Geneva is a small but very international city. Church life in Geneva reflects the wide diversity of its population. Every Sunday more than 60 Protestant communities of foreign origin worship in various places of the city. For some time, the John Knox International Reformed Centre has sought to create closer contacts between the "established" Reformed churches and these communities.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the centre organized two events - a colloquium to which delegates of the communities were invited, and a worship service at the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, the main church of the city, as an opportunity to celebrate together the name of Christ in the diversity of languages and cultures represented in Geneva.

The communities of foreign origin differ in history, character and spirituality. Some, eg the Waldensian or Lutheran congregations, have been present in Geneva for centuries, but most communities have come into existence in recent years because of the rapid increase in the number of foreigners in Switzerland and in particular in Geneva.

Three types of Protestant foreign communities can be distinguished: "classical" confessional congregations, evangelical communities, and - by far the largest group - Pentecostal communities. In many cases, language and culture are the unifying factor; but several of the Pentecostal communities bring together people from very different nations.

What do we have in common? What is our common mission? These were the questions addressed by the colloquium on Saturday, May 24. Out of the 60 communities, 35 were in attendance. Differences between them were not easy to bridge. But there was the strong feeling that the fragmentation of the Protestant "world" in Geneva needed to be overcome. Efforts should be made to get better acquainted with one another. Bonds of friendship should be built between the "historical" churches and the foreign communities, and also among the foreign communities.

The exchange resulted in three recommendations:

To establish on a website a list of all communities, their names and addresses, times of worship and a short description of their history and present activities;
To name a group ready to assist communities in need of finding a place to worship; with the help of this group, two communities have already found hospitality in Geneva church buildings;
To offer mutual support when problems arise in connection with immigrant laws.

The John Knox Centre will seek to provide a follow up to these recommendations.

St Pierre, the cathedral of the Protestant Church of Geneva The colloquium was followed on Sunday by a service of worship in the cathedral to which all communities were invited. The theme of the service was taken from Revelation, where it is said that the "leaves of the tree [of life] are for the healing of the nations" (Rev 22.2).

Before the service, several choirs and dance groups performed in the square in front of the cathedral. Then the president of the Protestant Church of Geneva symbolically invited everybody to enter the church.

The emphasis of the service was on intercession. All participants received a paper in the shape of a leaf to write down a prayer of intercession. There was an atmosphere of joy and gratitude dominating the service. There were moments of excitement. Despite all their differences, the participants were able to celebrate together the Lord's Supper. When the bread and wine were distributed, everybody was aware of the common ground shared by all communities and underlying their variety.

But it is, of course, an open question whether the momentum of the service can be maintained. Much patient work will be required to build up real and solid communion in a world of so much diversity.

Lukas Vischer, programme commission, John Knox Centre