Following churches were represented:
ELC of Finland, Gunnar Grönblom; ELKRAS, Alexander Pastor; ELCIR, Maria Souoianen; ELC of Estonia, Liina Tuulik; Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchy, Leonti Morozkin; Apostolic Orthodox Church of Estonia, Mattias Palli; ELC of Latvia, Janis Pauliks; Roman Catholic Church in Latvia, Marika Zelca; ELC of Lithuania, Darius Petkunas; Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania, Kestutis Rugevicius; Orthodox Church of Poland, Varsanofiuz Doroszkiewiz; Roman Catholic Church in Poland, Jazek Wojtkowski; EKD/ELC of North Elbia, Wolfgang Vogelmann; Roman Catholic Church in Germany/ Diocese of Hamburg, Stephan Dreyer; ELC of Denmark, Ruth H van Gilse and ELC of Sweden, Biörn Fjärstedt, Ragnar Svenserud, Kristina S Furberg, a total of 18 persons (hosts included).

The next conference for contact persons is planned to take place 6 - 8th of September 2002 in Visby.

Outing to the North of Gotland

The conference commenced with an outing to the North of Gotland. The group visisted, among other places, The Coast Park School in Fårösund. The school, a former navel base, is currently trying to gain status as a "folk high school" within the Swedish system. One of the partners in this venture is the Diocese of Visby and the Theobalt network.

The chairman of UNG, an organisation working for the development of northern Gotland, Mr Arne Ekman, welcomed the group of contact persons. A discussion on the idea of cooperating with the Coast Park School took place in one of the future classrooms of the school.

There was also a visit to the Olof Palme memorial on Fårö and dinner at Sudersands badrestaurang. Evening prayers were held in the parish church of Bunge.

Impressions after one year as a contact person

Some of the contact persons testified to a changed attitude within their churches to a more positive approach towards Theobalt. Church of Finland is even considering a to set aside a grant in the national budget.

Almost everyone had seized the opportunity to inform about the network in reports and articles on conferences and seminars they have attended. To tell orally about Theobalt in different contexts is another main task for a contact person.

It was reported that EKD in Germany may open a specific European department for handling contacts with churches in the Baltic states and probably also with Theobalt. From the Baltic countries it was reported that the contacts between the churches across the borders have been strengthened after Theobalt V. Also within Latvia specifically, the different delegations have this same experience. Contact persons active also in BIEN reported about the partnership with Theobalt as an asset in the development of BIEN.

Everyone was satisfied with the present system for contact persons; to meet once a year and to keep in contact through telephone or e-mail in between metings and conferences. The Theobalt administration also declared an interest in receiving any written matter that is produced by the group on the subject of Theobalt or ecumenism.

The project plan

Developing the network is a continous process with a mixture of practical activities and a deeper sharing of the churches. The guideline is the purpose of Theobalt as given in the words of the preamble "to further mutual understanding and to strengthen the relations between the main Christian traditions" in the area.

The aim with project plan is to give a more precise description of programmes and goals within the network. It also serves as a directory for financing in a longer perspective. Also evaluations will be facilitateted.

Some reflections were noted:
The contact persons should find suitable ways to inform about the project plan in their churches
EU representatives in different countries could be possible resources in the Theobalt work
The Ecumenical Association of Academies and Laycentres in Europe might be a valuable contact when it comes to education

How do we go on?

The discussion circled around three questions:

Question 1: Three main fields are described in the project plan - should our focus be on any particular aspect?

Comment:
"For the future of ecumenical contacts we should concentrate on young people as they are the coming generation and we need young people for the ecumenical work. BIEN might be a partner in this respect. Perhaps we can also use the idea of "folk high school" in Visby. One idea is to have an ecumenical summer workshop and the curriculum can be set together from the member churches of Theobalt. For example, in one year there can be two churches responsible for an ecumenical summer workshop and in the next year two others.

For the common work of churches around the Baltic Sea we can also develop the idea of mutual help when there are larger events - for example, when it is time for the 300-year-celebration in St. Petersburg. Maybe Theobalt can arrange one of the conferences or meetings in cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church and ELKRAS. By way of such an "International Event" Theobalt can be present.

For the school programme we want an exchange of liturgical forms and spiritual traditions. We should offer a possibility to discuss the Churches engagement in society-related topics and challenges in the society we should discuss. I suppose that in this field, as in so many others we have a variety of different forms and traditions within the three "confessional families" - that can enrich our engagement."
(text formulated by Wolfgang Vogelmann, North Elbian Church and EKD)

Question 2: What do we mean by building bridges between churches, peoples and nations in the Baltic area?

Comments:
an educational institution like the 'Folk high school' could be an instrument for promoting the main idea of Theobalt.
The word 'ecumenism' may create a problem in the Orthodox Church. Instead the wording "Christian relations between people" was suggested.
Co-operation with BIEN and arrangements like the planned festival in Visby next year is an excellent way of reaching the grass roots among Christian youths.
Theobalt should take note of what happens in other networks, for example the Porvoo agreement and the declaration on Justification by faith.

Question 3: How can we encourage a higher degree of engagement among the churches of the network?

Comments:
smaller seminars on different topics in between the major conferences and in different countries in the region is a good way of making the partner churches more active in the network.
Theobalt gives the partner churches within the network the opportunity to share with each other important issues.

Some ideas for the near future:

Produce a booklet with information about the churches in the network containing:
* some basic church facts
* prayers from the different traditions
Written material concerning Theobalt (reports, articles etc) should be sent to the Theobalt coordination office as information and for possible distribution.
Information about other ecclesiastical and ecumenical networks in the region should be listed and passed on to the Theobalt coordination office.

Educational programme

Education is a fundamental element in realizing the vision from the Theobalt preamble "to further mutual understanding and to strengthen the relations between the three main Christian traditions". The immediate focus is on the "folk high schools" with the establishment of a ecclesiastically profiled unit for the Baltic area integrated in a general educational institution.

The overall theme for the programme should be the role of the churches in society building in the Baltic area. Naturally, it shall be offered to people within our churches but could also be open for people in general. The ages are from 18 and with no upward limit.
The curriculum can include a variety of subjects that elucidate influences of the Christian tradition on societal life. Specific courses can focus on deeper knowledge of church life in the Baltic area, if requested adapted to priests and other parish workers, according to the need of the different churches. Other subjects, suggested in a discussion during the BIEN conference in Riga 2001, were leader training, bible, ecumenism, ethics, language, church history, liturgical traditions, environment, globalisation, democracy and peace were mentioned.

Four crucial questions were distinguished:

What should be the focus in an educational programme?
How can it be introduced in our churches?
Which is the target group?
Advantages and disadvantages that must be observed

In Germany the Catholic Church has an agency for support for Eastern Europe, which might be a possibility for scholarships.

Youth Programme

To build for the future it has been a priority to involve young people in the network since Theobalt IV in 1998. It also an important way to assist young people to meet and share their belief, to learn about each other's traditions and cultures and to establish friendly relations.

There is a special ecclesiastical Baltic network for young Christians - BIEN (Baltic Intercultural and Ecumenical Network). On the basis of the common interest to promote Christian contacts between young people in the Baltic area, it seems natural to establish a link between Theobalt and BIEN to a mutual support.

A presentation of BIEN is given below. In August this year BIEN arranged a "Future workshop" in Riga. A report was given by the contact persons who had participated in that meeting.

In the discussion two questions were formulated:

What should be focused in a youth programme as a part of the Theobalt vision?
How can a useful and informal link between Theobalt and BIEN be arranged?

Presentation of BIEN

Baltic Intercultural and Ecumenical Network (BIEN)

"BIEN is a network of congregations from all around the Batic Sea fostering cooperation and exchange between youth and young adults and social partners as well in different Churches, society, arts, culture, economy, science and everyday life.
As such, BIEN is acting in the Baltic Sea region on non-profit basis as NGO for youth with an ecumenicval perspective reaching out for partners in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

By considering the theory and practice of cooperation, BIEN aims to explore issues and challenges of globalisation important for young people from different Christian perspectives.

We believe that the process of ongoing dialogue and action between Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Churches and also with other partners in the region holds an important key for young people empowering themselves to tackle the social and political problems and ethical challenges in the environment." *

The present contact persons, who are also connected to BIEN gave a report from the BIEN Future workshop in Riga in August 2001.

At the Future workshop a steering committee was elected and a structure was set down for the work that lies ahead. A new web page was constructed and a plan for newsletters was decided upon. Theme and framework for the festival in Visby 2002 were determined.
The outlines for a European Voluntary Service and a Baltic Sea Travelling Project were set down and responsibility was spread to different working teams for carrying on the work.

* Statement from BIEN