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- Highlights of the 2026 Italian Waldensian-Methodist Synod
The annual synod of the Evangelical Waldensian Methodist Church in Italy met August 22 – 26 in Torre Pellice, Italy. Carol Bechtel, the executive director of the American Waldensian Society attended the meeting. This is her report.
It was my privilege to attend the recent synod of the Waldensian/Methodist church in Torre Pellice, Italy as a representative of the American Waldensian Society.
Though I have attended the synod many times, I saw it with fresh eyes this year. Maybe this was because I found myself showing the ropes to a couple of first-time delegates. As we joined the procession from the synod hall to the church at the start of the synod, my colleagues were surprised to find the street lined with local residents, press, and Waldensians from far and wide. One of my colleagues turned to me and said, “This is really quite moving!” Her comment reminded me of how I had felt the first time I participated in that procession. It really does give one the sense of stepping into the stream of history.
Former Moderator, Eugenio Bernardini, set the tone for the synod in his sermon at the opening worship service. As part of his exposition of Matthew 19:16-26, Bernardini cautioned against “a Christianity/Christendom intoxicated by the idea of its own presumed supremacy” that “presents a ‘god’ which is ‘national’ and ‘imperial.’” This, he insisted, is “a different Gospel…deprived of its call to social justice, its reminder of the rights of the humble, and the limits imposed by God on the powerful who are answerable to him and not immune from his judgement; a Bible without the Sermon on the Mount.”
Bernardini continued: “It is our duty to denounce this abuse of the Name of God as blasphemy. Why? Because God is good: indeed, he is the ‘only one who is good.’ As Jesus says in verse 17 of our reading, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good…’. This is a sharp, clear-cut disarming and disarmed truth: God is good! And precisely because he is good, he occupies himself with that which is beneficial to humanity, he shows all of us the path of justice, the way which leads to a full, satisfying life, full of meaning for all.”
Looking back on the synod, it strikes me that many of the discussions and decisions flowed quite naturally from that sermon:
· Resolutions that critically distance the church from the administrative detention and residential confinement of agricultural workers. Proposing creative alternatives, this action comes thanks to the urging of the Waldensian and Methodist churches of Southern Italy, in whose territory the construction of new detention centers is planned that violate the laws protecting migrants, asylum, and environmental protection standards.
· Building on previous synodal pronouncements on matters of faith, gender, and sexuality which have “progressively committed our churches to combating all forms of discrimination and homo-lesbian-transphobia,” this year’s synod further highlighted “the profound suffering, systemic discrimination, and physical, psychological, and institutional violence that transgender and non-binary people continue to experience in society and, often, within religious contexts.” The resolution continues: “Recognizing the pastoral and theological urgency of moving from a dimension of generic welcome to an active commitment to building ecclesial spaces that are explicitly and concretely ‘safe,’ capable of protecting the dignity and integrity of each and every person… the synod invites the churches to promote theological and anthropological training, study, and awareness-raising programs on gender identity issues…to adopt inclusive and respectful language in liturgies, preaching, and institutional communications, paying attention to respecting the chosen name and the pronouns indicated by people…[and to] ensure that physical spaces and institutional settings, such as church registries, are structured in such a way as not to exclude or marginalize anyone’s identity.”
· A public evening dedicated to the challenges facing democracy around the world. This was led by Fulvio Ferrario (Professor of Systematic Theology at the Facolta in Rome) and Stefano Allievi (Professor of Sociology at the University of Padua).
· Extensive discussions of the aggression of the Israeli army in Gaza and the West Bank and “the substantial passivity of international politics, which in practice translates into full impunity if not explicit support for Israel’s actions.”
· An in-depth presentation recognizing the 35th anniversary of the “Eight per Thousand” (Otto per Mille) project which has done so much to “translate faith into social responsibility.” This program allows Italian taxpayers to designate eight euros out of every thousand of their taxes to specific social and charitable causes. In 2026 alone, nearly 500,000 Italian citizens (representing 2.94% of taxpayers) chose to designate their donation to the Waldensian church – for a total revenue of approximately €45 million. From the program’s inception 35 years ago, the Waldensians have scrupulously used this money for humanitarian causes and not for the financial support of their own pastors or congregations. This transparency and integrity has fostered a high degree of trust between taxpayers and the Waldensian church.
A big part of every synod is the formation and development of relationships, and this synod was no exception. Notable in this regard was the presence of Pastor Marcelo Nicolau, the moderator of the Mesa Valdense of the Iglesia Evangélica Valdense del Rio de la Plata. Pastor Nicolau addressed the full synod and stressed the importance of churches regaining their voice in public debate. Also present were Pastors Claudia Tron and Sergio Bertinat, present in Italy and at the synod as part of an exchange program funded by the American Waldensian Society. At the special dinner for ecumenical delegates, the three participants from Rio de la Plata led the group in a song with the chorus: “Come on, new days are coming! Come on, joy is already peeping out! Come on, the one who brings the dawn walks with us!”
This refrain was a fitting theme for the conclusion of the synod, which featured the election of a new moderator of the Italian Tavola. After expressions of deep appreciation for the work of the past moderator, Alessandra Trotta, the synod elected William (Willy) Jourdan to serve in that role for the coming six-year term. Jourdan signaled some important aspects of his priorities in his opening speech. A few of the things that stood out to me were:
· Lively debate is a sign of health, not of conflict.
· God wants to give us the strength to overcome hardships.
· Let us conduct ourselves as a church that builds up and doesn’t tear down.
And, in an echo of the song sung introduced by his fellow moderator from Rio de la Plata, he ended by noting that we as a church walk with the quiet determination of those who know that Christ walks beside us. He ended with the prayer: “May the Lord accompany us and bless us with his presence along the way.”
I hope that all of us will join Moderator Jourdan in this prayer, and I invite all of us to support him with our prayers as he begins to serve in this new role. In the words of the song, “Come on, the one who brings the dawn walks with us!”
The author of this article, Carol Bechtel, is the executive director of the America Waldensian Society. Significantly, Carol is also a former president of the Reformed Church in America, a life experience that probably contributes to her understanding of how a Waldensian synod works.
The photograph at the top of this page is of the opening procession of the synod and shows Eugenio Bernardini, a previous moderator and the preacher for the opening worship service, and Fanny Askani, a newly received pastor. This photograph was taken by Daniele Vola.