wfn.org | Cooperation key to the future of Protestantism

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

VELKD publishes texts on the federal structure of Protestantism

HANOVER, Germany/GENEVA, 8 June 1999 (lwi) - What forms of cooperation
does Protestantism need in order to meet the challenges of the future?
This question, posed by the president of the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF), Bishop Christian Krause, and the president of the Church office
of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD),
Friedrich-Otto Scharbau, is among reflections appearing in the series
"Texts from the VELKD" No. 89 (May 1999), entitled "The Federal
Structure of Protestantism".

In his article, Scharbau discusses the relationship between
confessionalism and the overall church structures. He summarizes the
debate which has been going on for years on the structure of
Protestantism in Germany, and relates to it the discussions on the
"Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" as well as the
signing of the Leuenberg Agreement.

The writer in his paper points out that although it is well known that
when the churches act together and collaborate their work is more
effective, the dialogue among Protestants still suffers from
conservatism amongst partners, which results from their various
interests. In addition, little success has been made in defining more
clearly such basic standards as theology and confession of faith,
worship and church life, ecumenism and legal issues, and how these can
be brought together under a new structure. This is true both for unity
among Lutheran churches within the fellowship of the Evangelical Church
in Germany and for the worldwide Lutheran family.

The Lutheran church leader calls for more goal-oriented cooperation
among organizations at both national and international levels. He
observes "that German Lutheran churches can be considered as a community
within Germany from the confessional point of view, as well as LWF
member churches from the worldwide viewpoint. It would be ideal if all
the Lutheran churches in Germany, which are LWF members also belonged to
the VELKD... The United (Lutheran) churches should be invited to join
the LWF. This would clarify their standing in Lutheran ecumenical
circles as well as their theological image in the wider context of the
Lutheran world fellowship, and make it possible to integrate them as
working partners."

In his article, the LWF president also pleads for a new overall view of
the shape and form of Protestantism. In his article, he points out that
it is now ten years since the end of the cold war between the East and
West which has radically changed the political and economic environment
not only in Germany but also in Europe and the whole world. These
changes present new challenges and tasks for the churches and bear
certain effects on the LWF and its place in the ecumenical family.

Krause also refers to the LWF Council meeting which will be held this
month in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, under the theme, "The Gospel
Transforming Cultures". He notes that culture in a wide sense including
lifestyle, social and political culture, has been influenced throughout
the centuries by the reinterpretation of the Reformation heritage.

The crucial questions raised by the VELKD documents* series remain: What
ecumenical form of communion do we need in order to respond to the
world's needs? What binds us together as we look into those needs? What
still divides us? On the one side there is a desire for a deeper
fellowship among the different confessions, on the other is our common
responsibility as Christians concerned about the distress of people
throughout the world.

Out of the 14 LWF member churches in Germany, eight , namely the
Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Bavaria, Brunswick, Hanover,
Mecklenburg, North Elbia, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe and Thuringia are
also VELKD members. The remaining six which include the Evangelical
Lutheran Churches in Baden, Lippe (Lutheran Section), Oldenburg,
Pomerania, Wurttemberg and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Abroad do not belong to VELKD.

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