wfn.org | LWF General Secretary Comments on Establishment of Belarusian Church

[FRANKI@elca.org]

Separation in ELCROS will have negative Consequences in Central Eastern
Europe

GENEVA, 19 March 2001 (LWI) - Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has described as "very unfortunate,"
the circumstances surrounding the recent establishment of the Belarusian
Evangelical Lutheran Church.

In a statement on March 17, Noko said the formation of an independent
Belarusian Evangelical Lutheran Church would have a negative effect on the
search for Lutheran unity in the Central Eastern Europe region of the LWF.

On 2 December 2000, representatives of Belarusian Lutheran congregations
founded an independent, "confessional" Belarusian Evangelical Lutheran
Church. Prior to this move, the Belarusian congregations belonged to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS). The ELCROS
strongly criticized the creation of the independent church.

Rev. Leonid Zwicki was on 11 March 2001 installed as bishop of the newly
created Belarusian church. Bishop Jonas Kalvanas Jr. of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Lithuania presided over the inauguration ceremony in
Viciebsk, Belarus. Archbishop Janis Vanags (Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Latvia), Bishop Aarre Kougappi (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in
Russia) and Bishop Dr. Diethard Roth from the Independent Evangelical
Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany, participated in the installation as
assisting bishops.

Zwicki started bringing Evangelical Lutheran congregations in Belarus
together five years ago. In summer 1999, the ELCROS appointed him as
visiting bishop to Belarus, and consequently a member of the ELCROS Bishop's
Council.

At its meeting last December, the Constituent Synod of the Belarusian
Evangelical Lutheran Church adopted a declaration on its main beliefs, which
in addition to the scriptures and a list of the Lutheran Confessions
includes a rejection of women's ordination, homosexuality, and compromises
concerning the Doctrine of Justification. The newly founded church also
rejects fellowship with all churches that do not share these principles.

The text of the statement by Dr. Ishmael Noko follows: 

A Statement by Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), about the newly founded Belarusian Evangelical
Lutheran Church

The separation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
(ELCROS) can be described as very unfortunate because of the way it was done
and the reasons given. There was no mutual consultation between Archbishop
D. Georg Kretschmar and Rev. Leonid Zwicki, now the leader of the newly
founded Belarusian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

I have no doubt that the impact of this split will be felt in the Lutheran
communion, particularly in the European region. It will certainly have
negative effects on the search for Lutheran unity in the Central Eastern
Europe region of the LWF.

I hope, nevertheless, that a way can be found to overcome this split so that
Lutherans can be united in proclamation and ecumenical engagement.

Geneva, 17 March 2001

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 131 member
churches in 72 countries representing over 60.2 million of the nearly 64
million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches
in areas of common interest such as ecumenical relations, theology,
humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various
aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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