wfn.org | World Lutheranism, Ecumenism Would Be Worse Off Without VELKD

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

Bishop of Helsinki in Favor of Keeping United Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Germany

HELSINKI, Finland/GENEVA, 5 March 2003 (VELKD-Informationen/LWI) -
Bishop of Helsinki Eero Huovinen has spoken out in favor of
keeping the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD).
Contributing to the current debate on VELKD's structures he writes
in VELKD-Informationen of 19 February that the church's structure
is "not easy for a foreigner to understand" because in the world
it is unique. The same can be said for the effects of the church's
structures in relation to what can be done by the church, and
ecumenically. Huovinen, a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Finland (ELCF), says for the Finnish church, VELKD also
provides a bridge to the regional churches in Germany that do not
belong to VELKD. This "important function" should not be
overlooked, he says.

The ELCF signed an agreement with the Evangelical Church in
Germany (EKD) in 2002. From the Finnish viewpoint, it is a matter
of an "ecumenism of consensus defined by its content," where the
elements of the consensus reached are considered to be in harmony
with the Lutheran confession. No such agreement exists with VELKD.
This is neither a coincidence, nor a result of the division of
labor between the EKD and VELKD, which specifies that the care of
Finns in Germany, and of Germans in Finland, is an EKD task on the
German side. "Rather, it is a natural outcome of the fact that
VELKD and the ELCF are not churches of different confessions but
are sister churches even without an agreement because of their
Lutheran confession and their communion through the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF)," the bishop states. That is why there is an
expectation and desire in Finland, and among Lutherans worldwide,
he says, to clearly hear the voice of the Lutheran Reformation
from its homeland also into the future. The question of VELKD
merits not just internal Lutheran attention but also ecumenical
interest. "In fact, without VELKD, both Lutheranism worldwide and
ecumenism would be worse off in view of present-day challenges."

The ELCF was one of the founding members of the LWF in 1947 and
now has about 4.6 million members.

The full translation of the text of Bishop Eero Huovinen's article
follows:

Evangelical and Lutheran
The Significance of the Confession from a Finnish Viewpoint

The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) was
established in 1948 in the period immediately following the war
and one year after the founding of the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF). Both events are important in the eyes of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) in respect to communion between
churches, a communion of service and witness. For us, it is
neither just a matter of ecclesial communion with the homeland of
the Lutheran Reformation, nor just of communion in the Baltic Sea
area which is so close to us. What is also important is that VELKD
and the ELCF are LWF sister churches in worldwide Lutheranism and
the Lutheran communion.

Note should be made that the Lutheran communion is, of course,
older than the LWF. This communion is a spiritual reality based on
the faith contained in the confessions, which has sought and found
practical expression over a long period of history: through
Lutheran worship, hymns, devotional literature and theological
study visits that have remained important to our church for
centuries. Indeed, even in Luther's time Finns went to study at
Wittenberg; and this is where the Finnish translation of the New
Testament began.

The various expressions of Lutheran communion have been of central
importance in shaping and developing church life in all the LWF
member churches, and remain so. It is not just a matter of
practical ways of cooperating but of consequences of the Lutheran
confession and its faith content. It is a question of the identity
of the church and the form it takes. The confession becomes
relevant and important when, for example, in a contemporary
ecumenical context, people ask about our spiritual origins. It is
also of indirect and profound significance for the whole life of
the church.

The question of identity is certainly no less important in the
present-day church. Identity is related to the question of
motivation including one's own attitude to the church, local
congregation, worship and service.

 From a Finnish viewpoint that is why the existence of VELKD and
churches. If the concrete challenges of our current context are
certainly more pronounced way.
is determined by the content of its confession, and to the varied
the LWF are very important. This applies to the communion, which
and necessary forms of relationship interplay between the
considered-ecclesially, ecumenically and ideologically especially
because of secularization-it is even more evident now in a new and

The significance of the confession for the ELCF can be described
as follows: We see ourselves as a "church of the Small
Catechism"-although this implies nothing derogatory about the
other confessional writings of the Reformation. Luther's "Small
Catechism" was of great importance in our church from the very
beginning and still is. For this reason, the ELCF published a new
catechism in 2000 and distributed it to all the families in our
church. The new catechism also is based on the "Small Catechism"
with its familiar structure. So far, it has been translated into
six languages: Chinese, English, Hungarian, Latin, Russian and
Swedish.

"Church of the Small Catechism" means not only that Luther's
document has served as a national school textbook for past
centuries but that it also has to do with faith content and the
fact that it has influenced and shaped our church's spirituality.
The spiritual renewal movements in our church of the nineteenth
century, which are still alive in many different ways, illustrate
particularly clearly the influence of the "Small Catechism" on our
spirituality. This means that "Finnish Pietism" (a German
expression) was and is more Lutheran than Pietistic in many
central issues of faith. It is often difficult to impart this
clearly to visitors from abroad. Even the church practice in
congregations, which does not derive so directly from the
aforementioned spiritual movements, reflects a spirituality and
identity that has been influenced consciously or unconsciously,
and more or less strongly by the "Small Catechism." It is
important that the folk church [established, national church] is a
church based on the confession, and living in accordance with it.

At the start of the Reformation the concern was to witness to, and
pass on, what had been discovered and rediscovered as the center
of the Christian message, and to hold fast to one's convictions.
This commitment is, of course, still a reality today. At the same
time, our situation is affected by the fact that the struggle for
the gospel during the Reformation period destroyed the outward
unity of the church, and this division has consequently become a
fact and tradition over many centuries.

So our ecumenical and church situation confronts us with a double
issue and commitment: firstly, a commitment to the Reformation
conviction concerning the gospel, understanding of faith and
confession, and simultaneously, commitment to strive for the unity
and communion of the church, and seek possible ways and steps to
achieve this. The common striving of the numerous churches to see
where and how paths can be found toward closer communion and unity
in many ways constitutes a new phase in the discussion. This does
not of course imply forgetting that the question of unity of the
church also was consciously raised at the time of the Reformation.

What paths do exist? And what does all this mean for the
relationship between the Lutheran confession and ecumenism? An
ecumenism which bypassed the different confessional traditions
would only be an apparent solution to the problem. Rather, it is
necessary to take the confessional traditions seriously and find a
path through their differences and tensions.

Without a doubt, a mutual process of learning is important in
which churches get to know one another better and more profoundly.
It is also important that churches of different confessional
traditions can and should learn from one another. Together, the
churches can and should also learn from the gospel and Scriptures.
At the same time, it should be remembered that the different
churches in these many-faceted learning processes have their own
backgrounds, and that there are no supra-confessional criteria
that automatically apply.

In these learning processes, the various confessional traditions
have a positive ecumenical significance, which must not be
overlooked but actively and creatively used. During the past
decades the ecumenical significance of Lutheranism has become
evident in this context. From a Finnish viewpoint, this importance
has been demonstrated both by international ecumenical
developments and by the smaller national and regional bilateral
encounters, dialogues and rapprochement. In this respect, for
Finns, the ecumenical work of VELKD must especially be emphasized.

In what ways is it possible to go beyond ecumenical learning
processes to find paths that lead toward closer and more committed
fellowship in one form or another between the churches? There has
been much discussion on the model of "unity in reconciled
diversity." Lutherans have actively supported it. Various church
traditions have received this with interest and welcomed it. In
the wider discussion, the expression has sometimes been used with
slightly different meanings. Two things appear helpful and
important when interpreting and using this model: firstly, the
content level of faith, the Christian message and doctrine is
significant. In this context, it is important to formulate a
consensus between the partners concerned and express clearly what
this consensus involves. Secondly, there must be an explanation of
the type of communion to which the churches are thereby committing
themselves.

In both respects it seems responsible and realistic in the
contemporary ecumenical context to proceed step by step. In so
doing, it must be remembered that even smaller steps can be of
real ecumenical significance where larger, more comprehensive
steps cannot be taken at the time. At present, we have not yet
reached the stage of entering into agreements on church fellowship
with certain ecumenical partners and confessional families.
Pursuant to this method with its related tasks, it seems possible
to work along practical ecumenical lines, while in substance be
guided by the Lutheran confession. When participating in
preparation for the Porvoo agreement, the ELCF kept the
aforementioned points and method in mind.

The above also directly and indirectly illustrates the
significance of VELKD. Most of what has been stated from the
Finnish viewpoint is also something that ties us closely with
German Lutheranism and where, with gratitude, we have learned from
Germany. And what can be said here about the importance of VELKD
also applies to how we see Lutheranism worldwide.

German Protestant church structure is not easy for a foreigner to
understand, because in the world it is unique. The same can be
said for the effects of the church's structures in relation to
what can be done and said by the church, and ecumenically.

The ELCF is close to VELKD as a sister church because both share
the Lutheran confession and both are sister churches in worldwide
Lutheranism through the LWF.

For the Finnish church, VELKD's existence and that of the Lutheran
regional churches in Germany provides a bridge to all other
Protestant churches in Germany, to the EKD and those regional
churches that do not belong to VELKD or the LWF. This important
function should not be overlooked.

In 2002, the ELCF and EKD signed an agreement, which was based on
earlier, less comprehensive agreements from 1977 and 1986, and

which goes beyond them. Indeed, as far as the expressed consensus
on faith is concerned, which forms the basis for communion and
cooperation, the new agreement rests on important parts of the
Meissen and Porvoo agreements with the Anglican churches in
northern Europe. From the Finnish viewpoint, it is a matter of an
ecumenism of consensus defined by its content, where we consider
the elements of the consensus reached to be in harmony with our
Lutheran confession.

No such agreement exists with VELKD. That is neither a coincidence
nor is it primarily a result of the division of labor between the
EKD and VELKD, which specifies that the care of Finns in Germany
and of Germans in Finland is a task for the EKD on the German
side. Rather, it is a natural outcome of the fact that VELKD and
the ELCF are not churches of different confessions but are sister
churches even without an agreement because of their Lutheran
confession and their communion through the LWF. This reality and
awareness of it has been expressed in the life of the church for a
long time.

In Finland and indeed among Lutherans worldwide there is an
expectation and desire to clearly hear the voice of the Lutheran
Reformation from its homeland also into the future. As in the
past, this will continue to be of great importance to us in the
future.

When rightly understood, the question of VELKD merits not just
internal Lutheran attention; it is also of ecumenical interest. In
fact, without VELKD both Lutheranism worldwide and ecumenism would
be worse off in view of present-day challenges.

(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 million 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 LWF's information
service. 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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