wfn.org | Christians Challenged to Influence Change

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

Christians Challenged to Influence Change in a World at the "Risk of Growing Apart"
Opening Worship at LWF Council Meeting in Geneva

LWF Council Press Release No. 01 

GENEVA, 31 August 2004 (LWI) *Church representatives attending the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council were today reminded of their responsibility to social commitment and action to influence change in a world at the risk of "growing apart," due to the current challenging realities including rampant neo-liberalism. 

"Excessive greed for capital gain on the part of the global world has meant that many people die or live on a mare minimum. We must not let the free market direct the fight against scourge for hunger, and for a well-nourished humankind," Rev. Ekkehard Lagoda, German-speaking congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva (ELCG), told participants attending the Council's opening eucharistic service at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva.

"Growing Together * Growing Apart," is the theme of the September 1-7 meeting attended by around 170 people from all over the world including the 49-member Council, invited guests, stewards, interpreters, journalists and LWF staff persons. In his sermon based mainly on I Corinthians 11: 17-34, Lagoda reflected on social realities that may lead to separation and exclusion and challenged Christians to reexamine their responsibility toward fellow human beings.

Reflecting on the social evils prevalent at the time of Corinth, Lagoda  noted that questions on growing apart and growing together do not only apply to individual relations but are also of crucial importance to the LWF member churches. They are equally relevant and provoke discussion with regard to the sharing of the Holy Communion and Eucharist between confessions.  He underlined the oneness of the community established in the sharing of the body of Christ and spoke against exclusion based on human judgment.

"We [must] trust the power of the word of God instead of relying on human jurisdiction," he said, recalling that Jesus did not exclude Judas from the Last Supper. 

Churches Urged to Exercise Their Authority in EU Constitution

The Council venue, both national and regional, provides realities that are relevant to the theme "growing together, growing apart." The increasing free-market economy that is making Europe grow together much faster than political powers could manage has brought with it a "growing apart"* a separation and division. The 25-nation member European Union (EU) is in the process of legislating a common constitution that favors an economic model aimed at an even more competitive global market. He noted that there was no intention even to include a clause on the social liability of property, which constituted a "growing apart without solidarity." But, he explained, churches have a responsibility to respond as Article 51 (Status of churches and non-confessional organizations) of the new European constitution allows them an independent authority with regard to the EU.

The ELCG pastor challenged churches in the region to utilize this constitutional stipulation to promote values such as solidarity, redistribution and abdication, justice and charity also in the future Europe. He however, urged the churches as advocates of the voiceless to work "together in one common voice," not "every single church and confession on its own."

Lagoda also expressed appreciation of the European unification process, as no nation wishing to join the regional body would have to give up its peculiarity. In as much as growing separately and together in this context was a political intention, it was crucial that a balance is achieved so that a strong multi-cultural and multi-religious can be developed. 

He described Switzerland, a non-EU member, as a model even for the vision of Europe. The country's [23] culturally heterogeneous cantons from four different language areas have come together to avoid being torn apart by the nationalistically acting political powers around them. 

Wherever there is a phenomenon of growing separately or growing together*in the family, between and within geographical regions, in inter-religious dialogue, in issues on globalization or simply between churches of different confessions, Christians, though believing in miracles, do not lethargically wait for God's intervention, but are called to seek change in people's hearts so that all may live life in abundance.

The Council's business sessions begin tomorrow with the Address of the President, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, and Report of the General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko. The LWF Treasurer, Mr Peter Stoll will deliver his report on September 2, after which the LWF governing body will move into Program Committee sessions, and report back to the plenary September 5 through 7. 
(745 words)

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 consisting of interpreters, invited guests, LWF staff persons 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)78-720 8021.

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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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