Following the open seminar day in September 2025 where we explored questions of second-generation children and youth who navigate between cultures, we now invite Danish and international pastors and church leaders for yet another Open Seminar day to bring our conversation further.
Open Seminar: Identity and belonging:
Exploring Culture and Christian Community in Church and Society in Denmark
Open Seminar for Danish and international pastors and church leaders.
Date: 21. February 2026, 9.30-15.30.
Venue: Dansk Bibel Institut, Leifsgade 33, Dk-2300 Copenhagen S
Price: Free of charge – the organizers are covering expenses.
>> Registration here.
Deadline for registration: February 13, 2026.
>> Facebook event link
We will dig deeper into questions of culture, identity and belonging. The seminar explores how identity and belonging are formed and negotiated at the intersection of culture, church, and society. Danish and migrant congregations experience complex layers of belonging shaped by national culture, regional identities, migration stories, faith traditions and the universal Christian fellowship.
The theme acknowledges that:
- Belonging and identity are central to Christian life, yet they are often unexamined or assumed.
- Culture shapes both unity and fragmentation – it can build community but can also produce segregation, segmentation and marginalization.
- Christian identity in Denmark interacts with multiple influences such as Danish culture, inherited church traditions, local regional ties, relationships with other cultures, and the broader ecumenical communion.
- Our perspective includes the place in society, yet the primary focus is on identity and belonging within church communities.
The program will be a mix of keynote speakers, panel conversation and group discussions with ample time to discuss the themes among participants.
Programme:
9.30-10.00 Welcome and introduction to the day
10.00-10.45 Biblical reflection:
A biblical theology for understanding culture, belonging, difference and unity. By Clement Dachet
Q&A session
11.00-12.00 Keynote:
An introduction to sociological perspectives on culture. By Iben Jensen, Ass. Professor, University of Aalborg
Q&A session
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00-14.00 Panel conversation:
How does culture, identity and belonging shape congregational life and exchange between churches in the Danish context?
Panel: Wamwati Karuri, Skovlunde kirke. Leslie Appiah, Church of Pentecost Denmark. Anders Graversen, Kingos kirke, Nørrebro. Janitha Ranjansen Brohus, Alive Church, Hillerød.
Moderator: Dorothy Antwi Boasiako, PhD Fellow, University of Copenhagen
14.00-14.45 Group discussion
14.45-15.00 Coffee break
15.00-15.30 Plenary discussion
with follow-up from panel and group discussions
Closing remarks by moderator.
Prayer