wfn.org | Lutheran Bishop Elected to Chair Ecumenical Council of

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

Lutheran Bishop Elected to Chair Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria
A Bridge Must Be Built to Young People

VIENNA, Austria/GENEVA, 25 October 2005 (LWI) * Bishop Herwig Sturm of the
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria has been elected
new chairperson of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria. He was
chosen by a large majority at the council's annual general meeting on
Tuesday, 18 October, in Vienna. His two-year term in office begins 1
January 2006. The bishop expressed thanks for the trust placed in him by
the 14 member churches of the council, which he described as a "great
social force," reports the Protestant Press Service, Austria.

In the light of the Christian message, it was also his responsibility, the
bishop said, to be concerned for vulnerable and marginalized people. "I
believe," he continued, "that we can all draw strength for a rewarding
future from the one Bible, and the one Sacrament of Baptism."

The Ecumenical Council is a learning community, which the bishop appreciates: "We learn to show understanding for the other churches, to see
ourselves as a community on the move, and are able and ready to work with
others in numerous areas of activity." In his view, it is a great gift
that the council understands itself as a spiritual community that can be
experienced through joint worship services and prayer, particularly on big
public occasions.

For the future, it is important that the council builds a bridge to young
people, the bishop said. The next generation needs to be brought to
understand ecumenical ideas and the reality of the ecumenical movement. He
further intends to expand inter-faith conversations "of quality and
growing mutual knowledge."

Austria's EU presidency in the first half of 2006 will offer a "fine
challenge" to seek and experience the depths of spirituality in a united
Europe. In this context, Sturm recalled the Charta Oecumenica, which
defines the churches' common responsibility in Europe.

Sturm succeeds Mother Superior Professor Christine Gleixner of the Roman
Catholic Church, who has chaired the council over the past six years.

The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria has about
322,000 members, and is a member of the Lutheran World Federation since
1947. (370 words)

(Evangelischer Pressedienst für Österreich - epdÖ/Protestant Press
Service, Austria)

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140
member churches in 78 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.)

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