wfn.org | NEWS BRIEFS (For LWI 99-02)

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

 ...Viggo Mortensen leaves LWF. Danish theologian Viggo Mortensen has
returned home to teach theology after working with the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) in Geneva for seven-and-a-half years. The 56-year-
old former Director/Study Secretary for Church and Social Issues in
the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) took up his new
post as Chair in Global Christianity and Ecumenical Concerns at the
Faculty of Theology, University of Aarhus at the beginning of
February. Speaking to lwi before leaving the LWF, Mortensen described
his most memorable experience in the federation as his role as
Content Coordinator for the 1997 LWF Assembly in Hong Kong. "This was
a unique opportunity for me to fulfil the mandate of the DTS  to
accompany all the activities of the LWF with theological reflection,"
Viggo stressed. During his tenure as DTS director, the department
published 25 books and studies, including the LWF history book, From
Federation to Communion. Independently, he is the author of several
books, among them a ground-breaking study on the relationship between
theology and natural science, Theologie und Naturwissenschaft, and
recently a title in Danish, Gud er det Andet Sted (God is in the
other place), in which he summarizes some of his experiences during
his tenure in Geneva.

 ...LWF Publications. LWF Documentation 43/98, Our Continuing Journey
is now available in English. The 169-page edition includes
documentation from the 1998 Meeting of the Council of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Edited by Karin Achtelstetter and Dorothea
Millwood of the LWF Office for Communication Services (OCS), the
compilation of the Council proceedings includes the LWF president's
address  and the report of the LWF general secretary. Other topics
are an analysis of the responses by the LWF member churches to the
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, and selected
actions taken by the Council. The documentation is free for LWF
member churches. Subscription costs for others is USD 10, CHF 12, or
DEM 14 . Copies may be obtained from Maya Maugue, LWF Office for
Finance and Administration, General Services, P.O. Box 2100, CH-1211
Geneva 2, Switzerland.

The 1999 Directory/Handbuch of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is
now available from the LWF Office for Communication Services (OCS).
The directory provides information on the LWF member churches,
associate member churches, recognized congregations, national
committees, regular cooperators with the federation, and other
contacts, as well as the LWF Council, program committees  and Project
Committee, and Geneva headquarters staff, Department for World
Service field offices and the Lutheran Foundation for
Interconfessional Research in Strasbourg, France.  The LWF
Constitution and Bylaws, in English and in German, also are included
as well as the terms of reference of the Executive Committee and the
LWF departments and offices. The directory is free for all LWF member
churches and others whose addresses appear in the publication. For
others, the cost of subscription is USD 12, CHF 19, or DEM 23.   To
order please contact:
LWF Office for Communication Services (address below)

 ... LWF encourages European member churches to use the Internet. The
Europe Desk of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for
Mission and Development (DMD) is encouraging the LWF member churches
in Europe to study and develop the many possibilities of Internet for
their pastoral work and for the mission of the church in general.
LWF/DMD Europe Secretary Olli-Pekka Lassila, making reference to the
Protestant organization, the European Christian Internet Conference
(ECIC), which helps Christian communities to organise themselves and
fulfil their role via the Internet, said the LWF Europe Desk is
willing to consider possible financial support to member churches in
Europe to achieve this goal. The next ECIC conference will take place
in Budapest, Hungary from 8 to 10 July 1999. Further information can
be found on the ECIC website: www.ecic.org

 ... Church of Norway diocese reinstates suspended lesbian clergy.
Church of Norway Hamar Diocese Bishop Rosemarie Kohn has reinstated
suspended lesbian clergy Rev. Siri Sunde into the Nordre Land
chaplaincy in eastern Norway. According to information availed to lwi
by the Church of Norway Information office, Bishop Kohn announced her
decision to let Siri Sunde have back her position on 1 February 1999.
In June 1997, Ms Sunde entered into registered lesbian cohabitation
and was immediately granted leave from her chaplaincy. The Hamar
bishop participated in the Church of Norway General Synod in 1995,
where a stand was taken against appointing persons who live in
homosexual cohabitation to the types of positions in the church that
require ordination. However, the synod decision is not binding for
the bishops in this matter. And the Law of Civil Servants protects 
most church employees. The widely held view in Norway is that if 
Sunde had not been reinstated, and as a consequence had taken legal
process against the bishop in view of her dismissal, the bishop would
most likely have lost the case.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/