wfn.org | LWF Council 2003, Press Release No. 1

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

New LWF Council Holds its First Meeting
Treasurer, Vice-Presidents Elected

WINNIPEG, Canada/GENEVA, 2 August 2003 (LWI) * A day after the Tenth Assembly
of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) closed its business here, the newly
elected Council held its first meeting July 31 to August 2. It was chaired by
the newly elected LWF President, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America. 

Key decisions by the Council included the election of the Treasurer and
vice-presidents for the LWF regions, the Executive Committee and members of
the Council's program committees. A significant action was expanding the
number of Program Committees from five to seven, thereby increasing the
membership of the Executive Committee, which also acts as the personnel
committee

The new changes are as a result of a recommendation from the September 2002
Council in Wittenberg, Germany, that the previous Standing Committees for
Ecumenical Affairs and International Affairs and Human Rights respectively,
be changed to Program Comittees. 

On July 26, the Tenth Assembly elected Hanson as LWF President, representing
the North American region. The Council elected Oberkirchenrat Peter Stoll,
Evangelical Church in W|rttemberg, Germany, as Treasurer, representing
Central Western Europe. 

The seven LWF regions are represented by the positions of President,
Treasurer and Vice-Presidents. The Council elected as vice-presidents: 
Africa - Bishop Dr Zephania Kameeta, Evangelical Lutheran Churh in the
Republic of Namibia; 
Asia * Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan 
(with congregations also in Israel and Palestine); 
Central Eastern Europe - Bishop Dr Christoph Klein, Evangelical Church of the
Augsburg Confession in Romania; 
Nordic Countries * Bishop Eero Huovinen, Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Finland; 
Latin America and the Caribbean * Rev. Victoria Cortez Rodriguez, The
Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope

The chairpersons of the seven Program Committees include:
Finance and Administration * Oberkirchenrat Peter Stoll; 
Communication Services - Rev. Kristin Tomassdottir, Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Iceland; 
Ecumenical Affairs - Rev. Dr Joachim Track, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Bavaria, Germany; 
International Affairs and Human Rights * Ms Diadem Depayso, Lutheran Church
in the Phillipines; 
Theology and Studies - Rev. Dr Barbara Rossing, Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America; 
Mission and Development * Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, Evangelical Church of the
Lutheran Confession in Brazil; 
World Service * Rev. Marie J. Barnett, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra
Leone.

The Council also approved the distribution of its members to the respective
program committees. The governing body resolved that the Executive Committee
in consultation with the member churches will appoint up to 23 Advisors to
the Council at its February 2004 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. 

(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.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF' 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 a article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with
acknowledgment.]

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