The 5th Junges Forum Anglikanismus was held successfully at the Anglican/Episcopal Church of Christ the King in Frankfurt from 14 to 16 November 2025, bringing together scholars, clergy, and students from six different countries (Canada, England, Germany, Nagaland/India, Nigeria, United States). We reflected on the theme “Many Cultures, One Body.” Junges Forum Anglikanismus is a seminar organized annually by the Konfessionskundliche Institut Bensheim (Institute for Ecumenical Study and Research). It offered an intensive study of Anglican distinctiveness in an era defined by intercultural encounter, migration, and global connectedness. Through lectures and discussions, participants were deeply engaged in the theological, sociolinguistic, and historical dimensions of multicultural Christian life.
The meeting started with a warm welcome and introduction from Rev. Dr Kai Funkschmidt of the Konfessionskundliche Institut, after which the participants engaged in an introductory session to get to know one another. The first lecture was delivered by Rev. Dr Ben Aldous (Principal Officer for Mission and Evangelism at Churches Together in England, CTE), who stayed with the seminar for the entire weekend. He spoke on the landscape of “migrant and multicultural churches in the United Kingdom.” He noted that migrant congregations, including Caribbean, Nigerian, Chinese, and Romanian churches function not only as spiritual communities but also as spaces for cultural and 
ethnic preservation. He drew on three illustrative case studies from the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) congregation in Chesterfield, the deliberately multicultural Mosaic Church in London, and St John’s Wynberg in South Africa which illustrated how different ecclesial communities negotiate identity, authority, and mission within intercultural settings. He also highlighted that in an increasingly diverse setup, the key challenge for church growth lies not merely in numerical expansion but in cultivating deeper, more meaningful community which requires moving beyond mere cultural coexistence and toward genuinely intercultural congregations, where no group holds dominance in power, presence, or population, and where all are committed to mutual learning, shared space, and being transformed through life together. He concluded by inviting participants to assess their own contexts whether they are mono/bi/cross/multi/inter-cultural, and to reflect on the practice of “mutual inconvenience,” a concept that encapsulates the shared and often uncomfortable adjustments required for authentic intercultural community.
The next presentation was delivered by Dr Linda Sauer-Bredvik (University of Heidelberg), titled “A sociolinguistic analysis of the interface between language, society and religion,” examining the deep interrelationship between language, identity, and religious belonging. Using insights from sociolinguistics, Bredvik asked the questions “From where do you speak? From where do you listen?” She emphasized that power dynamics inevitably shape the conversation determining not only who articulates the agenda but also whose voice is granted epistemic authority. Variations in English proficiency, accent, and the complex reality of multilingual expression frequently generate hierarchal inequalities within the church settings. She added that genuine inclusion is the indispensable starting point for any practical movement toward equity. Her analysis further highlighted the need to develop more intentional approaches to linguistic diversity, identifying that language always is a bridge to connect.
The second day started with devotion led by Sven Gröger (Tübingen), offering participants a meditative space to begin the day in collective prayer. After which, a Bible study on Acts 17:16-34, was led by Simon Noklang, a Masters student from the University of Bonn. The group studied Paul’s engagement with the Athenians, emphasizing the themes of cultural encounter, theological dialogue, and contextual proclamation. The study provided a biblical outline that echoed strongly with the conference’s theme, exemplifying how early Christian mission already navigated multicultural spaces with both effort and courage.
Later, Rev. Christopher Easthill, Anglican priest from Wiesbaden Parish and chairman of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen in Germany (ACK), offered reflections on the topic, “we are all one in Christ: The joys and challenges of intercultural Anglican Church life in Germany.” He underlined several strengths that supported unity in diversity: like the shared liturgy that enables a stable and acquainted base across cultures; the use of language that allows people from various backgrounds to partake; flexible structures within Anglican institutions that welcomes a range of viewpoints; and the broad-tent nature of Anglican Holy Communion, which enables people from diverse backgrounds to gather around a common table. He also acknowledged the areas for growth, such as the choice of music and worship materials to better reflect the cultural diversity of the congregations and developing more healthy models of integration that deeply absorb intercultural inclusion than being superficial in nature. The presentation was an honest, optimistic, and practical account of what it means to live out Anglican identity in times like this.
The afternoon session featured Rev. Dr Carlton Turner (Anglican Tutor in Contextual Theology and Mission Studies, The Queen’s Foundation Birmingham), who joined us online. He offered a historically grounded breakdown of the Caribbean Anglicanism, stressing how the European expansion and the formation of plantation societies established the structural settings for the Church’s beginning in the West Indies and even beyond. Turner disclosed how the region’s geography marked by island split-up; series of colonial trade routes, and ever-changing imperial powers shaped ecclesial structures as well as theological developments. He also mentioned that education as mission work played a central role in the foundation of Caribbean Anglican identity. Schools became the place where lay ministers and clergy were trained, and communities were formed. At the end he also stated that apart from its history of enslavement, emancipation, and postcolonial re-imagining, Caribbean Anglicanism cannot be understood otherwise.
The concluding session, again led by Rev. Dr Ben Aldous, studied “mission and evangelism in Britain,” with special reference to the Church of England. Participants received an overview of shifting religious demographics, the growth of immigrant-led congregations, and the Church’s attempts to reconsider traditional parish structures. The discussion emphasized the importance of forms of Christian witness, collaboration with communities of global-majority heritage and revitalized theological imagination in response to secularization. This session connected ideas from previous talks: the transformative role of migrants, the challenges of intercultural leadership, and the chance for Anglicanism to expand specifically by welcoming diversity rather than opposing it.
The 5th Junges Forum Anglikanismus provided not only scholarly perspective but also lived experience of its theme. Every talk and exchange highlighted facets of the challenges and possibilities confronting Anglicanism today, confirming that the future of Anglicanism depends on its ability to foster genuine intercultural fellowship rooted in theological humility, reciprocal learning, and collective discipleship. Participants left feeling genuinely motivated, provoked, and inspired to pursue the mission of creating a Church that honours, and is transformed by its diversity. The second day concluded with Evensong at Christ the King Church, and on Sunday, the participants attended Mass together. Overall, the seminar proved both meaningful and intellectually stimulating. Looking ahead, next year the biennial Anglican-Lutheran Conference (ALS) will take place in Hamburg from 11th-15th September 2026 under the theme, “A Changing Church in an Age of Migration.” We look forward to it, and all are cordially invited.
Simon Noklang (stud. theol. University of Bonn), Phom Baptist Christian Association – Nagaland
