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- Saxon Church Leader Bohl is New VELKD Deputy Bishop - New VELKD Web Site - Church of Norway Synod Agrees Procedure for Clergy in Same-Sex Partnerships - Canada's Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission Commends Church Collaboration - LWF President Hanson Among World Religious Leaders Featured on Television Program
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Saxon Church Leader Bohl is New VELKD Deputy Bishop The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony Bishop Jochen Bohl has been named deputy to the presiding bishop of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD). The VELKD Bishops' Conference appointed Bohl to succeed Bishop Hermann Beste (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg) who retired on 31 July, having held the position since 2001. The VELKD is an association of eight Lutheran churches in Bavaria, Brunswick, Hanover, Mecklenburg, North Elbia, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe and Thuringia, representing nearly 9.8 million Lutherans. It is headed by presiding Bishop Dr Johannes Friedrich (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria). (104 words) * * * New VELKD Web Site Since mid-October the web site of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) has a completely new look and feel. According to VELKD spokesperson Oberkirchenrat Udo Hahn, www.velkd.de now offers users a broader range of topics and services. This includes information about worship, liturgical matters, and the ecclesiastical year. According to Hahn, the site www.velkd.de receives around 250,000 visits per month. The new VELKD web site was developed and deployed by the Munich firm âchurch upâ (www.church-up.de). (81 words) * * * Church of Norway Synod Agrees Procedure for Clergy in Same-Sex Partnerships The Church [Lutheran] of Norway general synod has agreed that appointment to ordained ministry of persons living in registered same-sex partnerships is the responsibility of individual bishops and appointing bodies. According to a Church of Norway news release, a majority of delegates at the 16-17 November general synod meeting in the southern city of Oyer decided to change the synod's 1995 and 1997 general guidelines that allowed persons living in registered, same-sex partnerships to hold some positions in the church, but not positions of ordained ministry. Under the recent agreement, the ecclesial bodies responsible for appointments can either appoint, or not appoint, persons living in same-sex partnerships, without violating Norwegian law or general synod guidelines. The synod stressed the need for continued dialogue on the issue within the Church of Norway and ecumenically, in keeping with statements of both the church's Doctrinal Commission and the Bishops' Conference. It noted its decision took into account the recommendation of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council at its March 2007 meeting in Lund, Sweden, on the subject of respectful communication in the churches on this matter. The LWF guidelines, among other things, invite the member churches to read Scripture in light of its central message of salvation in Jesus Christ and justification by faith alone, and to address the issues and potential disagreements in question from that perspective. (237 words) (See www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/2007_Council/Task_Force_Report-EN.pdf for LWF Council report on proposed guidelines and processes for respectful dialogue on marriage, family and human sexuality.) The full text of the Church of Norway synod decision is available at: www.kirken.no/english/doc/engelsk/KM07_vedtak_vigsl_homol_eng.pdf
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Canada's Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission Commends Church Collaboratio n Six years after the establishment of a full communion relationship between the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission (JALC) has commended both churches for their growing collaboration. The commission encouraged the ACC and ELCIC congregations "to be imaginative in discovering ways to celebrate and work together." The JALC made the appeal following its 22 to 25 November meeting at St Paul's Anglican Church in Toronto, Canada, during which representatives from both churches reviewed the work of the past six years of full communion and planned for the next six years. "At a time when much of our attention is focused on divisions within the Christian communions we represent, we share with Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada that there is much in which to rejoice and many reasons to look forward to our churches working collaboratively in many areas of mission and ministry," the JALC stated in a communiquà at the end of its meeting. The commission stressed the need to focus on "the public face of our churches," especially in addressing together matters of human need and global concerns, shared congregational ministries, training for lay and ordained ministry, and the understanding of diaconal ministry formation, among others. At the JALC meeting, ACC Primate Archbishop Fred Hiltz and ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson spoke of their hopes for the future as both churches continue to grow into the full communion established in Waterloo in 2001. The Waterloo Declaration was formally endorsed by the ACC and ELCIC governing bodies in Waterloo, Ontario in July 2001. It allows both churches to share resources and work closely together on common goals while maintaining their distinct identities. The ACC includes nearly 642,000 members in 30 dioceses with around 1,790 parishes. The ELCIC is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination with 174,500 members in five synods comprising 624 congregations. It joined the Lutheran World Federation in 1986. (327 words) * * * LWF President Hanson Among World Religious Leaders Featured on Television Program The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is among faith leaders from different parts of the world to be featured in a two-hour United States' prime time television program titled "In Godâs Name." It will be broadcast on 23 December at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on CBS, a New York-based television and radio production facility. Produced by French film makers Jules and Gedeon Naudet, the special program to be aired at explores "complex questions of our time through the intimate thoughts and beliefs of 12 of the world's most influential spiritual leaders," according to a CBS news release. The spiritual leaders "speak out about violence and hatred and reveal their own thoughts about faith, peace, unity, tolerance and hope. Viewers will see them in intimate settings, including their homes and personal places of worship." The LWF president said, "It is a great honor to be included among such diverse and distinguished global religious leaders as those featured in 'In Godâs Name.'" He expressed his hope that the LWF and ELCA members would "regard this as a strong affirmation of our shared witness to our Christian faith and our commitment to work with people of all faiths for a most just and peaceful world and a sustainable creation." This is the first time some of the world's religious leaders have appeared together in one broadcast, said Ava Odom Martin, director for public media, ELCA Communication Services. (261 words) (ELCA News)
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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 66.7 million. The LWF acts on behalf of it s member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith 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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