New Namibian Bishop Seeks More Trust, Less Fear Lutheran Churches Find Strength on Road to Unity
WINDHOEK, Namibia/GENEVA, 17 October 2006 (LWI) * After election as bishop of the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN-GELC) in September 2005, Rev. Erich Hertel took up his new position in Windhoek, Namibia, in May 2006. This was at a time when the nation's three Lutheran churches were coming closer to constituting their own united church council of Namibian Evangelical Lutheran churches. They had been divided for decades throughout a national history of colonialism and apartheid.
This effort toward Lutheran church unity was certainly one of the reasons why Hertel was willing to take on responsibilities as a church leader. ?I see this as a very important task. I will be able to make use of my experience in southern Africa, and will strive to build mutual trust and reduce mutual fear,? he said in an interview with the Lutheran World Information (LWI).
According to the bishop, the fear is indeed somewhat tangible within the ELCIN-GELC, not least because of its size. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) with 652,000 members, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) with 350,000, greatly outnumber the ELCIN-GELC?s 5,200 German-speaking members. But when Hertel speaks of the ?greatness and generosity of everyone involved,? this reflects the united church council?s provisional constitution, which virtually allows the ELCIN-GELC an equal voice on matters. The leaderships of the three churches are to delegate a total of 15 members from their ranks to the new council, including bishops, general secretaries and treasurers. One representative from each church, in rotation, will take responsibility for the various council positions for a two-year term.
The differences in language, history, and culture of the three Lutheran churches loom large in the process of overcoming any reservation toward growing together. ?I think that one must take the question of language very seriously,? Hertel said. ?People connect language with their identity and their self-understanding. And one may not deal with this lightly. We will need to find a common language that all can use to express themselves. This should not, however, dissolve the differences between languages, but should create opportunities for everyone to come together. Our aim is to benefit from greater unity, and to realize that this is not about German, English, Herero, and so on, but about us as Christians bearing witness to our world, even with all our differences, even with our variety of language.?
This September, the ELCIN-GELC and ELCIN synods agreed on a constitution for a common church leadership. The ELCRN has agreed to it in principle, but sees further need for clarification on some matters. The United Church Council is scheduled to convene for the first time in early 2007, and Hertel places great importance on keeping grassroots work in mind. ?The fear of dialogue is often the greatest obstacle to change. I therefore feel that discussion is very important.? He also sees great importance in joining together at the local level to develop new approaches, like at the meetings that have been held among young people and women from all three churches. This is precisely the type of meeting, in which ?new actions can arise from new thought,? he concluded. (541 words)
(By LWI correspondent Erika von Wietersheim in Windhoek, Namibia.)
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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 66.2 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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