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LWF Executive Committee Action on Church Conflict Issue Emphasis on âGrowing Sense of Communionâ GENEVA, 20 December 2007 (LWI) - At its recent meeting, the Executive Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) stated its concern about interference of a Finnish mission organization in the LWF member church in Zambia. In a statement adopted at its 30 November to 1 December meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, the Executive Committee said it "shares the concerns" raised by the LWF Vice-President for the African region Bishop Dr Zephania Kameeta that members of the Lutheran Evangelical Association in Finland (LEAF) were intervening "in a church-divisive manner" in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZ). Kameeta is bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia. The ELCZ has over 5,600 members, and joined the LWF in 2002. It is led by assistant senior pastor, Rev. Rabson Mwanza. The LWF governing body said its action "is taken in the spirit of the growing sense of communion within the member churches at the Lutheran World Federation who understand ourselves to be members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Jesus Christ." LEAF is one of the recognized mission organizations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, an LWF member church since 1947. On its Web site, LEAF states it does both domestic and overseas missionary work, with the aim to propagate the gospel of Christ, and to circulate literature that conforms to the Bible, and to the Lutheran confession. It was founded in 1873. The LWF Executive Committee normally meets twice a year. It comprises the LWF President - Bishop Mark S. Hanson (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the Treasurer, Vice-Presidents and chairpersons of the Program Committees. (286 words) * * * (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 its 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.)
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