wfn.org | Lutheran Minority Churches in Europe Call for Effective Media

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

Lutheran Minority Churches in Europe Call for Effective Media Networking 
KALME Training Programs Have Enhanced Communication

SIBIU, Romania/GENEVA, 1 June 2004 (LWI) * Participants in the
general assembly of the Communication Committee for Lutheran
Minority Churches in Europe (KALME) called for more effective
networking of media work among Lutheran minority churches in
Europe. They stressed the need to focus on the European dimension
of the Lutheran churches' work by exchanging ideas and projects
that are implemented in their home churches and congregations.

In a statement following the May 21-26 KALME assembly in Sibiu,
Romania, the 30 media representatives from 16 European Lutheran
churches stated their intention to make the shared KALME Web site
available in the future as a platform for the churches to present
general information and current news. The assembly theme was "The
Inter-confessional and Inter-religious Dialogue and Its
Implications for the Churches' Media Work." 

Concerning KALME's future work, the assembly delegates
appealed for further deepening of contact among the communication
committee members. They urged leaders of KALME member churches to
promote cooperation by delegating competent representatives to
communication consultations, and by collaborating with the
Lutheran World Federation in providing financial support for
KALME's work. 

In reports about their churches' communication work, most of
the delegates noted that communication has been greatly enhanced
by training programs in the areas of church publications, radio,
television and modern information technology organized by KALME
over the past 30 years. Consequently, the assembly participants
resolved that the regional communication body should continue to
offer seminars and additional training as requested by the member
churches with the aim to strengthening their media work.

The delegates pointed out that contact among media workers was
important during the period of the Iron Curtain as it enhanced
the flow of information between East and West. Intensive
cooperation between church leaders and media representatives,
they stressed, would continue to characterize KALME's work. "We
consider mutual assistance and enrichment in media work essential
in fulfilling the mission of the gospel," they said. KALME would
continue to facilitate links between large and small churches in
Europe and would serve as a forum where media experts and church
leaders can meet.

KALME brings together media workers from 22 Lutheran minority
churches in Europe. Its communication committee was founded in
1977 in Guestrow, Germany, to serve as a bridge in a divided
Europe at that time. 

Marina Chudenko (Russia) was elected KALME chairperson while
Rev. Roland Kauffmann (France) was appointed deputy chairperson.
Other officials on the four-member executive committee include
Rev. Marco Uschmann (Austria) treasurer, and Karin Denghel
(Romania), secretary. Elected to serve on the KALME board whose
membership has been reduced from ten to eight were: Rev. Jerzy
Below (Poland), Praxedis Bouwmann (Netherlands), Rev. Pavlis
Bruvers (Latvia) and Meelis Sueld (Estonia). (460 words)

(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 62.3 million
of the almost 66 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical and inter-faith 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
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units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation
(LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with
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