wfn.org | LWI News in Brief No. 06/2005

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

LWI News in Brief No. 06/2005

+ Austria: General Synod Adopt Revised Church Constitution
+ David Miller, ELCA Magazine Editor Resigns, Accepts New Role
+ Udo Hahn, VELKD Press Officer, Moves to Protestant Body Church Office
+ North American Church Marks 35 Years of Women's Ordination

Austria: General Synod Adopt Revised Church Constitution

The General Synod of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic
Confessions in Austria has adopted a revised church constitution.

The document's adoption by the joint synod was preceded by intense
discussion that resulted in a series of changes particularly concerning
the formulation of the self-understanding of the church, and the tasks
that should be included in pastoral services. Other proposed amendments to
individual provisions were referred to the synod's Theological Committee
and Legal and Constitutional Committee. The committees will in turn
establish a joint sub-committee to deal with any unresolved matters. Some
sections of the amended constitution will still need to be revised in view
of the issue of gender equality.

As Prof. Raoul Knuecker, Deputy Oberkirchenrat for legal affairs stated
before the synod, the constitutional review was aimed at systematically
separating the fundamental constitutional rules from the individual
regulations, and "taking stock" of the statutes that govern the Protestant
church. Knuecker said this step was decisive for the development of the
church's legal affairs.

The requisite two-thirds majority adopted the revised constitution May 18
in Vienna. The new constitution, which was drafted by Oberkirchenrat
Robert Kauer and retired Landessuperintendent Peter Karner, is based on
one dated 1949.

The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Austria
is a union of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria
with around 322,000 members, and the Evangelical Church of the Helvetic
Confession in Austria, with 19,500 members. The Evangelical Church of the
Augsburg Confession in Austria has been a member church of the Lutheran
World Federation since 1947.	(274 words)

(Adapted from a contribution by Austria's Protestant Press Service,
epdÖ.)

* * *

David Miller, ELCA Magazine Editor Resigns, Accepts New Role

Rev. David L. Miller resigned effective June 30 as editor of The Lutheran,
the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He
accepted a five-year term as Dean of the Chapel and the first Floy L. and
Paul F. Cornelsen Director of Spiritual Formation at the Lutheran School
of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).

ELCA Presiding Bishop, Mark S. Hanson announced that Sonia C. Solomonson,
managing editor, will serve as the magazine's interim editor.

At the LSTC, Miller, 52, will offer courses and retreats in spiritual
formation, coordinate the seminary's worship life and develop a center for
spiritual formation, an LSTC news release stated. The LSTC is one of eight
ELCA seminaries.

Miller had served on The Lutheran editorial staff since 1987. He was first
elected the magazine's editor at the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and
re-elected at the 2003 Churchwide Assembly. During his tenure, the
magazine received several awards for outstanding writing, photography and
design. Before joining The Lutheran staff, Miller was pastor at Salem
Lutheran Church, Superior, Nebraska, and St Mark's Lutheran Church,
Olathe, Kansas.

He is married to Dixie Miller, and they have two adult children

The Lutheran is at http://www.thelutheran.org on the Web. (207 words)

(ELCA News Service)

*   *	*

Udo Hahn, VELKD Press Officer, Moves to Protestant Body Church Office

Oberkirchenrat Udo Hahn assumed leadership of the Media and Public
Relations unit of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). In late
January, the EKD Council appointed Hahn, 43, a pastor of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Bavaria, as successor to Oberkirchenrat Robert
Mehlhose, who retired in early 2004. Since 1999, Hahn has been the Press
and Public Relations Officer of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Germany (VELKD), and for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) German
National Committee (GNC), headquartered in Hanover Germany.

Before moving to Hanover, the theologian and journalist was, among other
things, head of the "Christ and the World/Protestant Church" unit of the
weekly newspaper "Rheinischer Merkur." He studied Protestant Theology in
Erlangen, Neuendettelsau and Munich, in Germany.

The EKD brings together 24 Lutheran, Reformed and United regional churches
in Germany. The VELKD is an association of eight regional Lutheran
churches in Bavaria, Brunswick, Hanover, Mecklenburg, North Elbia, Saxony,
Schaumburg-Lippe and Thuringia. The LWF/GNC represents 13 Lutheran
churches with a combined membership of over 13 million people.	(181
words)

*   *	*

North American Church Marks 35 Years of Women's Ordination

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) celebrates the 35th
anniversary of women's ordination this year, statistics indicate that for
the first time, the number of women who were ordained has surpassed men.
According to the ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation, 155 women
were ordained in 2003, compared to 151 men. In 2002 and 2001, the numbers
were close: 143 men and 140 women, and 156 men and 153 women respectively.
The 35th anniversary of ordination will be marked at the Women of the ELCA
Triennial Gathering in San Antonio in July, and at the August Churchwide
Assembly in Orlando, Florida. Out of the ELCA's 65 synodical bishops,
seven are women.

The ELCA, with nearly five million members, is the second largest member
church of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Four ELCA women bishops
participated in a recent consultation of women bishops and presidents from
among the LWF member churches worldwide. The issues of women's ordination
and equal access to leadership in the churches were some of the topics
discussed at the conference held at the LWF Geneva secretariat, June
16-19. (192 words)

(Adapted from the ELCA magazine, The Lutheran.)

*   *	*

(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 total 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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