Friday, June 12, 2026

WCC NEWS: As European Christian Internet Conference opens, communicators draw strength from community

Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska is a spokesperson of the Lutheran Church in Poland, and president of the European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC) network. As the ECIC opened on 10 June in Rome, Godfrejów-Tarnogórska took time to reflect on the role of the ECIC for churches in Europe, and highlights from nearly a decade of organizing the conference. 
Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska, spokesperson of the Lutheran Church in Poland and president of the European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC) during the annual gathering of the ECIC network in Bossey and Geneva, 9 September 2024.  Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC
10 June 2026

As the ECIC gathering in Rome opens, what is the significance of this network for churches in Europe?

Godfrejów-Tarnogórska: ECIC is a unique network for cooperation, the exchange of experiences, and learning from one another. It is also an opportunity for church communicators to discuss current media-related topics, such as the impact of technology on media development, digitalisation in churches, or the most topical issue of the moment: the use of artificial intelligence. At the same time, ECIC is a space where media specialists can learn about the situation in other churches and maintain direct contact with one another, for example, in cases where fake news or disinformation about a particular community appears in the media. Thanks to the relationships we have with one another, we can identify the source of a particular piece of news and have access to direct information.

Another component of the network is its spiritual and ecumenical dimension. ECIC provides an opportunity for prayers and building communion. By visiting different European countries, participants learn about the churches and ecumenical situation in each country.

As your term as president of ECIC comes to an end, what are the major issues from past conferences that are strong in your memory? 

Godfrejów-Tarnogórska: Since my first conference in 2015, each subsequent one has been a chance for me to discover something new, or to explore a topic in greater depth that isn’t always addressed in this way in the churches in my country. This has given me a unique impulse for growth every time. In fact, I could mention every single one of the conferences. I remember what a revelation gamification was for me, and the ways it can be used in youth work, for example the Fisucraft platform created in the style of Minecraft by the Church of Finland. An interesting topic was discovering which emotions matter online and how they can be used not only for good, but unfortunately also for manipulation. In Warsaw, when I was the local organiser, we explored the topic of virtual reality, pondering what a virtual community might be. In a way, we were ahead of our time, because in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, certain topics became particularly relevant. In subsequent conferences, various aspects of artificial intelligence became an increasingly prominent topic: the misuse of AI for disinformation, the creation of fake news or deepfakes, but also a focus on the ethical aspects of AI use within the churches.

After organizing so many ECIC annual gatherings, what is your message of hope for the future of ECIC? 

Godfrejów-Tarnogórska: I hope that the ECIC network will endure and that “in-person” conferences will continue to take place. Although many of us operate in the digital space, ECIC has allowed me to discover that online is not enough for us. When putting together the programme for each conference, we try to find space for networking because it is the participants' wish. I believe this is no coincidence, because as Christians we need a real community where we encounter the living Christ, where we get to know our sisters and brothers, and where, drawing strength from this community, we can build bridges in the increasingly divided world.

European Christian Internet Conference (ECIC)

ECIC conference in Rome

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The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.

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