wfn.org | German Protestant Church Convention, a Gift to the Wider

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

German Protestant Church Convention, a Gift to the Wider Church
LWF General Secretary: Need to Reformulate Pastoral Education Programs

GENEVA, 10 June 2005 (LWI) * The General Secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has described the German
Protestant Church Convention (DEKT) "Kirchentag" as a gift to the wider,
universal church. In an interview with Lutheran World Information (LWI),
Noko said worldwide understanding of the convention as "our Kirchentag,"
would be an important signal in a globalized world. 

The biennial convention of Christian lay movements, held in Germany,
represents a unique possibility for participating organizations,
including churches, to present their message to the public, Noko said.
Reflecting on his own participation in the May 25-29 event in Hanover,
the general secretary said the public, on the other hand, has an
opportunity to respond. 

The Kirchentag sets important markers, particularly as a Christian lay
movement. Its strength lies in the fact that it takes place each time in
a different German city. 

Noko said he was impressed by the significant number of representatives
from political and business circles at the gathering who delivered
speeches and responded to questions, thereby rendering themselves
publicly accountable. 

The convention, he said, also represents an important education forum.
It was clear in Hanover that programs for pastoral formation need
adaptation to 21st century challenges with the aim to equip pastors for
their leadership role.

Sunday worship was a key issue for Noko, including the question as to
whether worship should be held on Sundays only. This year's event, the
30th Kirchentag, had again clearly demonstrated that there were a number
of innovative and acceptable alternative ways to observe worship. Being
open to celebrations with representatives of other Christian confessions
in the same shared open space available to other religions was part of
this consideration, Noko said. 

The LWF General Secretary participated in a student's forum that
reflected on the question, "Is faith the answer?" under the topic "How
Do We Want to Live?" He also took part in the mid-decade liturgical
celebration of the World Council of Churches' initiative, Decade to
Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace, 2001-2010.

Noko co-celebrated the Eucharist with Bishop Dr Margot Kaessmann,
leader of the Kirchentag host church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Hanover. 

Prior to the Kirchentag, Noko had attended the Global Network Congress
held May 23-25 at the Protestant Academy Loccum in Germany. The meeting,
under the theme "Values * Economics * Global Community," was attended by
160 Kirchentag experts from 35 countries. Business people, media and
political experts, and representatives of religious communities and
churches discussed globalization.

According to the organizers, some 400,000 people visited the
Kirchentag, including 5,000 international guests from 90 countries.
Around 105,000 daily visitors participated in its 3,000 events.

DEKT President, Prof. Eckhard Nagel foresees the possibility of opening
up the bi-annual convention to the rest of Europe and developing it into
a global-level meeting. The Kirchentag, he notes, already is the largest
Christian lay movement in the world.

Established in 1949 as an independent Protestant lay movement, DEKT
understands itself as a "free movement of people brought together by
Christian faith and their commitment for the future of the church and
the world." (532 words)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 66 million. 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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