21 September 2025
OPEN DAY AT TBC:
A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Open Day at the Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church – A Celebration of Diversity and Responsibility
On Sunday, September 21, 2025, the Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church, in close cooperation with the Integration Planning Office of the City of Mönchengladbach, welcomed the public to a very special Open Day. The event became a living testimony of heartfelt worship, international fellowship, and shared civic responsibility.
Mönchengladbach, 24 September 2025 –
Bishop Michael Chandrathas opened the gathering with a reading from the HOLY BIBLE, Revelation 7:9:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
“The Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church seeks to reflect this heavenly vision of unity right here in Mönchengladbach,” Bishop Chandrathas declared. The service was beautifully enriched by the music of Sister Sabine from the Fokus Church, who offered songs of blessing that deeply moved the entire congregation.
Among the honored guests, the congregation was privileged to welcome City Councillor Jürgen Schöttler together with his wife. In his address, Councillor Schöttler commended the Blessing Church for its vital contribution to intercultural understanding and emphasized the importance of unity for the well-being of the city.
The keynote sermon was delivered by Reverend Joshua from Sri Lanka, whose powerful words about GOD’s love and hope inspired the whole assembly and reminded everyone that the Good News transcends every culture and language. On this occasion, Reverend Joshua was also presented with a commemorative plaque in the form of a transparent acrylic cross, a gift jointly bestowed by Mr. Klaus Schmitz together with the leadership of the Blessing Church. With eloquent words full of dignity and grace, Mr. Schmitz made this moment unforgettable for the entire community.
Another highlight was the honoring of Mr. Klaus Schmitz, retired Commissioner for Integration of the City of Mönchengladbach and newly elected member of the Integration Council for the CDU.
In solemn tradition, the honored guest was vested with a ceremonial garment, presented by Reverend Joshua and the founding family of the Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church, as a visible sign of the highest esteem and gratitude. For the church, it was a great privilege to receive such a distinguished bridge-builder.
The name of the honored guest, the legendary Mr. Klaus Schmitz, has been inseparably linked with pioneering integration work in Mönchengladbach for decades. Through the language program “Minze” he opened the door to German language and culture for hundreds of newcomers. He guided refugee families from Iraq and helped them find a new home in the city. Through the “Mönchengladbach Declaration” he set a lasting example of participation and cultural diversity. Literacy courses, children’s libraries in kindergartens, and numerous educational initiatives bore his signature, as did creative projects such as interreligious football matches between Christian and Muslim leaders. The name of the honored guest elevated Mönchengladbach to national recognition as a model for successful integration.
In his closing words, Mr. Schmitz urged the congregation of the Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church not to forget the importance of the upcoming mayoral run-off election, reminding them:
“A good future is a matter of choice – more participation, better governance, modern city services, and transportation that serves all.”
Thus, the Open Day of the Evangelical Mission The Blessing Church, in cooperation with the City’s Integration Planning Office, became an event that united heavenly vision with earthly responsibility and stood as a powerful testimony of lived unity in diversity at the heart of Mönchengladbach.
