“Faith Identity and Responsibility in Times of Global Tension. Christians in the Borderlands of Central and Eastern Europe.”
The date for the 2026 General Assembly is 17–20 September.
Dear Members and Friends of Oikosnet Europe,
We are very grateful to the many Oikosnet members who responded to our emails with suggestions for the General Assembly 2026. In planning our time together, we have included many of the ideas we received, both for topics for discussion and also for ideas to strengthen our network.
The Orthodox Christian Institute for Education and Research in Vilnius, Lithuania, is inviting Oikosnet Europe to hold the Oikosnet General Assembly 2026 in Vilnius, the Capital of Lithuania. The Orthodox Christian Institute for Education and Research belongs to the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania which is an Orthodox ecclesiastical territorial unit under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, covering the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.
On behalf of the Board of Oikosnet Europe and on behalf of the Orthodox Christian Institute for Education and Research it is our pleasure to invite all Oikosnet Europe members and invited guests to the next General Assembly (GA).
The GA will begin with a guided tour through Vilnius at 15h00 and Opening Worship at 18h00 on Thursday, September 17th, followed by dinner and a welcoming evening. The GA will end on Sunday, September 20th and departures will be after 13h00.
The Study Day 2026 is an International conference at September 18th-19th in cooperation with Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science:
Christian Nationalism, War and Hospitality:
Christians in the Borderlands of Central and Eastern Europe in Times of Global Tension
It is important to make the experiences and concerns of societies, academies, and churches in Central and Eastern Europe visible in the light of Russia’s ongoing aggression, as well as the expectations towards Western Europe in this situation. The wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and numerous other places around the world call for a theological assessment.
There is also the question of European identity under pressure, the role of churches in defending democracy in increasingly polarized contexts and the responsibility of Christians in addressing antisemitism, religious and anti-religious hate. We need to look for an idea of the nation, or national state, that is not defined by the right wing or far right and which challenges Christian Nationalism.
The Venue
The venue of the conference will be the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania, Vokieciu g. 20, LT-01130 Vilnius.
Accommodation will be at the Old Town Trio Hotel, Raugyklos St. 15A, Vilnius. Hotel: https://oldtown3.lt/hotel/
If you need extra accommodation in addition to that included in the conference fee, (arrival on Thursday September 17th, departure on Sunday September 20st) please contact our office: office@oikosnet.eu.
Registration
Registration for the GA is done online: Link for registration. Registration will be open until August 15th. You can choose to pay by invoice or with credit card, as you wish. Please contact the Office of OE, office@oikosnet.eu, if you have any questions about your registration.
Conference Language
The conference language for all sessions will be English only. Some consecutive translation on a voluntary basis might be possible, but translation is not organized by the Oikosnet board.
Costs and financial support
The conference fee for the GA (Board, Lodging, Conference Fee, Excursion) is €400 per person. Participants are expected to cover their own travel costs.
According to our agreed policy and given the difficult financial situation of some of our members, we want to state that the lack of resources should, however, not be an obstacle for members to attend the GA. There is a limited budget for supporting members in need of financial support to attend the GA, which will be distributed, in principle, on a “first come – first served” basis. If you need financial support, please contact the Treasurer of Oikosnet Europe Alf Linderman, alf.linderman@sigtunastiftelsen.se, before August 1st. This also applies to especially invited guests.
Please note that you should contact the Treasurer before you register to the conference online if you need financial support.
Agenda and detailed programme
The agenda of the business sessions, and the detailed programme for the Study Day will be distributed closer to the September conference. If you have any issues, projects, etc, which you want to discuss at the GA, or if you have any special contribution to make, please let us know.
We will also share updates on the GA in our next newsletter.
Proxies
In the case that an Oikosnet member is not be able to attend the GA 2026 we would still like to hear from you. And do not forget to transfer your voting rights to another Oikosnet member. A form sheet to nominate proxies will be available from the secretariat of Oikosnet Europe office@oikosnet.eu. For several decisions it will be crucial to have a quorum.
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the GA 2026 in Vilnius. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
With every good wish,
Katerina Karkala Heinz-Joachim Lohmann
President, Oikosnet Europe Executive Secretary, Oikosnet Europe