wfn.org | Yugoslav church receives special grant from ELCA

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

USD 100,000 will go towards most urgent needs of people, church
Press Release No. 11/99

BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic, 27 June 1999 (lwi) - The Slovak Evangelical
Church of the Augsburg Confession in Yugoslavia has received a grant of
USD 100,000 from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to be
used towards meeting the most urgent needs of the people and the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member church in Vojvodina, northern
Serbia.

The ELCA Presiding Bishop George Anderson presented a cheque worth the
above-mentioned amount to the head of the Yugoslav church, Bishop Jan
Valent during the ongoing LWF Council meeting here. The two church
leaders held discussions about the situation and needs of the people in
Yugoslavia.

In an interview with lwi Bishop Valent, who is based in Novi Sad,
Vojvodina, said he was happy that the fighting in his country has ceased
and the respective parties have expressed their commitment to the peace
process. However, the current situation is extremely difficult, he
explained. The people's most urgent needs are "basic". They need food
and clothes, financial and material resources to reconstruct their
destroyed homes, bridges and other infrastructure.

He wondered why Novi Sad was bombed in the series of the NATO attacks on
"Yugoslav military targets" yet the people there had nothing to do with
the turn of events in Kosovo. "Our oil refineries, bridges, school
buildings and many other buildings have been destroyed by the bombing.
Were these military targets? Is a church cross a military target?" he
asked.  He reiterated that nobody, including the NATO forces, should
assume the responsibility of judge, thereby justifying the attacks.

Bishop Valent further explained that it is not just Kosovo that was
affected by the attacks but the whole of Yugoslavia. "We need help to
rebuild our country," he emphasized. He was concerned that people might
look at the country with suspicion, as if they are the world's enemies.
"We want other nations and their people to come to us and tell us we are
still their friends in spite of what has happened. We need friendship,
not enmity," Valent explained.As to what action should be taken against
President Slobodan Milosevic, Valent said it is up to the people of
Yugoslavia (and not the outside world) to decide what they want to do
about the situation.

The Yugoslav church has 48,248 members.

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(The LWF is a global communion of 124 member churches in 69 countries
representing 58 million of the world*s 61.5 million Lutherans. The LWF*s
highest decision-making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council,
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. )

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