wfn.org | LWF delegates send letter to member churches

[David Pomeroy <wfn@igc.apc.org>]

LWF delegates send letter to member churches
97-HK-E35-KW

Hong Kong, July 16 (lwi) "The Assembly provided us with a rich and lively
experience of our worldwide Lutheran Communion,  said delegates to the
Ninth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)  in a letter to the
124 member churches of the LWF. They met in Hong Kong, July 8-16.
       "We listened to the voices of sisters and brothers from all parts of
the world and heard about their joys and pains. We shared the excitement of
confessing our common faith through a great diversity of expressions,  says
the letter. "Our communion is a precious gift of God to us, committed to
our care and responsibility and stretching out to a wider communion of all
Christians. At a news conference outgoing LWF President Gottfried
Brakemeier said the delegates dealt with an "overloaded agenda' that
allowed insufficient time for discussion in the general plenary sessions of
the Assembly. However, the issues and difficulties in coming to agreement
at the Assembly reflected what is going on in society generally.  The LWF
Assembly reflected a new stage in the maturing of the LWF as a communion,
according to Dr. Ishmael Noko, LWF general secretary. He noted that people
felt free to disagree with one another with respect and expressed his joy
over the participation of youth and women who were able to take part
without apology.  Noko explained that each of the past assemblies had faced
significant crises which marked each with a certain amount of tension. He
said that the absence of such a crisis at the Assembly provided a much
needed time for Lutheran churches and meant that, "we were able to
celebrate and relax.

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