n e w c h u r c h l i f e : m ay / j u n e 2 0 1 5
regional clergy meetings
Europe, March 2015
The Regional Pastor for Europe and India
Rev. Göran R. Appelgren
The clergy in Europe met in the south of France, March
16-19. The Rev. Alain Nicolier and his wife, Jeanne,
moved there not long ago. Nearby their new house there
is a simple retreat center located in a Regional Park in
the Pyrenees. (See photos on page 295.)
Those who gathered with Alain and Jeanne were Michael Church Pastor
Alan Cowley with his wife, Susan, Colchester Pastor Howard Thompson,
and candidate Thomas Floyd from Norway. Along with myself, the group
also included the Rev. David Lindrooth, who has strong ties to Europe and
Scandinavia besides being the Director of Outreach, which benefited us.
We have these meetings now and then, maybe every other year. We all
found them to be very useful, and we now have a strong team in Europe. It is
interesting that both pastors in England are Americans. They both love their
work and it gives some important and useful benefits to the work in Europe.
We are one church but we work in different cultures and traditions. The cross
pollination is of vital importance.
In Scandinavia we will soon have a second minister, Thomas Floyd, who
will be ordained in May. Alain continues his own work spreading the good
news of the Second Coming through his counselling practice and lecturing.
Even within Europe we struggle with different cultures and traditions. A
key element is the sense of freedom in religious matters and a deep scepticism
toward organized religion, at least when there is a perception of being subjected
to a human-built power structur K