Perhaps this conference theme is precisely the lesson, that God wants to teach us right now: to grow together. In the midst of the existential hardship for many, which has broken up anew, in the midst of the constraints to which we are currently subject, in the midst of the trend towards isolation, which now also forces the school classes to many decentralized places for learning with even more different conditions, in the midst of the impossibility with which community is confronted among themselves.

Growing together, the program is against the trend, against the zeitgeist and against our current situation. Growing together often requires letting go of what we imagined. For this we gain something invisible, organic, indestructible: unity. What really constitutes our faith, what we are when all things we do are called into question, what we are called to do by God. Growing together is done by the Spirit of God. And at this time he is working in a new way worldwide on the unity of the Body of Christ. We are allowed to be there!

In these days, we are all learning to re-spell what the words "God willing" mean. Like many others at this time, we had to postpone our anniversary – the 125th Alliance Conference. But we have decided that in 2021, God willing, the Jubilee Conference will take place under the conditions that God gives us. He will decide which ones they are.

We invite you to enjoy the conference on site or online, we invite local alliances to broadcast the conference on site and invite you to join in the celebrations, we invite you to join in the international discussion.

Be blessed!
On behalf of the Conference Committee

Michael Eggert