wfn.org | Church Social Service an Integral Part of Society's Development

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Bread for the World Director Urges Priority Setting Based on
People's Needs

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA, 6 November 2002 (LWI) - The
head of a leading German Protestant aid agency has stressed that
the churches' social service work (diakonia) should be "the
vanguard of life and of the church in the world."

Diaconal interaction with society is always two-pronged, Rev.
Cornelia Fuellkrug-Weitzel director of Bread for the World (Brot
fuer die Welt), the social service agency of the Protestant Church
in Germany, told participants in a Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
global consultation on diakonia. On the one hand diaconal social
service needs to be totally involved with developments and
problems of society. On the other, it is part and parcel of these
developments and problems and is affected by them - in many cases
much earlier than the churches' realization of these changes in
society.

The November 3-7 conference on "Prophetic Diakonia - For the
Healing of the World" in Johannesburg, is dealing with the
understanding of the church's social service in its national and
international context.

In her presentation, Fuellkrug-Weitzel pointed out that diaconal
work is dependent on the government structures and on the degree
of differentiation and specialization of the social systems.
Diaconal work is furthermore embedded in the dynamics of
neo-liberal globalization. It is important to note, she said, that
all local, national and regional contexts - including confessions
and religions - are increasingly subjected to similar economic
structures and dynamics. Individuals, ethnic groups and nations
are mercilessly played against each other in the competition for
resources and markets. As a result, traditional communities are
experiencing the pressure of fragmentation and competition.

With a view to the biblical background of diaconal work,
Fuellkrug-Weitzel emphasized that service was not only part of the
life of Jesus Christ, but that it determined his life in its
totality. Diakonia is the essence of the church, she said.

Diakonia as loving service is part of the mission of the church.
"It moves the church to set aside its own agenda and not to put
its own existence, preservation and market value on the 'market of
denominations and religions' first," Fuellkrug-Weitzel continued.
This would place the importance of denominations in diakonia into
perspective. Furthermore, diakonia is an indispensable part of the
mission of the church in the world. Its mission is to proclaim the
good news of the gospel.

Fuellkrug-Weitzel challenged the church to take advantage of all
its instruments and potential, in its efforts to respond to the
needs of the poor and marginalized. The living conditions of the
poor and needy cannot be solved through charity alone. The nature
of structural poverty demands methods that address not only its
root causes but also consequences. Empowering the poor to use
their own capacity is important just as Jesus' support to the poor
mainly consisted of his trust in their own ability to help
themselves, she noted.

She pointed out that the setting of priorities in diaconal work
should always be based on the needs of the poor as determined and
articulated by themselves. Further, according to biblical
understanding, the limits of diaconal work are never determined by
the boundaries of churches, ethnic groups or gender among other
categories.

Diakonia is also a challenge to act as "the thorn in the side of
the church." It questions the condition of the church with respect
to its capability to render social service to the poor and demands
continuous adaptation and change. Diakonia continuously reminds
the church to be open and accountable in situations of trouble and
need, and to take a clear and committed stand in the face of human
misery - even at the cost of its long-standing principles,
Fuellkrug-Weitzel concluded.

There are over 80 representatives from Lutheran churches, partner
organizations, social service agencies and institutions in the
consultation organized by the LWF Department for World Service in
collaboration with the Departments for Mission and Development as
well as Theology and Studies.

"For the Healing of the World" is the theme of the LWF Tenth
Assembly, taking place from 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada.
The Assembly is the Federation's highest decision-making body. It
meets every six years.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 mllion Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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