wfn.org | LWF Sunday 2005 Focuses on HIV/AIDS

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

LWF Sunday 2005 Focuses on HIV/AIDS
Compassion, Conversion, Care - A Contribution to the Global Struggle
Against HIV/AIDS

GENEVA, 29 October 2005 (LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
invites its members churches, ecumenical and other partners of the
global communion to reflect on the subject of HIV/AIDS during events
commemorating Reformation Sunday this year.

The theme of LWF Sunday 2005 is "Compassion, Conversion, Care - A
Contribution to the Global Struggle Against HIV/AIDS." This topic "is at
the very core of our churches and communities as it affects the whole of
humanity," LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, says in worship
guidelines that have been distributed for use on or around Reformation
Day, observed on the last Sunday of October.

Noko notes that the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to challenge and provoke
the church to manifest its true identity as the Body of Christ. "It has
revealed to us our weaknesses and failings to respond adequately to the
call of our brothers and sisters who are living with this disease," he
says. 

"Over the last two decades or so of HIV/ AIDS response globally, the
church has been known as a structure that hindered prevention efforts by
not speaking out but remaining a mute spectator of the suffering endured
by its own communities," Noko observes. 

The general secretary says the "deafening silence and taboos imposed
around matters of sex and sexuality" made it difficult for the church to
fulfil its prophetic role of sounding the warnings and showing the right
path especially to the youth. He underlines the church's calling to be
inclusive, and notes, however, that "the stigma and discrimination
experienced by those infected and affected within congregations bear
witness to the exclusive nature of our faith."

Recalling the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the Healing of
the World," Noko says this declaration continuously places upon the
Lutheran communion the responsibility of restoring society's well-being.

In 2002 the LWF launched its global HIV/AIDS campaign titled,
"Compassion, Conversion, Care - Responding as Churches to the HIV/AIDS
Pandemic," with the aim to intensify ongoing efforts among member
churches and related organizations to respond effectively to the
pandemic.

The LWF Council adopted the concept of an "LWF Sunday" or a "Lutheran
Communion Sunday" in 1995. 

The preparatory material for LWF Sunday 2005 is available on the LWF Web
site www.lutheranworld.org/Essentials/LWF-Sunday.html in PDF format in
English, German, French and Spanish. (399 words)

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140
member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total
membership of nearly 66 million. 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 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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