wfn.org | (LWF) Ecumenical Greetings to LWF Tenth Assembly

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

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 27

Ecumenical Greetings to LWF Tenth Assembly Underline Continued Cooperation
"It is Important to Keep the Lines of Communication Open"

WINNIPEG, Canada, 28 July 2003 * Confessional Christian families, regional
and international church organizations brought goodwill messages to the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly, and affirmed their commitment
to ecumenical cooperation.

The Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, General Secretary of the World Council of
Churches (WCC), said three assemblies in 2003 * of the LWF, Conference of
European Churches and All Africa Conference of Churches - had chosen themes
focusing on healing, reconciliation and re-building. At a time of brokenness
in the world, he said, churches were beginning to understand that it is their
missionary vocation to be healing and reconciling communities in Christ.
"Caring for life, healing and reconciliation are central to what it means to
be church," he said in a message read by Rev. Hector Mendez, a member of the
WCC Central Committee and a pastor of the First Presbyterian Reformed Church
of Havana, Cuba. He invited ecumenical partner organizations "to seek ways to
strengthen the coherence of the ecumenical movement for the sake of common
mission."

The Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches (WARC), paid tribute to the work of the Lutheran-Reformed Working
Group. In anticipation for a proposed joint meeting between the WARC
Executive Committee and LWF Council, and a joint Assembly, he expressed the
hope that the LWF Tenth Assembly would identify some of he steps Lutheran and
Reformed churches could take together "as God's agents for healing." He was
accompanied by Dr Paul Fries, leader of the Reformed Church in America.

A message from the Anglican Communion was delivered by its Secretary General,
Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, who called Lutherans and Anglicans to work
together for the healing of the world. "It is scandal that we are not working
more closely together in Africa and in other parts of our global communion on
HIV/AIDS," he said. He hoped for "a day when there may be only One United
Communion between our two venerable families." Peterson referred to the
report of the Anglican-Lutheran International Working Group "Growth in
Communion," to show that the two families were working closely and that
"Anglicans and Lutherans had made covenantal commitments to share a common
life and mission, and in some places had been able to declare themselves in
full communion."

In a message read by former United Church of Canada (UCC) Moderator Rev. Dr
Stan McKay, UCC Moderator Rt. Rev. Dr Marion Pardy and Acting General
Secretary Rev. Dr Jim Sinclair commended the LWF for "proclaiming unity as
God's gift and for recognizing that God's healing is needed for the divisions
in our Church and in the brokenness in our world." They stated the UCC's
solidarity with the LWF "as we seek to profess our contemporary faith in ways
that honor God's peace, love and justice for all people and for the whole
creation."

The President of the World Methodist Council (WMC), His Eminence Sunday C.
Mbang, praised the LWF for signing the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification with the Roman Catholic Church in October 1999.  He expressed
the hope that the WMC will "append its signature to it" following its
assembly in Seoul, Korea, in 2006 with the theme "God in Christ Reconciling."
 He pledged the WMC's willingness "to join with others in bringing God's
message of healing to a broken world." 

The Director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches,
Rev.David Wiebe, brought greetings from Larry Miller, Executive Director of
the Mennonite World Conference.  He thanked the LWF for its desire to study
with Mennonites the question of the condemnations of the Anabaptists in the
Augsburg Confession, "a study in which the Mennonites are happy to engage in
the name of better understanding within the body of Christ worldwide."

Fr. Andrew Jarmus of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada brought
greetings from His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, who praised the Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission for
affirming that humankind was made in the image of God "to grow and to realize
in ever increasing ways the divine image."  He said the task of "equipping
the saints" for the work of ministry and transformation was possible "only
when people were liberated from the tyranny of death and sin in all its
forms."

Underscoring the importance of ecumenical cooperation, the Primate of the
Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Michael Peers, said his church and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada are in "full communion" and both
churches have their doors "open to each other and towards a richer experience
of life in Christ."  Anglicans "stand in Eucharistic fellowship with the
ELCIC," he said.

Peers regretted that the government of Canada had denied visas to some
delegates who were expected to participate in the LWF Tenth Assembly. He
said, "The churches are with you, the government has failed you. And
Canadians here know that it has failed us, and I give you a commitment that
our challenge to the government will be strong and consistent."

The Rev. Ane Hjerrild, representing the Leuenberg Church Fellowship (LCF),
which brings together over 100 churches from mainly Lutheran and Reformed
traditions in Europe, underscored the need for Christian partners to work
together to overcome differences in the church. She however appreciated the
way the Assembly had brought together churches from various regions to
dialogue on different topcal issues. "We in Europe have again during this
assembly learnt how the churches in Asia, Latin America and Africa, are
overcoming confessional barriers and differences by working together in
mission and dialogue * in serving the people and struggling for justice," she
noted. 

On behalf Dr Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Dr.
John Graz, Director of the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
who is also secretary general of the Conference of Secretaries of Christian
World Communions, declared Martin Luther as "a great figure" to Adventists. 
He said conversations between the two communions "continue to produce
positive effects" and "encouragement for those* who want to have not only
good relations with other Christians, but who believe that we are all Jesus'
disciples and should work together every time."  He called on Lutherans and
Adventists to cooperate in the "battle against HIV/AIDS" and in humanitarian
action, education and religious freedom. "These are areas where Adventists
and Lutherans may develop strong partnerships," he added.

Dr James Echols of the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago commended the
Assembly theme, "For the Healing of The World," saying it compelled the world
to reflect on the various areas that needed healing.

The Rev. Ralph Mayan President of the Lutheran Church - Canada, stressed the
need for open communication between member churches. "It is important for us
as it is for you to keep the lines of communication open, to be able to
discuss those issues that separate us, and seek to find resolutions to
anything that impedes the free course of the proclamation of the Gospel in
our world," he said.

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place
21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme "For the Healing of the
World." It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly
including 380 delegate from the 133 churches with full membership and three
associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the
LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is
governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee. 

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the
Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo@lutheranworld.org

*	*	*

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 and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission
and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.