relations’ presence of mission, ecumenical affairs and global responsibility in Westphalia. It is part of the ecclesiastical and secular public relations work and releases its own publications.
Four or five times a year our online publication ‘MÖWe News’ provides information on events, seminars and activities within the scope of ecumenism.
Twice a year background information, travel reports and detailed information are furnished in printed form in our publication ‘Shalom’.
Once a year, specifically for the 14th Sunday after Trinity, a brochure for the church service on “Just community between men and women” is published in cooperation with a church district. In irregular sequence we publish information leaflets on special subjects – and recently also as MÖWe-online material.
How You Can Contact Us
Institute for Mission, Ecumenism and Global Responsibility (MÖWe) of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia
Postbox 101051, D-44010 Dortmund
Olpe 35, D-44135 Dortmund
Tel.: +49-(0)231-5409-70
Fax: +49-(0)231-5409-21
E-Mail: info@moewe-westfalen.de