As the ELCIC prepares for the 11th Biennial National Convention taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba from June 21 to 24, 2007 – the following are just a few of the new items that are being added to the ELCIC website.

National Bishop’s Sermon for Congregational Use on June 24 – National Bishop Raymond Schultz has written a sermon that can be used on Sunday, June 24, 2007. As many clergy will be attending worship that morning at the National Convention in Winnipeg, congregational leaders are encouraged to use this sermon in their pulpits that day. This sermon can be found at the following link in a pdf format: https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2007-Winnipeg/Highlights.cfm (Please note that this sermon is not for further publication or public distribution prior to June 24.)

From the Waters of Creation Now Available Online – The winning entry from the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission’s Hymn Text competition is available online from June to October 1. Author Keri Wehlander has provided permission for congregations to use this piece during this period and posted her hymn on her website: http://www.creativeworship.ca/

General Convention 2007 Information – Information and highlights on the 11th Biennial Convention are available online at https://www.elcic.ca/convention/2007 – this section of the ELCIC website will continue to be updated throughout convention.

The winning entry from the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission’s Hymn Text competition is available online from June to October 1. Author Keri Wehlander has provided permission for congregational use during this period and posted her hymn on her website: www.creativeworship.ca

 The Third Anglican-Lutheran International Commission (ALIC) held its second meeting at White Point, Nova Scotia, Canada between May 14 and 20, 2007, under the chairmanship of the Rt Revd Fred Hiltz, Anglican Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the Revd Dr Thomas Nyiwe, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon.

The Commission has been established by the Anglican Consultative Council and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to continue the dialogue between Anglicans and Lutherans on the worldwide level which has been in progress since 1970. ALIC intends to build upon the work reflected in The Niagara Report (1987), focusing on the mission of the church and the role of the ordained ministry, The Diaconate as an Ecumenical Opportunity (1995), and most recently Growth in Communion (2002), the report of the Anglican – Lutheran International Working Group (ALIWG), which reviewed the extensive regional agreements which have established close relations between Anglican and Lutheran churches in several parts of the world.

The Commission first met in 2006 in Moshi, Tanzania where it set up working groups. At the White Point meeting the working groups continued their work and presented papers on a variety of topics, including the following: the status of Lutheran-Anglican relations in various regions of the world, the state of the question regarding the historic episcopate, emerging opportunities for joint mission and diaconal ministry, the state of interchangeability of ministries throughout the world, cooperation in theological education, a critical analysis of ecclesiology and the language of unity. The Commission also explored ways of developing these themes in its future work.

The Commission welcomed the LWF’s recent Lund statement on "Episcopal Ministry within the Apostolicity of the Church". It views this statement as a useful reference point for its own ongoing discussions on the ministry of episkopé, and commends it for study in the context of Anglican – Lutheran dialogue.

The Commission also had extensive discussions on the proposed draft for "An Anglican Covenant" and offered a response from the perspective of the document’s potential impact on ecumenical relations between the two communions. This response has been forwarded to the Covenant Design Group. The Commission encourages the Lutheran World Federation to respond to the Covenant draft.

As a result of its deliberations on the ministry of diakonia, the Commission plans to include in its future meetings a block of time devoted to strategies that will help our churches work more closely together in common witness to address issues such as HIV-AIDS and poverty.

The Commission took action to enable the All Africa Anglican – Lutheran Commission (AAALC) to move ahead with its mandate, and anticipates a report from the AAALC at its next meeting.

The meeting was hosted by the Anglican Communion in cooperation with Bishop Fred Hiltz. The Commission was welcomed by Bishop Raymond Schultz, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and received a greeting from the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison. Commission members visited The Little Dutch Church, the oldest standing building of Lutheran origin in Canada and now associated with the Anglican parish of St. George in Halifax, as well as the Cathedral Church of All Saints of Halifax, and historic St. John’s Church in Lunenburg, the centrepiece of the World Historic District of Old Town Lunenburg.

The Commission is planning to meet next year (2008) in Norway. We give thanks to God for the vocation of Anglicans and Lutherans to bear witness to the love of God revealed in Christ in their common service to the world, and we pray that God will bless and guide the life of both Communions in this work.

The members of the Commission are:

Anglicans:

• The Rt Revd Fred Hiltz, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Co-Chair)
• The Revd Dr Charlotte Methuen, Hanau, Germany and Oxford, England
• The Rt Revd Musonda T S Mwamba, Gaborone, Botswana
• The Revd Professor Renta Nishihara, Tokyo, Japan
• The Very Revd William H Petersen, Columbus, Ohio, USA
• Revd Dr Cathy Thomson, Brisbane, Australia

Consultants:

• The Revd Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• The Revd Dr Günther Esser, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht (unable to attend)

Co-Secretary:

• The Revd Canon Dr Gregory Cameron, Anglican Communion Office, London, England

Lutherans:

• Revd Dr Thomas Nyiwe, Ngaoundere-Adamaoua, Cameroon (Co-Chair)
• Professor Dr Kirsten Busch Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Revd Angel Furlan, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Revd Dr Cameron R Harder, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
• Landesbischof Jürgen Johannesdotter, Germany (unable to attend)
• Revd Helene Tärneberg Steed, Cork, Republic of Ireland

Consultants:

• Professor Dr Kenneth G Appold, Strasbourg, France (Acting Co-Secretary)
• Rt Revd Dr Ndanganeni P Phaswana, Soweto, South Africa

Administrative support was provided by the Revd Terrie Robinson of the Anglican Communion Office.

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

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), along with representatives of eight other Canadian church denominations reaffirmed a covenant recognizing the rights of the nation’s Aboriginal peoples during a ceremony which took place following a full day of worship and conversation between delegates and members of the ELCIC’s National Convention and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)’s General Synod.

Titled, Towards the Constitutional Recognition and Protection of Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada, the covenant reaffirmed a previous statement by the leaders of Canadian Christian Churches on Aboriginal Rights and the Canadian Constitution which was signed 20 years ago on February 5, 1987.
 
During the ceremony church leaders repeated a pledge committing to “the vision of a new relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples based on sharing, respect and the recognition of rights and responsibilities.”
 
The rededication ceremony occurred during a joint all-day liturgy service held by the ELCIC and ACC. Both churches are holding their national conventions in Winnipeg this week. The ceremony also coincided with National Aboriginal Day.
 
The 1987 covenant marked a major step forward in reconciliation between Canada’s Aboriginal peoples and the church, and recognizes Aboriginals’ rights to be distinct peoples, to an adequate land base and to self-determination.
 
Following the ceremony, at news conference held by KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, leaders praised the rededication. “This is a spiritually significant event,” said The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, the first-ever national indigenous Anglican Bishop, noting that the ceremony took place on the first day of the summer solstice.
 
Representatives at the news conference expressed confidence that covenants, such as the one with the churches, will help in making constitutional advances for Aboriginal people.
 
“It gives us hope and keeps our faith alive that some day we will succeed,” said Clement Chartier, president of the Metis National Council. “Our people are a spiritual people, by and large. We believe it’s important to work with the churches and move forward.”
 
ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schulz said his church urges an early resolution to native land claims, many of which have dragged on for years.
 
Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said progress has been made since the 1987 covenant was issued. The Anglican Church has formally apologized for its role in residential schools and reached a financial agreement on compensation to those affected.
 
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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.

Keri Wehlander of Nanaimo, British Columbia has been named the winner of the Hymn Text Competition. Wehlander’s submission, "From the Waters of Creation", set to the tune of Nettleton, was selected by the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission (JALC) following the review of almost one hundred submissions. The competition was created to develop a new tune, familiar to both the traditions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) who will be gathering for a joint day together while in Winnipeg in June for their respective National Convention and General Synod meetings.

Upon announcement of the winning submission, the JALC issued the following:

Keri Wehlander of Nanaimo, British Columbia, has written, "From the Waters of Creation", set to the tune Nettleton. "One of the strengths of the hymn," writes the Rev’d Dr Richard Leggett, one of the members of the Joint Commission charged with selecting the winner, "is its evocation of the many saving acts of God associated with water and God’s continuing work among us. I particularly appreciate the recurrent phrase that God’s grace continues to flow in the world. "

"From the Waters of Creation" will be sung at the joint gathering of the Anglican Church of Canada General Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada National Convention on June 21 in Winnipeg.

Deep thanks go out to all who made submissions. "We received entries from across the country, from men and women, clergy and laity, young and old. The quality was high. I was particularly struck by the Canadian character of the imagery throughout the hymns," commented Eileen Scully, the General Synod staff person who served the Joint Commission’s project.

For further information, please contact:

Trina Gallop
Manager of Communications, ELCIC
(204) 984-9172 

In less than two months, delegates representing the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will gather in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 11th Biennial National Convention of the ELCIC. Over the next few weeks CONVENTION NOTES will share information and highlights on the upcoming gathering.

, Manager of Communications
302 – 393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

The second article in this series is on the ELCIC and Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) joint day which will take place on June 21, 2007. This article is written by the Rev. Paul Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop for Ecumenical Relations. Further information, including specific information for delegates, is available on the ELCIC website at www. elcic.ca (click on the link to 2007 National Convention).

On the threshold of the 100th anniversary celebration of the 1910 Edinburgh World Mission Conference, widely regarded as the symbolic starting point of the modern ecumenical movement, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia offered a sober analysis of the past century’s achievements and failures, and called for an "ecumenically responsible evangelism". 

Speaking today in Edinburgh, Scotland, at a meeting to prepare the 100th anniversary celebration of the landmark event, Kobia affirmed: "We need a new Edinburgh and can only hope that the celebration we foresee for 2010 will be a step in that direction."

Such a re-edition depends on involving today’s newer and most dynamic mission movements, Kobia said. These "are to be found among Christian traditions not represented in any of the formal fora that exist as a consequence of the structures of last century".

Only after acknowledging Christianity’s new face, the result of the "spiritual revolution brought by the Pentecostal and charismatic movements and churches," can a "fruitful theological dialogue on priorities and disciplines in mission" be envisaged.

In that sense, it is particularly urgent that mission "be understood and practised in a way that does not lead to an increase of hatred and violence". New forms of "non-aggressive evangelism" must keep "the bold witness to Christ and God’s kingdom in creative tension with respect for men, women and children of all convictions".

For Kobia, "ecumenically responsible evangelism" means "a proclamation which, while critical of human pride and sin, makes it clear that God wants peace and not war, life and not death, unity and not division, forgiveness and not vengeance".

Reflecting on the famous Edinburgh motto "the evangelization of the world in this generation," the WCC general secretary acknowledged that 100 years later, the number of Christians in the world is proportionally the same: roughly a third of the world population.

"Realistically speaking, it doesn’t make sense to just repeat the Edinburgh watchword," Kobia argued. Instead, and in view of the extent to which both the world and the landscape of Christianity have profoundly changed since 1910, he proposed to focus on "this generation’s mission in a globalized world".

According to Kobia, this course should include "the healing of Christian divisions, building communities of healing and reconciliation, challenging all justifications of violence, striving for peace as God’s gift, and sharing the gospel in Christ’s way".

Amongst wounded memories in need of healing is the rift between "Christians of the evangelical mission family and Christians of the conciliar or ecumenical mission family". "We should find a way to confess mutual exaggerations and disrespect" so as to favour "an authentic reconciliation process" if any progress in co-operation around 2010 and beyond is to be achieved, Kobia said.

The WCC general secretary is halfway through a 24 April – 4 May visit to the UK and Ireland.

Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb,
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
–Isaiah 49:15 (NRSV)

What a pleasant surprise it was to visit Sweden for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council meeting and get some relief from North American news. The North American mood, since September 11, 2001, has been one of doomsday dread. The rationale for the Iraq war was built on that mood. The US demands for beefed-up Canadian security were based on that mood. There is a sense in the air that if one is not watchful every minute, life, as we know it, will be snatched away for good. Apocalyptic religious views such as those expressed in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHay add to the doomsday dread.
 
How much more Easter-centred was the mood in Europe! The gathering there celebrated a mixture of experiences, some undeniably dangerous, but others life-giving. Life is not an all-or-nothing battle. Christians who have been dealt life-crushing disasters continue to re-emerge as hopeful and dedicated evangelists for Jesus Christ. The LWF community offered the opportunity to reason through our faith together.

God, who created us out of sheer grace, has permanently adopted us in love. Nowhere do I find the Easter message more profoundly spoken then in the prophesies of Isaiah, who did not know Jesus, but who knew the promise in which Jesus trusted. Eternal life is not a future promise, but a reality in which we already exist. I disagree with those who believe that death is an illusion, but death, real as it is, cannot prevent God from preserving us in God’s own self for all of God’s life.

Let us not be ground down by doomsday worries. Let us celebrate life in fearless trust and give ourselves over to the celebration of life eternal! Easter always calls us forward into the future.

Thanks be to God!

National Bishop Raymond Schultz
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (www.elcic.ca) is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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.