wfn.org | LWF Foundation launched

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

Churches are willing to contribute to the Endowment Fund

GENEVA, 21 April 1999 (lwi)   The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
Foundation which is responsible to attract and manage funds for the
LWF Endowment Fund has been launched.

During the Foundation's constituting meeting held here from 29 to 30
March 1999, the former LWF treasurer, Dr. Carl Gustaf von Ehrenheim,
Church of Sweden was elected chairperson while Ms. Anne Christine
Dolling, Finnish speaking Lutheran congregation, Geneva was chosen as
vice-chairperson.

Other members are: Dr. Dorothy Marple, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, Mrs Urszula Bujnicka, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg
Confession in Poland, Dr. Claus Meier, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Bavaria, Dr. Thomas Tlou, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana and
Mr. Milton Laske, Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in
Brazil. An Asian member will be nominated soon.

The LWF General Secretary and the Director for Finance and
Administration are non-voting members of the LWF Foundation. The
latter serves as secretary to the foundation.

Launched in July 1997 during the LWF Ninth Assembly in Hong Kong,
which also marked the Federation's 50th anniversary, the Endowment
Fund was set up to provide stability for the LWF's operational needs
in carrying out the organization's programs and to ensure that its
central work is not adversely affected by shortfalls in funding from
currency instability and from regional and national economic
disruptions.

The members of the Foundation expressed their keen interest to ensure
that the fund becomes a successful instrument to financially support
the LWF. The committee also expressed gratitude to the Church of
Sweden for its contribution of SEK 12 million (over USD 1.5 million)
which has already been received.

The first donation to the Endowment Fund was made from the offering
of the Sunday Jubilee Worship in Hong Kong, which realized USD 9,392.
Since then, churches have responded favorably to the idea or
expressed their interest to contribute to the fund.

As a first contribution, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC) last September sent a check for CAD 7,696 (USD 4,898),
following a decision by the National Church Council of the ELCIC to
forward 10 percent of all its undesignated bequests to the LWF fund.
In November 1998, the Church of Lippe (Lutheran Section) in Germany
sent USD 5,900 towards the fund, and the ELCA Foundation, which
manages the church's own Endowment Fund, has already collected USD
213,000 for the LWF fund.

Further strategies are underway to reach the LWF fund's interim
target of USD 10 million in the year 2002.

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