wfn.org | German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine to Revise its

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

German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine to Revise its
Constitution in 2004
Synod Emphasizes Need for Partnerships with Other Churches

ODESSA, Ukraine/GENEVA, 12 December 2003 (LWI) - Delegates
attending the Tenth Synod of the German Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Ukraine (DELKU) resolved to revise the church's
constitution by the time of their next meeting in 2004. 

The 41 representatives from DELKU's 40 congregations participated
in the October15-17 synod that met in Odessa under the theme "The
Bible at the Center." Synod members proposed that the bishop,
executive committee and pastors' conference pursue the
organization of congregations into districts. 

In his report to the synod, DELKU Bishop Dr Edmund Ratz said the
church leadership has not yet completed the task of grouping
congregations into districts and assigning pastors to take
responsibility for each one. He said it was meaningful to have a
"church community without borders"-- open to all nationalities,
and stressed the significance of belonging to the fellowship of
regional churches within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Russia and Other States (ELCROS). The Ukrainian church is one of
the independent regional member churches of ELCROS.

Synod President Vladimir Lesnoy said that in the past two years,
the executive committee had evolved from a purely advisory body
to one that is continuously active in organizing, coordinating
and monitoring a major part of the church's work. Financial
uncertainty, he noted, remains a major challenge for future
planning. During the meeting, the new Evangelical Lutheran
congregation in Yevpatoriya, in the Crimea, was received into
DELKU. It was noted that a new congregation had been founded in
Novograd-Volynskiy.

Partnerships are Mutually Enriching

In his report on the July 2003 Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) in Winnipeg, Canada, Ratz pointed out that
the Assembly theme, "For the Healing of the World," was also part
of the mission of the Ukrainian church. The DELKU, he said, is
part of the worldwide Lutheran community, which finds visible
expression in the LWF: "We come from different nations and
different backgrounds. This is the will of God." He described
DELKU's partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Bavaria, Germany as equally important, and thanked the Bavarian
partners for their "untiring commitment and readiness for
dialogue."

In his greeting to the synod members Oberkirchenrat Wolfgang
Tvllner, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria said the
partnership with the Ukrainian church was very enriching as it
includes "both giving and receiving." He expressed his church's
willingness for continued assistance and encouraged the DELKU
synod members "to keep building up your church." A great deal can
be done with modest resources, he added. 

Kirchenrat Ulrich Zenker, Bavaria, noted that partnership is
expressed through commitments on both sides. The Bavarian church,
he explained, is committed to the partnership with Ukraine and
would not give this up despite significant budget reductions that
will have to be effected during the next three years. 

Executive committee member Ms Mina Sharnina reported on DELKU's
social service work. Three diakonia-training seminars have taken
place since 2002, she explained. A diakonia council was
established in March 2003 to coordinate the social service
activities and the sharing of information. Other developments
include the implementation of projects in different regions.

Rev. Alexander Gross from Odessa reported on priority setting for
training and continued education, and stressed the need to set
clear guidelines for ordained and lay ministers of the church.

Durin
g group discussions, the synod members focused on the most
important themes from the church's current work: "Bible and
Youth," "Children and the Bible", "Bible and Ecumenical
Relations," "Bible and Pastoral Care," and "Family and Marriage
in the Bible." The group reports that followed included several
suggestions for improvements in the church. There was emphasis on
the need to set up a coordinating council for youth work and more
active engagement in ecumenical issues. "Lutherans must become
more active. We must pray together and visit one another's
churches," said Rev. Peter Sachi from Kiev.

ELCROS Archbishop Kretschmar's Experience of Community at LWF
Tenth Assembly

Addressing the synod, ELCROS Archbishop Dr D. Georg Kretschmar,
recalled the beginnings of partnerships with other churches. He
said it had taken lengthy negotiations and numerous encounters to
convince churches to become ELCROS' partners.

Kretschmar delivered the sermon at the synod's closing worship
service, during which he described his participation in the LWF
Tenth Assembly as "an overwhelming experience of togetherness
with sisters and brothers from our church throughout the world.
When we experience community, we strengthen our faith." 

The DELKU Synod also elected eight delegates to the next ELCROS
General Synod, to be held from 28 September to 1 October 2004 in
St Petersburg, Russia. The 250,000-member ELCROS joined the LWF
in 1989. (778 words)

(Article by Marina Chudenko, ELCROS public relations officer)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical and inter-faith 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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