Title: Lutherans Seek Resolution to Violent Dispute in Kenya ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 3, 2008
Lutherans Seek Resolution to Violent Dispute in Kenya 08-001-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Officials of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) called for peace in the Republic of Kenya and for resolution of a dispute over election results that has escalated into violence. The ELCA confirmed its missionaries in Kenya are safe, and it is sending an initial $25,000 to assist emergency relief efforts in east-central Africa.
More than 300 people have died in violent protests in Kenya since the Dec. 27 presidential election, in which the incumbent Mwai Kibaki declared victory over Raila Odinga of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement. The government there estimates as many as 75,000 people have been displaced internally by the violence.
"We pray that all parties will work toward a peaceful resolution of the post-election crisis in Kenya and that the violence, which has touched the lives of so many, will cease," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop and LWF president.
"The ELCA is committed to supporting the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) during this time of unrest, as it provides basic assistance to individuals in communities hard-hit by the violence. We do so in the context of our relationship with the Lutheran World Federation, ecumenical partners and global companions," Hanson said.
The KELC and ELCA have a relationship which includes the placement of eight mission personnel in Kenya. "We are closely monitoring the situation, and all of our personnel report that they are safe," said the Rev. Stephen J. Nelson, director for international personnel, ELCA Global Mission. "We continue to be in communication with them about safety and security as the situation in Kenya continues to unfold," he said.
ELCA missionaries in Kenya include a husband and wife team serving the Nairobi International Lutheran Congregation, a health care consultant for HIV and AIDS ministries throughout Africa and his family, and two ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission, who are part of a joint program in Kenya with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
ELCA International Disaster Response is sending an initial $10,000 to the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church, for its emergency response in affected communities in Kenya. It is sending another $15,000 to Church World Service, which together with Norwegian Church Aid is helping facilitate the worldwide response of Action by Churches Together (ACT). The ACT response also supports the emergency work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, another LWF member church.
Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, ELCA International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters.
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based in Geneva with the LWF and World Council of Churches (WCC). The ELCA is a member of the LWF and WCC.
The Rev. Ishmael Noko, a Zimbabwean theologian and LWF general secretary, Geneva, issued a Jan. 3 statement urging the leaders of Kenya's major political parties to "urgently pursue constructive dialogue to end the impasse." He said, "There can be no political justification for the loss of life, senseless destruction of homes and property, and insecurity that have resulted from this violence."
The LWF general secretary said Kenya had undergone a democratic political transition that offered a concrete expression of an "African renaissance." The light of "this beacon of hope is being extinguished by the post-election violence targeting certain ethnic communities," he said.
"It is my earnest prayer that the people of Kenya will be preserved from violence and that the world will respond with compassion and generosity to the humanitarian needs of those affected by the unrest," Noko said.
The Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Kenyan and WCC general secretary, called Jan. 2 for an immediate independent investigation of the electoral dispute monitored by international observers. "Now is the time to put the interests of the nation and the surrounding region above other concerns," he said. -- -- --
The full text of Bishop Hanson's statement is at http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/messages/m_080103.html on the ELCA Web site.
The full text of General Secretary Noko's statement is at http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2162.EN.html on the LWF Web site.
The full text of General Secretary Kobia's statement is at http://tinyurl.com/2jsg3p on the WCC Web site.
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