The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Church Council (NCC) met in Winnipeg, September 9-11, 2010. Council members conduct the business of the church between National Conventions.

With committee meetings taking place on Thursday morning and afternoon, the formal portion of the meeting began on Thursday evening with an Opening Worship Service including Holy Communion. ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson presided at the service, Rev. Trish Schmermund (Synod of Alberta and the Territories ordained member) preached and was also the meeting chaplain.

Council Welcomes Representatives and Guests
In addition to NCC members, Synod Bishops, and National Office senior staff in attendance at the meeting, the council welcomed Cynthia Haines Turner who serves as the new representative from the Anglican Church of Canada’s Council of General Synod (COGS). Else Thompson, executive director of human resources, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) was present for the meeting on behalf of the ELCA. Also at the meeting were the officers from the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod who attended as part of the preparation for the joint COGS-NCC meeting that will take place in the spring of 2011. Officers from the ELCIC will attend the COGS in November 2010.

Dwelling in the Word
Four individuals led Dwelling in the Word (DITW) sessions where each shared a memory or reflection on a scripture passage that is important to them. Usually detailing a personal experience, DITW is a regular component of NCC meetings and are one way NCC lives out its vision to foster a climate of spirited discipleship and share personal faith. At this meeting NCC members heard DITW reflections from: Ken Hartviksen, treasurer; Saskatchewan Synod Bishop Cindy Halmarson; Carl Sorenson, lay representative from the Synod of Alberta and the Territories; and Rev. Paul Gehrs, Assistant to the Bishop, Justice and Leadership. Videos of the DITW sessions can be viewed online: www.elcic.ca/national-church-council/default.cfm.

Strategic Priorities and Work of the National Office Top NCC Agenda
A significant portion of the agenda for the fall NCC meeting was devoted to reviewing the work of the National Office and how it aligns with the strategic priorities of the church. Council spent time in small and large group discussions discerning priorities and key areas of focus among the work. The council also spent time discussing the many partnerships of the ELCIC and passed a motion directing the National Bishop to review current partnerships based on a set of criteria identified by NCC and report back at the March 2011 meeting. The council will do further work on priority setting before the Spring 2011 NCC meeting by using an online survey tool and holding an e-meeting.

Evaluation Affirms National Bishop’s Leadership
ELCIC Vice President Sheila Hamilton reported on a review conducted by NCC Officers on the work of the ELCIC’s National Bishop. The review was completed through questionnaires distributed to NCC members, Synod Bishops, and National Office staff, and one-on-one interviews which included seven of the ELCIC’s ecumenical partners. The evaluation focused on: what the Bishop is doing well that should be continued, what needs to be changed, what needs to be stopped or delegated, and what more could be done. Hamilton reported that the manner in which the National Bishop, "executes her role as the public face of the church is well respected and applauded, and that reflects well on [the ELCIC] as a whole." NCC unanimously approved a motion to affirm the leadership and ministry of Bishop Johnson and commended her for her service to the church.

Next Meeting
The next meeting of NCC will be held concurrently with the Anglican Church of Canada’s Council of General Synod. That meeting will take place March 31 to April 3, 2011.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National and Synod Bishops issued a pastoral letter to the church and to the Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Centre, Gainesville, Florida. In the text of their letter the Bishops urged that, "anyone who would contemplate such actions as would be hurtful and painful to people of other faiths, and which would call into question our own pledge to love our neighbours as ourselves, to seek a more excellent way as we engage people of other faiths." The following is the text from the letter:

A pastoral letter to our church and to the Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, Gainesville, Florida

Grace be yours and peace.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever
is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

In a world wherein conflict and enmity are the bread and butter of the evening news; in a world wherein conflict and enmity are ancient realities; in a world wherein hurts and pains too deep for words are etched in the faces of sisters and brothers everywhere; in such a world as this the burning of the sacred writings of any people is an affront to all that is honourable, just and pure.

Our own ancient scriptures teach us that we are to love our God above all and our neighbours as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

As Christian leaders, we urge anyone who would contemplate such actions as would be hurtful and painful to people of other faiths, and which would call into question our own pledge to love our neighbours as ourselves, to seek a more excellent way as we engage people of other faiths.

Let us love one another as we have been loved. Let us refrain from the language of hate and hurt. Let us refrain from such actions as would not be honourable, just or pure.

As we have opportunity, let us pledge ourselves to honest inquiry and open dialogue with our neighbours of every faith.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Rev. Dr Greg Mohr
Synod Bishop
British Columbia Synod

The Rev. Ron Mayan
Synod Bishop
Synod of Alberta and the Territories

The Rev. Cindy Halmarson
Synod Bishop
Saskatchewan Synod

The Rev. Elaine Sauer
Synod Bishop
Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod

The Rev. Michael Pryse
Synod Bishop
Eastern Synod

A pdf version of the letter is available online: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/PastoralLetterSept2010.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The September 30 deadline for members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) to provide feedback on the Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality is quickly approaching. Feedback provided on the document will be carefully considered by the ELCIC’s Human Sexuality Task Force and used to make further revisions to the document which will be brought before National Church Council (NCC) in February 2011.

“We are once again going back to our members and partners and asking for feedback, this time on the draft social statement,” says Judy Wry, chair of the Human Sexuality Task Force. “Feedback is critical to the process. On behalf of the members of the task force, I would like to thank everyone who has or will be taking the time to review the draft social statement and provide us with their thoughts and suggestions. The task force will be reviewing, compiling and considering all the feedback that is provided."

ELCIC members were first invited to respond to the draft when it was released on April 15, 2010. The draft social statement follows a church-wide initiative that saw ELCIC members participating in an ELCIC Study of Human Sexuality. The study, which was also prepared by the task force, engaged members of the church in dialogue and respectful conversation as part of a consultative process to generate feedback and inform the process of drafting a social statement.

Following a review of the statement by NCC, it is intended that it will be presented to the 2011 ELCIC National Convention. Delegates to the convention must endorse the final document if it is to become a social statement.

Within the ELCIC, "a social statement is a theological and ethical document that provides a foundation for understanding God’s living word in the light of the changing realities of the modern world. A social statement seeks to provide the social analysis and theological basis for the collective ELCIC understanding of a continuing crucial issue that arises out of the mission of the ELCIC." The social statement seeks to explore what it means to live faithfully when facing a variety of sexuality matters, such as identity, personal relationships, gender discrimination, marriage, family life, abuse and human trafficking. The draft of the Social Statement on Human Sexuality seeks to find words that the ELCIC holds in common regarding human sexuality.

To view the Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality, visit the following website: https://elcic.ca/Human-Sexuality/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute (LCBI) announces the appointment of Rev. Roger Pannell Haugen to the position of president.

Rev. Haugen comes to LCBI from his position as Assistant to the Bishop, Saskatchewan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), where he has served for 6 years. Rev. Haugen has a long history with LCBI and is an alumnus of the school himself. He has also served on staff previously in the academic department.

"These are exciting times for Christian education. Leadership development is an ever increasing need for the church and the community,” says Rev. Haugen. “LCBI is wonderfully placed to nurture discipleship for the church and God’s world. I look forward to working with such wonderful young people who want to be active in God’s mission in the world."

Rev. Haugen will begin on October 1, 2010.

LCBI, located in Outlook, Saskatchewan, has been a school of the ELCIC since 1916 and is a co-ed residential school offering grades 10-12. LCBI began in 1911 and is celebrating 100 years in 2011.

Further information on LCBI is available online: http://www.lcbi.sk.ca/begin_index.htm

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), through its partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), is appealing to its members for financial support for relief operations underway to assist the people of Pakistan.

“As we continue to hear more about the devastating effects that flooding has had on Pakistan, it is important that we help our brothers and sisters,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “We are asking all ELCIC members to keep the people of Pakistan in their prayers and assist with the need for emergency assistance by donating to the appeal.”

Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan, which began on July 21, 2010, have caused the worst flooding in at least 80 years, leaving millions of people in need of emergency assistance. The floods, triggered by heavy monsoon rain, have forced 2 million people from their homes and affected about 14 million people. Floods have now inundated hundreds of square kilometers of Asia – from Pakistan’s northwest, to southern coastal states of India – and are likely to worsen.

The ELCIC and CLWR work in effective partnership to challenge the causes and respond to the consequences of injustice and poverty. Funds received by CLWR will be channeled through the ACT Alliance, a 142 member international ecumenical coalition. ACT member Church World Service was on the ground when the floods began and is providing front line emergency food and health aid.

This aid includes distribution of seventy tons of food items in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is complete, and an additional seventy tons of food items will be distributed in Allai. Procurement of an additional 490 tons of food items is underway. Health services are being provided as needed. Current flood-related assistance is reaching 155,200 beneficiaries in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Balochistan.

In order to better respond to the needs of the people of Pakistan, the Government of Canada will match eligible donations made from August 2 until September 12, 2010.

Donations may be made in the following ways:

1. ELCIC members are asked to donate to the appeal by making a designated offering donation for “Pakistan Flood 2010” through their ELCIC congregation.
2. Donations may also be made through CLWR.

• Online at www.clwr.org/donate. Chose the “General Donation” option. On the form’s drop-down menu, chose Pakistan Flood 2010.
• By credit card over the phone by calling toll-free: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, call: 204.694.5602.
• By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to 303-392 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to Pakistan Flood 2010.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

“Do you love God enough to just throw it all away?” was the question youth were challenged with as they were sent from the 2010 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) Gathering to go back to their families, congregations, and communities and “throw away” the seeds of grace and mercy received from God.

In this final of six Large Group Gatherings, CLAY 2010 participants heard the Parable of the Sower. “The seeds are precious. Seeds are life itself,” said keynote speaker The Rev’d Canon William Cliff, Rector of The Collegiate Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, Huron College, and parish priest for Huron University College and the Anglican Community at the University of Western Ontario. “[The seeds are] your hope, your future, your body, mind and soul. It is God who gives them growth. It is our job to throw away the grace and mercy [the seeds] we have received.” Cliff encouraged youth to share the seeds they have received from God and “cast them widely.”

“This is my prayer for you. Will you please be foolish with it?” Cliff pleaded, once again referring to the seeds of grace and mercy given by God. “It is terrifying [but] trust that there is just enough, more than enough, for you and all your needs.”

Throughout CLAY 2010, youth have heard the message of how they can be “hands on,” the theme of the gathering, and be more involved in God’s work, reaching out, passing on God’s grace, and transforming lives.

In addition to large group gathering times, participants attended forums, had time together in their Home Team groups, worshiped together and were “hands on” at a servant event in which they helped create “We Care” packages made up of essential items such as toiletries and warm socks. The youth participants donated the 10,878 items which were packaged into 582 “We Care” kits assembled at the gathering. The kits will be donated throughout the London, Ontario community through programs at Daily Bread and The Fellowship Centre.

CLAY 2010 took place August 19-22 in London, Ontario. The gathering takes place every two years and involves youth between the ages of 14-19. This was the first joint gathering between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada. It was attended by almost 1000 youth.

The 2012 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth gathering will take place is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Further information on the gathering, along with highlights, are available on the CLAY website at www.clay2010.ca and on the Facebook page for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

In a room packed to capacity almost 1000 Lutheran and Anglican youth from across Canada came together for the start of the 2010 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering taking place in downtown London, Ontario, August 19-22.

They travelled by bus, plane, car and train to get here and yet in some ways the journey has just begun. Over the next four days, youth will participate in worship, prayer, large group gatherings, Home Team time, smaller forums, and servant events – all part of CLAY 2010.

The first of six large group gatherings kicked off the four-day event with a live band, drama troupe, a “parade of Bishops,” and keynote speaker – The Rev’d Canon William Cliff, Rector of The Collegiate Chapel of St. John the Evangelist at Huron University College and parish priest for Huron University College and the Anglican Community at the University of Western Ontario.

“I want scripture to come alive for you,” exclaimed Cliff as he laid out three ground rules for the youth to follow for his presentations during the gathering and for when reading scripture in general. The rules included: The Gospel is always astonishing; The Gospel is never fair – “because the Gospel is about grace”; and God always acts first. “We are going to find the most unfair, grace-filled, astonishing reading in which God acts first,” declared Cliff.

Cliff appealed to the technologically savvy youth by looking up the scripture reading for his keynote on his Bible, “which looks like an iPad,” he joked. Speaking of the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, from the Gospel of Matthew, Cliff challenged youth to consider “how much is enough in the kingdom of God?”

In the text each labourer received one denarius, the standard daily wage at the time. “One measure is enough, no need for more, no need for less,” said Cliff, “It is a strange message for us to hear – you and I have been surrounded all our life with the message that more is better!”

Cliff challenged youth in the church to stand up and find their place. “We need you,” he said. “If we don’t have you, we don’t have a now, let alone a future.”

The Rev. Michael Pryse, Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and The Right Rev. Robert Bennett, Bishop of the Diocese of Huron in the Anglican Church of Canada, brought greetings on behalf of the host synod/diocese.

Pryse spoke of how the gathering theme, Hands Up, can be interpreted as a “posture of gratitude” in many different languages and cultures. “This week you will uncover many pearls in one another, in worship, in laughter, in the large group gatherings – let’s do it with our hands up!” he said.

In addition to large group gathering times, participants will attend forums which will allow them to meet in smaller groups and discuss topics such as emerging church, what the church looks like from an Aboriginal perspective, how youth can engage with justice issues globally and locally in meaningful ways, and peer-led workshops on friendship, grieving, life choices and forgiveness.

The gathering takes place every two years and involves youth between the ages of 14-19. This is the first joint gathering between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada.

Further information on the gathering, along with highlights are available on the CLAY website at www.clay2010.ca and on the Facebook page for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Almost 1,000 youth from across Canada will converge in London, Ontario from August 19-22 to take part in the 2010 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering. Youth will participate in a variety of events and acts of service, advocacy and prayer.

The gathering theme, "Hands On", will call on youth to “explore how God’s hands are on us, forming us into the people we are and the people we are becoming,” says Rev. Paul Gehrs, assistant to the bishop for justice and leadership at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and a member of the CLAY planning committee.

The theme will also encourage youth to explore how being hands on is an invitation to be involved in God’s work of showing love for the world in word and deed. Youth will be encouraged to consider various ways they can use their hands to praise God, serve their neighbour and build community.

The gathering theme is drawn from Isaiah 64:8b, using the image of a potter working with clay to describe one’s relationship with God, “…we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hands.”

Organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada, the national gathering takes place every two years and is aimed at youth ages 14-19.

In between gatherings, youth work together on a two-year National Youth Project (NYP). The 2008-2010 NYP called on youth to engage more fully in the Stewardship of Creation through leadership in their congregations and communities. The 2010-2012 NYP calls on youth to assist with equipping developing communities with the resources they need to be sustainable.

Highlights from the gathering will be available online at: www.clay2010.ca.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Bishop Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) has been elected President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) by the Eleventh Assembly here, a gathering of 418 delegates and others from the LWF member churches.

Three hundred and sixty registered delegates voted, representing 140 member churches from 79 countries. Rt Rev. Dr Younan received 300 votes affirming his election, 23 against; there were 37 abstentions. There were no other nominees.

Younan, 59, succeeds Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who has been President of the LWF since the organization’s last Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, in 2003.

Ordained in 1976 after study in Palestine and gaining a degree from Helsinki [Finland] University, Younan was a youth pastor and teacher in his homeland. From 1976 to 1979 he was pastor of the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem and he has also served parishes in Beit Jala and Ramallah. He studied at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and he holds an honorary doctorate, granted by Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.

The president-elect has headed his church body since 1998 and was the third Palestinian bishop of the church founded by Germans in the nineteenth century and previously led by clergy from Germany. A member of the LWF since 1974, the ELCJHL has about 3,000 members.

The bishop was the first to translate the Augsburg Confession, a key document of the Lutheran Church, into Arabic.

Younan is a former vice-president of the LWF, is president of the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches and serves with three Jerusalem patriarchs and nine other bishops on the International Christian Committee of Jerusalem. He is also a co-founder of the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land, made up of the two chief rabbis of Israel, heads of the local churches, the Chief Judge of the Islamic Court in Palestine and other Muslim leaders.

He is the author of Witnessing for Peace, a book about the search for peace in his homeland and numerous articles on churches and the search for peace in the Holy Land.

His wife, Suad, is Director of the Helen Keller School in the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Hanina, which educates visually-impaired children. She is also the chair of the women’s committee of the ELCJHL.

The couple has three children and one grandchild.

*******

See the Assembly Web site for more information and resources including the theme video for downloading and other video reflections; news stories, features, photos and blog feeds; the handbook, Assembly Updates and Study Materials: www.lwf-assembly.org

About 1,000 people – including 418 delegates from member churches – are participating in the Assembly which takes place in the Liederhalle convention center in Stuttgart. Participants also include invited ecumenical observers, official visitors, interpreters and translators, stewards, members of the LWF staff and co-opted staff, accredited journalists and volunteers. The event is hosted by the Lutheran Church in Württemberg.

The Assembly is the highest decision making body of the LWF, held approximately every six years. The last Assembly was held in Winnipeg, Canada in July 2003 on the theme "For the healing of the world".

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF now has 145 member churches in 79 countries around the world, representing more than 70 million Christians. LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication and the various aspects of mission and development. Its secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

In what Bishop Mark S. Hanson, President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), described as possibly “the most significant legacy this Assembly will leave,” the Eleventh Assembly of the LWF took the historic step of asking the Mennonites for forgiveness for past persecutions. Delegates unanimously approved a statement calling Lutherans to express their regret and sorrow for past wrongdoings towards Anabaptists and asking for forgiveness.

Hanson described the act of repentance and reconciliation as “communion building and communion defining. “We will not just look back; we will also look towards together to God’s promised future.”

Through the adoption of the statement titled, “Action on the Legacy of Lutheran Persecution of Anabaptists”, Lutherans repented for violent persecution of Anabaptists and for the ways in which Lutheran reformers supported persecutions with theological arguments. The statement asks for forgiveness “from God and from our Mennonite sisters and brothers” for past wrongdoings and the ways in which Lutherans subsequently forgot or ignored this persecution and have continued to describe Anabaptists in misleading and damaging ways.

The statement was based on work done by the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission, 2005-2009, who produced the report, “Healing of Memories: Reconciling in Christ,” which was approved by the LWF Council in 2009.

Several delegates spoke in favour of adopting the statement. Archbishop Nemuel Babba of The Lutheran Church of Christ of Nigeria told delegates he felt like crying as the full statement was read to the Assembly. “’Forgiveness’ is a difficult word for everyone to pronounce,” he said. “[But] today has marked a milestone for two groups coming together because of the word ‘forgiveness’.”

In introducing the vote, Hanson called on Assembly delegates and others present in the plenary hall to indicate their endorsement of the statement by kneeling or standing in silence. In a watershed moment in the life of the LWF and Lutheran-Mennonite relations, the LWF President announced the statement unanimously endorsed “in a spirit of great humility.”

Mennonite World Conference Responds to Lutheran Repentance

“Today, in this place, we together – Lutherans and Anabaptist Mennonites – are fulfilling the rule of Christ,” said Rev. Dr Danisa Ndlovu, President of the Mennonite World Conference, in an emotion-filled address to the Assembly.

He confessed that Mennonites were painfully aware of their own inadequacy. “We cannot bring ourselves to this table with heads held high. We can only come bowed down in great humility and in the fear of the Lord. We cannot come to this point and fail to see our own sinfulness. We cannot come to this point without recognizing our own need for God’s grace and forgiveness.”

In a symbolic act of reconciliation and servanthood, Ndlovu presented Hanson with a wooden foot-washing tub, saying that it represented the Mennonites’ commitment to a future “when the distinguishing mark of Lutheran and Anabaptist-Mennonite relationships is boundless love and unfailing service.” Ndlovu described how, in some Anabaptist and Mennonite churches, the practice of foot-washing has long been maintained. “It is in our vulnerability to one another that God’s miraculous, transforming and reconciling presence is made visible in the world.”

Accepting the gift, Hanson said, “In this and so many other ways, we will continue to follow [the Mennonite] example, and in this most significant day in our life there may be no more public example of reconciliation.”

Remembering, Forgiveness and Envisioning the Future Together

In a solemn and powerful service of repentance, the LWF Eleventh Assembly, along with members of the Mennonite community, came together to reflect on the painful past that has caused divisions between Lutherans and Mennonites for hundreds of years. The order of service called worshippers to “remember how Anabaptist Christians knew suffering and persecution, and how some of the most honoured Reformation leaders defended this persecution in the name of faithfulness.”

The service, which followed the unanimous approval by the Eleventh Assembly of the statement, “Action on the Legacy of Lutheran Persecution of Anabaptists,” included testimonies by Mennonites about the persecution and its legacies, including the impact on small communities, and the ways in which Lutheran leaders – sometimes against their own best insights – gave theological support to civil authorities who persecuted Anabaptists.

Also providing a testimony was Rev. Dr Larry Miller, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference and Co-Secretary of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission. He spoke of the power and burdens of the martyrs’ stories within the Mennonite context as they continue to live in contemporary communities. “From the beginning of the movement, Anabaptists interpreted their persecution as a confirmation of faithful Christian discipleship,” said Miller. “Over the centuries and around the world, stories of faithful suffering became a vital shaper of Anabaptist-Mennonite identity.”

Miller confessed that Anabaptist-Mennonite communities are also “in need of healing and forgiveness. In this action between us there is, for Anabaptist-Mennonites also, the promise of release and renewal.”

Following prayers of confession, led by Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, LWF General Secretary, the service moved into “envisioning the future together” and sowing the seeds of reconciliation and peace. Testimonies were shared on the witness of the promise of cooperation between Lutherans and Mennonites in Columbia, witness to Lutheran interpretation of the Augsburg Confession, which makes explicit the changed relations with Anabaptist Christians, and witness to the promise of new collaborations in Canada.

In their testimonies, Rev. Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, and Janet Plenert, Executive Secretary, Witness, Mennonite Church Canada and Vice-President of the Mennonite World Conference, spoke of how Canadian churches have worked together for years through ecumenical forums in the areas of advocacy, peace, and relief and development.

“Now we feel a call to deepen this relationship,” said Johnson, who described how the two churches have begun to develop a joint congregational resource that will assist in learning more about the shared history between the churches and help to forge new ways of collaboration.

See the Assembly Web site for more information and resources including the theme video for downloading and other video reflections; news stories, features, photos and blog feeds; the handbook, Assembly Updates and Study Materials: www.lwf-assembly.org

About 1,000 people – including 418 delegates from member churches – are participating in the Assembly which takes place in the Liederhalle convention center in Stuttgart. Participants also include invited ecumenical observers, official visitors, interpreters and translators, stewards, members of the LWF staff and co-opted staff, accredited journalists and volunteers. The event is hosted by the Lutheran Church in Württemberg.

The Assembly is the highest decision making body of the LWF, held approximately every six years. The last Assembly was held in Winnipeg, Canada in July 2003 on the theme "For the healing of the world".

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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 now has 145 member churches in 79 countries around the world, representing more than 70 million Christians. LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication and the various aspects of mission and development. Its secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

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