wfn.org | Canada: LWF President Calls for Reconciled Diversity

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Visit with LWF Tenth Assembly Host Church

WINNIPEG, Canada/GENEVA, 22 March 2002 (LWI) - The president of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop emeritus Christian
Krause says the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly
will focus on promoting dialogue among the ever increasing
diversity of Lutherans and on strengthening ecumenical relations.

The growth and globalization of the Lutheran family presents
exciting new opportunities and challenges to reconcile diversity
among Lutherans. "We come together on the basis of our
confession-we are Lutherans and we embrace each other as equal
among equals," Krause, visiting with LWF North American churches,
said when he addressed a March 14 meeting of the National Church
Council (NCC) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)
in Winnipeg. The ELCIC will host the 21-31 July 2003 Assembly in
Winnipeg.

Krause noted that the LWF membership is increasing-eleven churches
have joined since he was elected president at the Ninth Assembly
in Hong Kong in 1997. When the LWF was founded in 1947 it had 39
member churches representing 28 countries, mainly in Europe and
North America. The current 133 member churches represent over 60.5
million Lutherans. He said growth is taking place mainly in the
Southern Hemisphere as a result of earlier mission work,
immigration, refugee resettlement and LWF work on behalf of its
members. The LWF is one of the leading non-governmental
organizations in partnership with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR.

The integration of the three main streams of Lutherans, the
European churches with historic Lutheran roots, North and Latin
American churches founded by European immigrants and the newest
LWF member churches mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America-is a
major LWF task.

Krause said he finds it "fascinating" to hear Lutherans from
different regions of the world express opinions in the context of
their cultures and their understanding of the Lutheran Confession.
Reconciling and respecting diversity of opinions within the
Lutheran Confession does not mean having to give up one's own
identity. "We need to respect our own identity and roots but we
must recognize we are part of a whole and not a whole onto
ourselves," he explained.

In addition to reconciling diversity among Lutheran churches the
LWF is also committed to strengthening ecumenical relations.
"There is nothing wrong with diversity, it does not need to
separate us," explained Krause, who helped develop the Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) that was
signed by the LWF and Roman Catholic Church on 31 October 1999 in
Augsburg, Germany. "We cannot hold a decent dialogue unless we
have a clear position," he said, adding that in his role as
president he works hard to represent the views of all member
churches.

During his visits to different countries Krause said he senses
growing excitement about the LWF Tenth Assembly when 2,500
bishops, delegates and guests meet in Winnipeg. While in Winnipeg
he visited leaders from other church denominations and noted the
opportunity for ecumenical togetherness and openness. The assembly
theme is "For the Healing of the World."

However, at his meeting with the NCC he heard about the
sensitivities in North America concerning separation of the state
and church and the difficulty of getting North American political
and community leaders and society at large to take note of the
issues discussed at the Assembly. NCC members said Canadian
Lutherans are excited about the upcoming Assembly but many people
in Canada are not aware of the significant contributions the LWF
and its member churches are making throughout the world.

Speaking at the German language worship service at St. Peter's
Lutheran Church in Winnipeg, March 17, Krause said Lutheran
globalization and growth is resulting in delegations coming from
countries and situations where they are experiencing political
instability, racism, persecution and poverty.

He noted that delegates would come to the assembly with a prayer
similar to the prayer recorded in Psalm 43:2 "Vindicate me, Oh
God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people: from those who
are deceitful and unjust deliver me!" (NRSV). The cross, he told
the congregation, is a sign of pain and of life. "The Lord is with
us-even in the most bitter situation. That is why we are not
without hope and that is why it is not useless to fight for
justice."

It was Krause's hope that voices of the Assembly delegates would
not be trapped inside the meeting halls but would instead be heard
by all church, community and political leaders. Christ's
discipleship requires followers to respond in appropriate ways to
pleas for justice. But he cautioned against the illusion that it
is possible to establish the Kingdom of God or paradise on earth.

(Written for LWI by Gladys Terichow, in Winnipeg, Canada)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 133 member churches in 73 countries representing over 60.5
million of the 64.3 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.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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