The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) Eastern Synod will host the North American region’s preparatory meeting for the July 2010 Eleventh Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The assembly will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, under the theme "Give Us Today Our Daily Bread."

The North America Pre-Assembly Consultation (NAPAC) to be held from January 29 to 31 in Kitchener, Ontario, will bring together around 40 delegates, youth stewards and advisers from the three LWF member churches in the region as well as staff.

"The LWF Eleventh Assembly theme ‘Give Us Today Our Daily Bread,’ is an important opportunity for a contextualized reflection and envisioning of new ways to respond as members of a global communion to challenges such as world hunger, eradication of poverty and other related global issues amid the current financial crisis and high unemployment rate, while also responding to great calamities and disasters," says Rev. Teresita Valeriano, the LWF Regional Officer for North America. "It is also important to be prepared as a region to engage in other global communion matters such as the election of new leaders, ecumenical relations and diakonia."

Welcoming the NAPAC to Kitchener, ELCIC Eastern Synod Bishop Michael J. Pryse says the LWF event coincides with significant preparations in the church. "I am delighted that our synod has been granted the opportunity to host this important event in the life of the global Lutheran communion, particularly as we prepare to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of our predecessor body, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Canada in 2011."

"I trust that the delegates to the pre-assembly gathering will experience many blessings during their time in our midst and be further strengthened and prepared for their important work at the Stuttgart Assembly later this year," he added.

The three LWF member churches in North America – Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and ELCIC – comprise an estimated 4.9 million members.

In preparation for the LWF Eleventh Assembly, the NAPAC will discuss issues related to the "Proposed Guidelines and Processes for Respectful Dialogue on Marriage, Family and Human Sexuality," presented to the 2007 LWF Council meeting in Lund, Sweden. It will also prepare a regional response on economic and climate justice titled "Witness to Hope Amidst Today’s Crises," focus on communication-related issues and study the LWF Report "From Winnipeg to Stuttgart," which gives an account of the organization’s work since the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada.

LWF President Bishop Mark S. Hanson, who is the ELCA presiding bishop, and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko will address the NAPAC participants.

"’Give us today our daily bread’ connects us to all of humanity and to all of God’s creation," observed Hanson. "It causes us to ask, ‘Who are those who are hungry in our community?’ And, ‘Why is there still hunger in a world of such abundance?’"

Women and youth events will precede the NAPAC meeting.

Read more about the Pre-Assemblies under the "Journey" section of the LWF Assembly Web site at: www.lwf-assembly.org

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 79 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 68.9 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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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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 Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS) plans to scale up operations and strengthen logistics capacity in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic following the arrival of the first DWS convoy with urgently needed relief supplies on January 20 in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. DWS Program Coordinator Rudelmar Bueno de Faria underlined the need to expand LWF/DWS response in order to address quickly and effectively the needs of the stricken population.

Reports from DWS country program staff in Haiti indicate that Wednesday’s large aftershock of magnitude 6.1 had caused further destruction. Buildings that had already been damaged collapsed completely and more people have been injured. It is still unknown, however, whether the death toll has increased as aresult of the aftershock.

An ACT Alliance rapid support team has already arrived in the region and is providing assistance to partner organizations locally in assessing the extent of the damage and the support required. ACT Alliance is the world’s largest alliance of churches and related humanitarian and development agencies. The support team is led by Elsa Moreno, LWF/DWS staff member in Geneva from 2006 to mid-2009.

In an interview just before leaving Denmark for Haiti, Moreno told Lutheran World Information (LWI) that in the days to come the ACT Alliance would focus on delivering as much assistance as possible to the population in Port-au-Prince, as well as around the city and in other areas devastated by the earthquake. Some of the towns include those closest to the epicenter, Leogane and Petit Goave. According to the United Nations, 80 to 90 percent of buildings in Leogane, 19km west of Port-au-Prince, were destroyed. Petit Goave, to the west of Leogane, was also badly hit.

Moreno and DWS collaborators in Haiti said that many people had fled Port-au-Prince and returned to their places of origin, putting a great deal of pressure on local communities to host them.

"The ACT Alliance will continuously try to assess the number of people going to those areas which are away from response of other agencies. The main work will focus on water, shelter and care for children," Moreno stated.

Moreno told LWI that two important components now needed to be put together-emergency response and long-term development. "Our response is not only focused on the immediate needs, but also to help people recover in the long-term and start the process for development," said Moreno, a native of Colombia.

A key task of the DWS country program in Haiti now will be bringing relief to people who have lost everything. DWS would aim to engage and focus attention on internally displaced persons (IDPs) given the department’s expertise in camp management, indicated Bueno de Faria. International relief organizations currently estimate the number of IDPs to be as many as 600,000.

The program’s main operational areas before the earthquake were in the Macaya zone in Grande Anse and Forêt des Pins, Bueno de Faria noted. "Our target population has always been small-scale farmers, disaster-affected communities and migrants. The LWF will continue focusing on sustainable livelihoods and environment, and food security and advocacy. We are working to continue supporting these communities."

Meanwhile, the LWF/DWS office in Geneva has sent two collaborators to Haiti to reinforce its team there. Mr Bobby Waddell, consultant for resource mobilization, has been sent as LWF/DWS emergency senior advisor for three weeks; Ms Sophia Gebreyes, program officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, will go to Haiti for a week to assess the situation and identify models for optimal coordination between Geneva and Haiti.

For Waddell, a major challenge lies especially in dealing with the reality of logistics and coordination on the ground. Gebreyes wants to "contribute to the emergency response in the crisis phase as well as help plan the early and long term recovery phases with our frontline staff." Next week another, larger LWF/DWS convoy will be sent to Haiti with more relief supplies.

In collaboration with other members of the ACT Alliance, DWS plans to set up comprehensive, long-term psychosocial counseling structures for frontline staff as quickly as possible. These collaborators are under tremendous emotional stress and are stretched to their psychological limit, Bueno de Faria noted. It is therefore crucial, he said, to offer them respite and professional accompaniment in dealing with their experiences and trauma.

DWS Director Eberhard Hitzler said he was "overwhelmed" by the solidarity of Lutheran churches all around the world. "Their prayers and financial contribution are a great support for our work in Haiti," he noted.

The fact that World Service staff members in Sudan donated to the relief effort is "another fantastic symbol of this solidarity," Hitzler commented. "This is the LWF at its best."

Follow Communio in Action on the LWF Web site at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/Haiti_Quake.html

Further information about LWF/DWS Caribbean/Haiti is available at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DWS/Country_Programs/DWS-Caribbean-Haiti.html

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 Haiti. Contributions to the Haiti appeal may be made in the following ways:

1. Online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come across a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose Haiti Earthquake.
2. By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, you can reach CLWR at 204.694.5602.
3. By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to: CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.
4. Through ELCIC congregations by giving an offering designated to the Haiti Earthquake appeal.

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 79 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 68.9 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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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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.

"It looks like a war zone." This was how Eric Celiz, finance officer of the Caribbean/Haiti program of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS) described the situation in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on 12 January.
 
It is said to be the most powerful quake to hit the region in 200 years, causing unimaginable suffering in this Caribbean country which is already one of the poorest in the world.
 
"So far no real help is in sight," Celiz reported. He said streets were crowded with people fleeing their homes for fear of aftershocks that continued to rattle the earth, or whose homes have been destroyed. The magnitude of the catastrophe has left a shocked feeling of helplessness. People linger stunned before mounds of rubble with no genuine means of intervening. Others remain buried under the rubble and cry out for help, but the necessary equipment is lacking. "It is an enormous moral dilemma for everyone, including our staff," he said.
 
Ms Sylvia Raulo, director of the DWS Caribbean/Haiti program said between 60 and 80 percent of the buildings in the capital city have been destroyed or are uninhabitable. The Haitian Red Cross Society reports that as many as 50,000 people have died and up to 3 million are injured or homeless.
 
Raulo says the immediate priority is to assess the extent of damage and assistance required. One of the DWS program’s other major tasks will be to set up temporary shelters for people who have lost everything. For the moment it appears that no country program staff have been injured although one staff member has not been accounted for, she said.
 
Meanwhile, ACT Alliance, the largest global alliance of churches and related humanitarian and development agencies, has begun providing extensive emergency assistance. A first rapid support team in which the LWF is participating has already been dispatched to Haiti and will assist local organizations in assessing the damage and the help that is needed.
 
Speaking to Lutheran World Information (LWI), LWF/DWS director Rev. Eberhard Hitzler said the top priority was coordinating the collaborating members and their relief operations. "When such a disaster strikes, everyone wants to help. As good as that may be, we must avoid a situation in which a multitude of organizations work in an uncoordinated manner," he said. DWS was fortunate in that the Haiti program office was intact and most staff are well, he noted. Before the quake, DWS had been coordinating its activities within the ACT Alliance framework. As the LWF currently chairs the ACT Forum in Haiti, it is responsible for coordinating the massive relief assistance being offered by churches and related agencies to ensure that it reaches people quickly and effectively. "We can only thank God that we have such experienced people whom we can rely on," said Hitzler.
 
It is also important that efforts be coordinated locally with the Red Cross, United Nations agencies and other partners, emphasized the DWS director. "Unfortunately, we do not have the equipment to rescue trapped victims," noted Hitzler, "but we are able to participate in relief work such as water and food distribution."
 
Another short-term measure would be the setting up of temporary shelters for those who lost everything they had, including the roof over their heads. Hitzler pointed out  that DWS has broad international experience in this sector – assisting refugees and internally displaced persons – and collaborates closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
 
Hitzler also noted another crucial coordination problem in view of international aid. As DWS has extremely limited food and fuel reserves for its own staff that would last for only a short time, it has requested all relief volunteers to bring their own food, gear such as sleeping bags and sufficient cash with them to Haiti.
 
Further information about the LWF/DWS Caribbean/Haiti program is available at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DWS/Country_Programs/DWS-Caribbean-Haiti.html
 
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 Haiti. Contributions to the Haiti appeal may be made in the following ways:((

   1. Online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come across a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose Haiti Earthquake.((
   2. By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, you can reach CLWR at 204.694.5602.((
   3. By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to: CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to(the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.((
   4. Through ELCIC congregations by giving an offering designated to the Haiti Earthquake appeal.

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 79 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 68.9 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.

(Files from Lutheran World Information – LWI)

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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.

Within 24 hours of issuing an emergency appeal for funds to assist with humanitarian aid to assist the people of Haiti, supporters of Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), including the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), have graciously donated close to $33,000.

Port au Prince, the capital of Haiti, was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12. Over 100,000 people are estimated to have perished and tens of thousands of people have lost their homes. The city is without electricity and the telephone network is down.

In a statement released yesterday, ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson asked members of the church to pray for all who are affected by the devastation and to assist with emergency efforts through their financial support of the CLWR appeal.

"I am grateful that the members of our church have responded with such compassion," says Bishop Johnson. "The need in the region is great and ongoing. I urge the members of our church to not only consider assisting with immediate relief efforts but also to consider how their financial contributions will assist with the long-term rebuilding efforts that will be so greatly needed following this tragedy."

This morning, the Canadian government announced that $50 million will be set aside to match donations made by individual Canadians to humanitarian agencies. The government has indicated that agencies may apply for matching funds but has not offered guarantees that all applications will be approved. To be eligible for matching funds, donations must be received by February 12, 2010.

The Government of Manitoba has allocated $100,000 to a matching fund program for members of the Manitoba Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC). CLWR is a member of MCIC.

CLWR is applying for matching funds to both the federal and Manitoba government programs.

Contributions to the Haiti appeal may be made in the following ways:

1. Online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come across a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose Haiti Earthquake.

2. By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, you can reach CLWR at 204.694.5602.

3. By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to: CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to
the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

4. Through ELCIC congregations by giving an offering designated to the Haiti Earthquake appeal.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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 January issue of E-Communique is now available online.

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 Haiti following an earthquake on Tuesday, January 12. CLWR is working in partnership with other members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance to address people’s basic needs in the affected region and support rehabilitation efforts.

Initial reports received from ACT indicate that the 7.0 magnitude quake has buried alive hundreds, maybe thousands, of people in Port au Prince, Haiti’s capital city. Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes. The city is without electricity and the telephone network is down.

"As the terrible news of the situation in Haiti continues to unfold, I ask that you pray for all those in the affected region," says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. "And, I call on members of our church to assist through their financial support of the CLWR appeal to aid our brothers and sisters in the coming days."

Contributions for this emergency response can be made in the following ways:

1. Online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come across a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose Haiti Earthquake.

2. By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, you can reach CLWR at 204.694.5602.

3. By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to
the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

CLWR will be forwarding immediately to ACT an initial contribution of $10,000 to support the first phase of the emergency operations.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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.

Once again this year, National Bishop Susan C. Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, come together to offer a reflection on the Christmas season and greetings to all Canadian Lutherans and Anglicans.

In this year’s message, both church leaders reflect on Christmas in the context of recent trips to the Holy Land.

View the Christmas video greeting here: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm

The two church leaders are in frequent communication with each other and strive to give life to the special relationship that has existed between Anglicans and Lutherans since the Waterloo Declaration on full communion was signed in 2001.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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) learned today that the Canadian government has cut funding to KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives; a decision which will have a devastating impact on KAIROS’ overseas partners and the thousands of marginalized people in local communities they support.

KAIROS, a church based non-governmental organization that represents seven of Canada’s largest denominations including the ELCIC, works on a range of social justice issues, including human rights in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

An official from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) called KAIROS executive director Mary Corkery on Monday afternoon, November 30, to inform her that CIDA would no longer fund KAIROS. Corkery was told that KAIROS no longer fits CIDA priorities. No other explanation or information was provided.

KAIROS’ current contract with CIDA expired in September, but it had received an extension until November 30, the day it was informed of the cuts.

In a message to Bev Oda, Minister for International Cooperation, requesting an explanation, Corkery writes, “I know of no precedent for the Canadian International Development Agency ending a decades-long funding relationship with a major Canadian organization without notice in writing, with no reason and no transition plan”.

“We are disheartened that this longstanding relationship and decades of support by the Canadian government has been ended,” says Corkery. “KAIROS and the millions of Canadians we represent through our member churches and organizations do not understand why these cuts have been made.”

“KAIROS is one of our most effective partnerships,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “By working ecumenically in the area of compassionate justice we have been able to maximize our ministry in this area. The denial of CIDA funding will be a huge loss in our collective ability to be In Mission for Others.”

Bishop Johnson urges members of the ELCIC to visit their members of parliament to express their support for KAIROS and to ask for a reversal of this decision. “I further ask that they write Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, and Margaret Biggs, President of CIDA, expressing their disappointment and the critical need for funding to be restored,” she says.

The CIDA-funded overseas program received matching financial support from KAIROS’ member churches, church related organizations and other donors. Since 1973, KAIROS, and the church coalitions from which it was formed eight years ago, had received funding from CIDA to support partners working in regions experiencing some of the world’s most egregious human rights violations.

KAIROS work is highly regarded in Canada and overseas. As the November 30 deadline approached, KAIROS member churches, its partners and other organizations had been writing Minister Oda to request that she approve the KAIROS contract which had been sitting on her desk since July awaiting her signature.

Further information on how to help is avialable at: https://www.elcic.ca/kairos/ (please copy and paste this url into your browser).

(with files from KAIROS)

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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.

ELCIC Group Services Inc. (GSI) President, John Wolff, was recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Plan Sponsors at the Third Annual Benefits Canada Awards which took place November 5 in Toronto, ON. The Benefits Canada Awards honour individuals and organizations who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in pension investment and administration, and who have contributed to the retirement security of Canadian employees and their families.

Wolff was nominated for the award by peers in the pension and benefits industry; award recipients are then chosen by a panel of judges. His recognition is the result of the cumulative dedication and focused efforts of the GSI Board and staff, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Office, and all the congregations and members of the ELCIC.

"The expertise John brought to the board of GSI was exactly what was needed during these challenging market and economic times," says Hildy Thiessen, executive director of GSI. "He’s been extremely committed to the work of the board and has contributed countless hours."

At the 2009 ELCIC National Convention, Wolff reported that in spite of the $16 million unfunded liability that was recorded on December 31, 2003, GSI continues to maintain its pension promise to ELCIC retirees, and the original funding timeline has been reduced from 15 years to 10 years, targeting a fully funded position by the end of 2013.

Prior to his election as president and chair of GSI in October 2007, Wolff served on the GSI Investment Committee and chaired the committee in 2005 and 2006. The investment strategy during those years enabled the pension plan to recognize market gains, which contributed to the reduced funding timeline. The decision to immunize the Retired Benefit Account in 2007 protected the assets from the recent market downturn.

During his time as president, which ended October 2009, Wolff saw GSI face new requirements from pension regulators for more protection due to the uncertain markets and economy. The ELCIC Pension Plan was the first to comply with new legislation in setting up a letter of credit. In May 2009, the ELCIC Pension Plan entered into an annuity contract with Sun Life, taking advantage of a market anomaly and realizing a significant gain in the Pension Plan, while eliminating 90% of the mortality risk and any residual interest rate risk under the immunization strategy. With continued contributions from ELCIC congregations the ELCIC Pension Plan will be fully funded within four years.

GSI is responsible for facilitating, providing and administering employment benefits and retirement income programs and services for the employees of the ELCIC, its member congregations, other entities associated with ELCIC.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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 Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has approved a statement that prepares for a significant action of reconciliation with churches of the Anabaptist family.

With this endorsement, the statement "Action on the Legacy of Lutheran Persecution of ‘Anabaptists’" is recommended for adoption at the July 2010 LWF Eleventh Assembly in Stuttgart, Germany. The statement expresses "deep regret and sorrow" for the legacy of violent persecution of Anabaptists, and especially for the ways in which Lutheran reformers supported this persecution with theological arguments. It asks forgiveness, "from God and from our Mennonite sisters and brothers," for these past wrongs and also for the ways in which later Lutherans have forgotten or ignored this persecution and have continued to describe Anabaptists in misleading and damaging ways.

The statement then makes commitments with respect to how the violent history of persecution by Lutherans will be remembered, and how the Lutheran confessional legacy will be interpreted from now on in light of this action.

This LWF action was based upon the work done by the Lutheran-Mennonite Study Commission, 2005-2009. Their report "Healing of Memories: Reconciling in Christ," was received by the Council, which commended the Commission for "its thorough and important work."

Receiving recommendations from the Program Committee for Ecumenical Affairs today, the Council also agreed that the International Lutheran Council (ILC) is informed about the report and statement, and that ILC’s participation is invited in affirming regret and sorrow over the Lutheran persecution of Anabaptists.

The Council requested the LWF General Secretary to send this report and statement to the LWF member churches for information, study and discussion, and possible responses. Both documents would also be made available to pre-assembly delegates for discussion at their meetings.

Celebration and Prayer

After the unanimous vote, Rev. Dr Larry Miller, general secretary of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC), welcomed the action in a spirit of celebration and prayer. The July 2009 MWC Assembly meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay, had warmly received the news that Lutherans might take such an action and had promised to "walk with" Lutherans in their process. Miller said that this request for forgiveness would require that Mennonites also would change.

"You are not applauding for yourselves," said Miller. "You are applauding for the grace of God in our midst. Mennonites have learned from Lutherans that we are justified by faith alone, because we know that justification produces not only relations between oneself and God but also communion between the churches."

LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko congratulated the Commission for its work, and expressed his hope that the Stuttgart Assembly "would be a landmark," in view of the anticipated action. "Our children will be proud of this day," Noko remarked. He noted that Lutherans and Mennonites already are working together around the world; this action would move such cooperation to a new level.

Referring to the MWC global conference in Asuncion, attended by the LWF general secretary and his assistant for ecumenical affairs Dr Kathryn Johnson, Noko added, "[We] wept like children in Paraguay when we saw how the Mennonites would embrace us."

The dialogue reconciliation process began in 1980 during the 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, when representatives of Mennonite churches raised questions about how they could join in celebrations of a document which explicitly condemned Anabaptists and their teachings.

In 1980, the LWF Executive Committee expressed sorrow for the pain and suffering caused by the condemnations and called on member churches "to celebrate our common Lutheran heritage with a spirit both of gratitude and penitence.

In 2002, the LWF Council established the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission in partnership with the MWC.

During its work, the Commission had discovered that the history of persecution consistently intervened in their efforts at theological discussion. Telling the history together would in itself be an act of reconciliation.

More information on the 2009 LWF Council meeting is available on the LWF Web site at: www.lutheranworld.org

(Information from Lutheran World Information-LWI)
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 162,100 baptized members in 611 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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