wfn.org | Russian Bishop calls for time to understand ordaination of women

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Russian bishop calls for more time to ordain women
People need to gain understanding, he said

HONG KONG, July 25, 1997 (lwi) - "It was a shock to my churches to learn
that churches ordained women," said Bishop Georg Kretschmar of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and other States. "Step after step,
we are learning that it is a great gift," he said at a news conference held
here during the Lutheran World Federation Assembly.

During business sessions the day before (July 14), a resolution was
submitted to the Assembly urging member churches to ordain women.

Kretschmar whose church does not yet ordain women said, "we need time for
people to gain understanding."

"I very much regret that it is taking such a long time to affirm the
ordination of women," said Bishop Ambrose Moyo of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Zimbabwe. He said he hoped that "as a family we would move
together to affirm this."

Bishop Christina Odenberg, recently named bishop in the Church of Sweden,
said, "I want some kind of pressure" at least for dialogue on the subject.
"Most who are against the ordination of women are also against the
dialogue," she said. "I want to force people to grow."

The theological basis for the ordination of women may not be as clear for
the 30 percent of Lutheran churches which do not ordain women, said Dr.
Wanda Deifelt of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in
Brazil. The 70 percent that ordain women need to be affirmed, and "we need
to have intensive dialogue with those who do not ordain women."

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