wfn.org | All Africa Council replace Pan-Africa Lutheran Consultation?

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

African Lutheran church leaders discuss new possibilities of working
together

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA, 7 December 1998 (lwi) - The Pan-Africa Lutheran
Church Leaders Consultation at its recent meeting in Nairobi, proposed the
establishment of an All Africa Lutheran Council (AALC) to replace the
Consultation.

In the report and recommendations of the 17 to 20 November consultation,
40 participants who included church leaders representing the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) 26 member churches in Africa, pointed out that the
move from Consultation to Council would ensure that all resolutions
adopted "must be taken seriously and every effort made for the
implementation of these resolutions."

The Consultation, organized by the LWF Africa Area Secretary and the
Regional Expression Officer in Africa, was also attended by the LWF
general secretary, Ishmael Noko. (see lwi 22/98). The All Africa
Conference of Churches (AACC) general secretary also greeted participants.
The Lutheran churches women coordinators, youth and women members of the
LWF Council were among those attending the meeting.

In their recommendations, the Lutheran church leaders observed that since
the first Church Leaders Consultation was held in Marangu, Tanzania in
1955- the first ever All Africa gathering of its kind- the Pan-African
Lutheran Consultation had come of age and would be marking its 50th
anniversary in 2005. In addition, they said, "as African Lutheran
churches, the writing of a history book on Lutheranism in Africa is to be
commissioned."

The church leaders also expressed their support for the ongoing process of
consultation between the LWF and the Roman Catholic Church on the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. (see lwi 22/98) "Lutheran
churches in Africa continue to hope, work and pray for closer relations
with the Roman Catholic Church so that we may all live our Christian
testimony together," the Nairobi Consultation stressed.

Having listened to and discussed presentations from various parts of
Africa which underlined violence and civil wars in the region, the
Lutheran church leaders resolved to set aside the first Sunday of each
year as a special day of prayer for all churches in Africa and all over
the world, "The Consultation sees the need for more time to share
experiences and pains. Church leaders are encouraged to visit affected
areas and their Lutheran churches for spiritual, logistical and other
necessary support," the recommendations state.

On human rights, the consultation expressed support for the LWF General
Secretary Ishmael Noko and the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
in declaring that "Human Rights are not only Western but universal, and
therefore include Africa." The 50th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights will be marked worldwide on 10 December 1998.

Under Holistic Mission in Urban and Industrial Areas, the Nairobi meeting
reminded churches that they are called to see their vast duty towards
deprived people, the poor, prostitutes and sex traders, and street
children.

The consultation also supported the revival of the All Africa Lutheran
Information Coordination Service (ALICE). Churches, the meeting
participants recommended, should make use of communication methods and
share information on their experiences within the church.

The meeting also recommended that non-interference in domestic or internal
matters of member churches be always weighed against Christian
responsibility and love and prophetic prerogative. "Church leaders should
nurture the gift of accompaniment, whereby leaders in one Lutheran church
give moral or material support to their brothers and sisters in another
Lutheran church," stressed another recommendation.

Under a subheading, African Model for Inclusiveness, the church
consultation proposed that laity male and female members of the church are
trained and equipped for various ministries. Support was expressed for the
work of the LWF and all African church leaders, and participants affirmed
their commitment to inclusivity, particularly regarding women and youth.

Concerning the special problems of women, the Consultation recommended
that LWF and its member churches support advocacy and campaigns against
harmful practices such as female circumcision and genital mutilation in
some areas of Africa and worldwide.

Democratic practices should be maintained in all churches

In their discussions, the church leaders observed that delegation of
authority and equal opportunities for all is markedly absent in some
churches and there is resistance to change and innovations. The
consultation therefore recommended that efforts be made to practice and
maintain democratic practices in all churches and institutions, "and the
affairs of churches be conducted in a spirit of fairness, transparency and
love."

Under Church and the Environment, the churches spoke out for dialogue with
their governments, with a view to introduce and implement a sound policy
on environmental protection.

Participants in the consultation also expressed their support for the
foreign and international debt cancellation for the year 2000. The African
Lutheran churches therefore pledged to continue to campaign in their
respective countries for debt cancellation and urge their governments
"together with the people to create systems which will ensure
non-recurrence of debt burdens in the future."

On AIDS and other sex-related diseases, the meeting recommended that the
LWF and financially self-sufficient churches help weaker churches to
participate in sex education, to support members to be a caring community
for all AIDS victims, to implement diaconical ministries and support and
facilitate other campaigns against the pandemic.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/