wfn.org | Correct the negative image of Africa conveyed by media, Noko says

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

15th General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

MOROGORO, Tanzania/GENEVA, 9 July 1998 (lwi) - The general secretary of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Ishmael Noko, has called upon the
worldwide Christian community to correct the negative image of Africa
conveyed by the international media. "A body of opinion is building up in
some parts of the world that Africa cannot help itself and for that reason
it is seen as incapable of making quality contributions to the affairs of
this global village," Noko said in his address at the 15th General Assembly
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) held July 4-9 in
Morogoro. Africa is losing respect and this needs to be counteracted, Noko
said.

"Africa is certainly not the 'home' and 'headquarters' of disease and
corruption, but a place where a lot of good things are happening," the LWF
general secretary underlined, urging the churches to challenge negative
images of Africa and counteract them with success stories.

Noko also criticized "like-minded collaborators in Europe and North
America" who support corrupt African politicians. He appealed to the
churches, both on the African and Euro-American side, to struggle for
honesty and transparency in a changing Africa.

As part of the universal church, Noko urged the African churches to concern
themselves with addressing the issues and problems of sister churches in
other regions of the world. "The only item that is current is one of
financial support from overseas churches," he criticized recalling that
churches in Europe and North America are going through "difficult times".

"Can't the churches in Africa try to find ways and means of effectively
reaching out to these churches?" Noko said. I have never, for example,
understood why the European and North American churches are the only ones
that have staff persons designated as secretary for Africa, Asia and Latin
America, and why the churches, for example, in Tanzania, Ethiopia and
Namibia have not gathered the courage and appointed Europe and North
America secretaries of their own." He challenged the ELCT to consider
designating one of its staff persons to function as secretary for Europe
and North America.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/