wfn.org | News in Brief, LWI No. 06 & 07/2009

["LWFNews" <LWFNews@lutheranworld.org>]

>LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION  
>LWI News online:
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New Indian Church Leader Seeks More Active Role for
Congregations 

The new leader of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC)
hopes to see the Indian church become more vibrant in its
mission. 
In office since 1 June 2009, AELC president Rev. Dr Suneel Bhanu
Busi, says it is time to reinvigorate local congregations in
their commitment to the gospel. 
Read more at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2400.EN.html

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Karl-Hinrich Manzke Elected Bishop in Schaumburg-Lippe 

The superintendent of Aurich Dr Karl-Hinrich Manzke has been
named bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany. The 51 year-old was elected on will be
installed on 17 October, replacing the retiring head of the
church Bishop Jürgen Johannesdotter. 
Full article at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2401.EN.html 

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Canada's Lutherans Resolve to Advocate for Peace in the Holy
Land 

Delegates attending the 2009 National Convention of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) passed a
multi-point resolution to support peace in the Holy Land. The
resolution, which inspired much discussion on the convention
floor, recognized the ongoing divisions between Muslims, Jews and
Christians in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It lamented
violence and oppression in that area, and directed the ELCIC to
support a secure Israeli state and a viable state for
Palestinians.
Read more
at:http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2402.EN.html

>*        *          *
>Asian Churches Grow Despite Adversities 

Lutheran church representatives from across the globe attending
the annual Mekong Mission Forum (MMF) and the three-yearly
Partners’ Consultation heard how churches in South-East Asia
are growing despite political and economic adversities. 

The 50 delegates participating in the meeting in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia, listened to reports about some churches in the region
that are able to work with government permission but with limited
scope. They are sometimes allowed to have a dedicated building
for worship, but are forbidden to publicly evangelize. Many
others must work secretly, meeting in private homes and moving
locations to avoid government scrutiny. 
Full article at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2403.EN.html 

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Autumn Synod Will Elect New Bishop to Lead Polish Church 

The Twelfth Synod of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg
Confession in Poland decided in April that this year's autumn
synod will elect a new bishop to lead the church. The synod said
the current church leader Bishop Janusz Jagucki will retire in
January 2010, following revelations about his cooperation with
the secret service of the People’s Republic of Poland during
his ministry as a pastor in Gizycko. 

In a letter to clergy, the church Synod Council said
investigators working on a historical commission set up by the
bishop in 2007 to examine infiltration of the church by security
organizations from 22 July 1944 to 31 July 1990, had discovered
files on Jagucki himself, which prompted him to resign from the
commission. 
Read more at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2404.EN.html

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Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission Begins Discussion on
Reformation Anniversary and "Baptism and Growth in Communion" 

The fifth round of the Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on
Unity had its first meeting, 19-24 July 2009 at the Christian
Jensen Kolleg in Breklum, Germany. The commission’s work will
focus first on the ecumenical significance of the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation and then on the topic "baptism and
growth in communion." 
 Read more at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2405.EN.html

>*        *          *

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