wfn.org | LWF Council Meeting, Wittenberg, Germany, 10-17 September 2002

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

Press Release No. 1

GENEVA, 6 September 2002 (LWI) - The 2002 Meeting of the Council of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will begin with a worship
service celebrated in Wittenberg's Schlosskirche (Castle Church) on
Monday, September 9 at 17.00 hours. The sermon will be delivered by
Bishop Axel Noack, Evangelical Church of the Province of Saxony.

The 10-17 September meeting is being hosted by the German National
Committee of the LWF in the Luther town of Wittenberg in
Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. 

The region faces a critical situation following heavy rains that
burst the Elbe river banks and its tributaries, leading to a violent
wave of flooding that swept through eastern Germany. Against this
background LWF President Bishop emeritus Dr. Christian Krause says:
"We understand this year's meeting also as a way of showing
solidarity with the people affected by the flooding." He notes that
in spite of the destruction around Wittenberg, the Council could
still take place there. There had been considerations to change the
venue to Berlin, but the Wittenberg partners gave the green light
for the meeting. The Wittenberg's historical old town was not
affected by the flood waters.

The 2002 meeting was originally scheduled for Jerusalem, hosted by
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan (ELCJ) and its bishop, Dr.
Munib A. Younan. But it was decided to change that venue, like was
done for the June 2001 meeting, in view of the difficult conflict
situation in the Middle East. Last year's meeting took place in
Geneva, Switzerland.

The 49-member Council, the LWF's governing body meeting annually, is
appointed by the Federation's highest decision-making body, the
Assembly, which meets every six years. The Council includes a
president, treasurer and ordained and lay persons from among the 133
LWF member churches. Additional participants include observers and
invited guests. Also attending are some LWF staff and invited church
and secular media representatives.

Highlights on the Council agenda include a plenary Address of the
LWF President, Bishop Dr. Christian Krause on September 10, followed
by the Report of the General Secretary Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko. The
Report of the Treasurer Ms. Inger J. Wremer, is scheduled for
September 11, after which the Council breaks into a three-day
session of program committees for Mission and Development, World
Service, Theology and Studies, Finance and Administration, and
Communication. Other sessions include standing committees for
Ecumenical Affairs, and International Affairs and Human Rights.

This being the last full Council before the July 2003 LWF Tenth
Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, it will assess and evaluate the work
of the LWF since the 1997 Ninth Assembly in Hong Kong, China. The
theme of the Tenth Assembly is "For the Healing of the World.

Issues that will be of major focus include a decision on the Tenth
Assembly preparations as well as approval of the LWF Report, From
Hong Kong to Winnipeg 1997-2003. Also to be brought before the
Federation's governing body will be proposals by a Task Force on the
understanding of the LWF as a communion, including the issue of name
change, joint or coordinated assemblies with the World Council of
Churches and spacing of Council meetings.

The Council is also expected to act on recommendations by a Task
Force appointed by the General Secretary to study the place of
communication in the LWF. Another key concern is recommendations by
an LWF fact-finding mission to West Africa, following a UN High
Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children-UK report about
allegations of sexual harassment of refugee children by humanitarian
workers.

The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Johannes Rau
will address the Council on September 10 at 15.30 hours. After that,
the Saxony-Anhalt minister for culture, Prof. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz,
will greet the Council. Rev. Dr. Hans Christian Knuth, (Schleswig)
Presiding Bishop, United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany,
will preach at the September 15 Sunday Eucharist in the Stadtkirche
(Town Church).

(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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