WCRC intern hopes to re-visit meaning of communion in time of pandemic

Natalia Tuhuteru, the latest intern to join the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), has set a goal to engage and learn more about how the pandemic situation redefines the struggles of people around the world on the meaning of what is “normal”—most especially learning how people with disabilities in developing countries find themselves trapped with a lack of accessibility in everyday life, as she thinks they are the most vulnerable people in this situation.

She is also interested in engaging in ecological justice, adding that the WCRC must redefine its meaning of “Called to Communion” in that it is not just churches (human) but creation (plants and animals). She hopes that the WCRC can engage with Indigenous people or their spirituality to learn more about the relation between humans and nature.

Based on Natalia’s experiences, the ecumenical connection is something vital to her ministry and that of her home church, the Protestant Church in the Moluccas. She hopes that her time with the WCRC in Hannover, Germany, will allow her to integrate her experiences ecumenically, and to discover more diverse insights from different contexts.

“Since a long time ago I know that Protestant Church in the Moluccas fully participates in the ecumenical movement at the national and international levels. This ecumenical relation among the churches, which includes my church, is important as solidarity in the body of Christ and to respond to social, economic, environmental, justice, and other issues from a different context. Because through this ecumenical movement, the churches work together as one body of Christ in the world,” she said.

As she comes from Indonesia, specifically from the island of Moluccas, she wants to bring her own unique context to the WCRC. Natalia says that her journey learning about disability and ecology combined with her hard work and creative side will be something she can bring to the WCRC’s work.

But the move from the tropical Moluccas to northern Germany has had one challenge: “My first impression in Hannover is COLD, SO COLD. In Indonesia, there is a wet season but here? The cold hit me hard. This is my first time in Europe and Germany,” she said.

“Even in this cold weather, I got many warm hugs from my friends in WCRC. They are kind-hearted and keep asking me about what I need, what I feel. Hannover is a nice place, and the WCRC is like a second family to me in Germany,” she added.

Applications for the WCRC’s next intern are now being received. The deadline for submission is 28 January 2022. More information can be found on the WCRC Internship webpage

The WCRC internship programme is sponsored by the Evangelische Mission Weltweit (EMW), as well as donations from member churches.