Recommended readings: European annual conferences and migration

Following are two stories about how European United Methodists continue to undertake work relating to migration:

First, migration was a significant topic of discussion at the meeting of the Switzerland-France-North Africa Annual Conference, held July 16-19. The conversations around migration led to the annual conference adopting an official statement on migrants and refugees. The statement traces themes of migration in the Bible before making connections to current reasons for migration and ethical principles for responding to migrants. A report on the conference and the text of the statement can be found in this story (in French) from the annual conference. The statement can also be viewed in German and English versions.

Second, a video entitled "Willkommen" ("Welcome") produced by German United Methodists about their work with refugees was shown at the annual conference of the Methodist Church in Britain in July. The video made a significant impact on conference attendees, as reported in this article (in German) from the UMC in Germany. The end of the article also mentions continued discussions of migration at this summer's annual conferences in Germany. More information on the video and related educational materials can be found here, and the video can be viewed online in German and English versions.