wfn.org | LWF President Hanson: We Will Grow Together Rather than Apart

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

LWF President Hanson: We Will Grow Together Rather than Apart
Effects of HIV/AIDS, Economic Globalization Threaten to Divide Creation, the Human Family and Unity of the LWF

LWF Council Meeting, Geneva, 1 * 7 September 2004

PRESS RELEASE NO. 02-2004

GENEVA, 1 September 2004 (LWI) * "We will grow together rather than apart as we are defined by our faith, not our fears," the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson said today in his address to the LWF Council, meeting September 1-7 at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva. 

Fear hardens lives and closes borders. Whereas faith calls on the churches "to see the world through the eyes of God's vision for the world * a vision of the goodness of creation, humanity created in God's image, interdependent, praising God, and pursuing justice and peace," said Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Hanson referred to the many challenges that Lutherans have to face and respond to within the communion and in the political, social, inter-religious and ecological sphere. "So we must confess our unity in Christ," Hanson insisted, and affirmed the theme of this year's meeting, "Growing Together, Growing Apart." There are around 170 participants the meeting including the 49-member Council invited guests, stewards, interpreters, journalists and LWF staff persons. 

With reference to the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is destroying families, communities, cultures and states, Hanson underlined, "If any crisis should cause us to set aside differences, generate resources, and find solutions, it is HIV/AIDS." Often, divisive forces such as denial, arrogance, economic gain, personal morality, and control were stronger than our shared resolve to inform, treat, and console. "HIV/AIDS is not the only disease that should cause us to grow together for the sake of the healing of the world, but it is where we must begin," he stated.

Equally important were the social consequences of globalization. Hanson challenged the LWF to continue giving priority to "how economic globalization causes us to grow together as a global society, yet also drives us apart as the chasm widens between those with wealth and those who live in poverty." This situation called for creative solutions in order to transform the reality of globalization into a better life for all people rather than only for a few.

The LWF President reminded the churches of their calling to act for the sake of Christians as well as for people of other religions who are experiencing persecution and discrimination. "We must reject violence in all its forms even as we work for peace with justice." The compelling crisis in Darfur, Sudan called for both global emergency relief and a political solution to end the genocide.

Call to Develop Principles for a Just Peace

Concerning the violence and wars prevalent in today's world, Hanson called on the LWF member churches to overcome their fears and together develop principles for a just peace "that become as defining of us as have been the principles of just war." 

The effort to grow together, in Hanson's view, begins by grasping one's own identity. In reference to German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he recalled that the "unity of the Church as the Body of Christ" is not a goal to be attained, but a fact to be recognized. Therefore, the task of the Church is not to achieve unity but to act as the unified body it already is.

In view of the power imbalances between the LWF member churches, it would be helpful to move toward an accompaniment model of global mission, Hanson declared. "We increasingly see each other as companions, working and walking together, side by side, for the sake of the Gospel." More churches should take the lead themselves in setting priorities for ministry and mission in their own areas rather than leaving it to funding agencies.

Priority Setting for LWF Work a Prerequisite for 'Growing Together' 

A prerequisite for growing together was to set priorities for LWF's work in a way "that incorporates the Assembly Message and the ongoing LWF commitments with an honest assessment of available resources," Hanson said. "We will continue to grow together if we do together that which we cannot do as effectively separately," he emphasized.

Hanson spoke of his "growing concern" for the LWF's financial stability. If member churches were to make decisions to significantly decrease support or if resources simply were not available, "We will inevitably grow apart." He called for a joint setting of priorities emphasizing, "We must commit [ourselves] to greater mutual accountability in decision-making about financial support for [the] LWF." If this did not happen, the churches would grow apart under the weight of unmet expectations and resentment.

The LWF president called on the member churches to engage in conversations together before issuing declarations or taking decisions concerning human sexuality. "It would be tragic if that which we all share by virtue of our humanity*that we are sexual beings*becomes the cause for division rather than the source of respectful and admittedly difficult dialogue," he cautioned.

Reasons to Celebrate

But there are reasons to celebrate, according to Hanson. He cited the growing number of full-communion agreements, international and national bilateral conversations, the exploration of ecumenical tables and organizations with broader participation, continued strong regional and national councils of churches, as well as increased ecumenical cooperative efforts in addressing issues of poverty, injustice, and victimization.

Hanson suggested that plans for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in 2017 should respect our growing together, recognize our commitment to eucharistic sharing, and continue to explore the relevance of concepts such as "spiritual ecumenism" for our life together. On the fifth anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), Hanson underlined that relationships with the Roman Catholic Church were continuing to deepen. "Expansion of our understanding of 'differentiated consensus' and 'reconciled diversity' as theological tools for deepening conversation will help us to grow in unity without demanding uniformity."

Caution against Use of Divisive Expressions to Identify Religions

The LWF president expressed concern for growing fundamentalism in various faith traditions. Commitment to dialogue between, and greater understanding of, other religions should not be deterred by militant fundamentalists. "We must avoid identifying a particular religion by the divisive expressions of fundamentalism within it." Inter-religious dialogue did not only serve greater understanding and genuine mutual hospitality but also promoted mutual efforts for a world of peace with justice.

"We need to have greater clarity about how we as Christians hold in tension conversion and conversation with persons of other faiths," Hanson said. Dialogue, he noted, may but must not lead to conversion, but could, either way, contribute to a more respectful and peaceful world. 

In view of the expansion of inter-religious dialogue to include other religions, it was important not to neglect Christian-Jewish and Christian-Muslim dialogue, the LWF President insisted. "However, we should not mute constructive criticism of the Israeli government for fear of being labeled anti-Semitic or criticism of the Arab government or authorities for fear of being called anti-Islamic, just as we would not want Jewish or Arab criticism of Western governments to be equated with their being anti-Christian."

Considering the powerful position of the United States of America, Hanson, as a US religious leader, called on the LWF to join with those in the USA and throughout the world "who call for repentance and transformation where the United States fails, and let us also acknowledge with gratitude the work it does when and where it serves all of humanity."

"We live in a remarkable paradox," according to Hanson: between "the possibilities of the exponential growth in knowledge and technology and the reality that we may be standing on the precipice of ecocide as we consume the earth's resources at an alarming rate. May our commitment to neighbor-love and earth-care cause us to grow together as stewards of all that God has made and continues to create." (1,306 words)

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There are around 100 church representatives including the 49-member Council attending this year's meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva. In addition there are 70 participants comprising invited guests, LWF staff persons, interpreters,and stewards. The Council is the LWF governing body between Assemblies, normally held every six years. The current Council was elected at the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, where it held its first meeting. The Council comprises the President, the Treasurer and ordained as well as lay persons drawn from the LWF member churches. The LWF currently has 136 member churches in 76 countries all over the world, representing 62.3 million of the estimated 66 million Lutherans worldwide.  

During the Council meeting, the LWF Office for Communication Services can be reached by telephone at +41 22 960 8282, or at (mobile) +41 (0)76 396 2863.

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. It was founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden. 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.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. 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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Pauline Mumia
Editor - English
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