wfn.org | African LWF Member Churches to Contribute USD 20,000 to Endowment

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

Church Representatives Set Targets for Annual Contributions

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA, 11 April, 2003 (LWI) - The 29 Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) member churches in Africa plan to
contribute USD 20,000 to the LWF Foundation - Endowment Fund over
the next four years.

The decision was made by church representatives attending the
March 23-26 Africa Pre-Assembly Consultation in Nairobi, Kenya.

It was agreed that churches with membership exceeding one million
contribute USD 400 annually to the Fund, USD 300 for churches with
between 500,000 and one million members, USD 200 for 100,000 to
499,999 members, USD 100 for those with between 1,000 and 99,999
members and USD 50 for membership below 1,000. The church
representatives proposed that smaller churches and those that are
unable to raise the expected amounts should be assisted by other
LWF churches in the region. The churches on the continent
represent a total membership of 11.9 million people in 21
countries.

After adopting this decision, the African church leaders dedicated
to the LWF fund, a total of USD 460, raised from spontaneous
contributions by delegates and from the collection at the African
PAC closing worship service.

Established in 1996, the Endowment Fund is intended to strengthen
and supplement, through capital returns, financial support for the
LWF's work. Swiss authorities approved the establishment of the
foundation in the Canton of Geneva in 1998 where it was registered
in 1999. The LWF Board of Trustees in an honorary capacity,
directs the foundation and reports to the LWF Council annually.
The fund's target by 2004 is USD 10 million. The long-term goal is
USD 50 million.

(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 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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