[World Council of Churches] A celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, called the “European Reformation Roadmap,” will begin in November in Geneva, before touring across sites of significance through May 2017.

There will be activities in 67 cities in 18 countries, featuring a show truck — or “story-mobile” — traveling to different locations in Europe to support local events. The tour through Europe will start on 3 November in Geneva, the city of John Calvin, and now home to the head office of the World Council of Churches and many other international organizations. The program includes seminars, a panel discussion on peace and a digital exhibition.

The Rev. Emmanuel Fuchs, president of the Protestant Church in Geneva, says, “It is a great honor for us in the Protestant Church of Geneva (in partnership with the World Council of Churches, the Reformation Museum and the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches) to launch this European tour of Reformation cities.”

“Geneva, certainly, is a key city in the Reformation,” Fuchs adds. “This Geneva stage of the tour gives us an opportunity, quite apart from its historical aspect, to emphasize Geneva’s open, ecumenical and multicultural character. A certain ‘spirit of Geneva’, a product of the Reformation, still permeates our city, beyond the churches.“

Fuchs concludes: “So, the rich, varied program, intended not only for the friends of the churches, but also for the whole population, for passersby who want to have a look, will provide, among other things, an opportunity to celebrate with our many immigrant communities, an opportunity for our young people from different religions to meet one another and have discussions, or even for families to see a puppet show. We look forward to seeing you on the Reformation Bus.”

The culmination of the tour will be in central Germany, at the story-mobile’s final stop in Wittenberg, in time for a World Reformation Exhibition entitled “Gates of Freedom.” There, churches from around the world and civil society exhibitors will present their activities over the summer, illustrating what the Reformation set in motion and what it still means today.

More details are available here.