September 13, 2004

GENEVA - The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has affirmed the role of theology and ecumenism as foundational to the life and work of the LWF. At its September 1-7 meeting near here, the Council agreed that additional funding be found for LWF theological work so as to include the area of worship and proclamation.

Receiving the report of the Program Committee for Ecumenical Affairs, the Council affirmed the LWF's commitment to find ways to fund the ecumenical dialogues and related Lutheran research.

The Council received the Strategic Planning Report on Theology and Ecumenism, which is the result of the combined efforts of the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS), the Office for Ecumenical Affairs (OEA), and the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France. In its report, the committee noted that theological and ecumenical work was not one among other priorities, "but is foundational for who we are and what we do as a Lutheran communion." This work, therefore, must be secured financially even as the process of prioritizing other LWF tasks continues, committee chairperson Prof. Joachim Track stressed.

Further, the Council received the Report of the Chairperson of the Board of the Lutheran Foundation for Interconfessional Research and expressed appreciation for the Strasbourg institute's steady work in ecumenical theology.

Appointment of Members of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission

With reference to a Council action in Wittenberg, Germany in 2002, calling for the approval of a program plan for an Anglican-Lutheran International Commission, as well as the mandate approved by the LWF Executive Committee in February 2004, the LWF Council appointed the Lutheran members to the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission. They include the Lutheran co-chairperson, Church President Rev. Dr Thomas Nyiwe (Cameroon); Prof. Kirsten Busch Nielsen (Denmark); Church President Rev. Angel F. Furlan (Argentina); Prof. Cameron Harder (Canada); Rev. Dr Hartmut Hvvelmann (Germany); Rev. Helene Tdrneberg Steed (Sweden); and Church President Rev. Josephine Tso (Hong Kong, China). Prof. Kenneth Appold (Strasbourg institute) and Rev. Thomas Bruch (United Kingdom) will serve as consultants to the commission.

In its report, the program committee noted that the report of the Anglican-Lutheran International Working Group with its recommendations was sent to the LWF member churches and national committees for study and response, and feedback had been received. The Council received these responses with appreciation and asked the LWF General Secretary to forward them to the new Anglican-Lutheran International Commission for consideration and follow-up.

Council Names Members of the Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission

Another Council action to recommendations from the ecumenical affairs program committee was the appointment of Lutheran members to the Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission, of which a program plan and mandate had been approved by the Council in 2002, and the Executive Committee last February. They include the co-chairperson General Bishop Dr Jzlius Filo (Slovak Republic); Prof. Anneli Aejmelaeus (Finland); Bishop Thomas J. Barnett (Sierra Leone); Prof. Song Mee Chung (Malaysia); Prof. Luis Henrique Dreher (Brazil); Prof. Kathryn Johnson (USA) and Superintendent Dieter Lorenz (Germany). Prof. Andri Birmeli (Strasbourg institute) will serve as consultant to the commission.

The Council also received the responses to the report of the Lutheran-Reformed Joint Working Group and asked the LWF General Secretary to forward these reactions to the new Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission for consideration and follow-up.

Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission

The Program Committee for Ecumenical Affairs reported on the 2002 Council approval of a program plan to establish a joint commission of representatives of the LWF and Mennonite World Conference (MWC) to consider the condemnations of Anabaptists in the Augsburg Confession and the question whether these apply to Mennonites today. The Council this year approved the mandate for the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission as proposed.

Based on the results of previous national dialogues in Germany, France and the United States of America, the commission will consider whether the condemnations of Anabaptists articulated by the Augsburg Confession (1530) apply to the MWC member churches and related churches. The commission is expected to submit a report of its conclusions to the MWC and LWF governing bodies for further action, and with a view toward a possible official statement. Concerning the appointment of Lutheran members to serve on the commission, the Council agreed to authorize the LWF Executive Committee to approve the composition of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission by mail vote.

The ecumenical affairs program committee informed the Council of responses received so far from the LWF member churches to the document "The Episcopal Ministry within the Apostolicity of the Church - A Lutheran Statement 2002." The Council, acting on recommendations from the committee received the responses to the statement, and asked the Strasbourg institute in cooperation with Prof. Track, Rev. Sven Oppegaard, (LWF Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs) and Rev. Dr Randall R. Lee, (director, Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) as consultant, to consider the responses from the member churches with a view to possible text amendments, and present the outcome to the 2005 Council meeting.

Methodist Affirmation of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

The program committee informed the LWF Council of the World Methodist Council's (WMC) strong expression of support for the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) in October 1999. Subsequently the WMC has developed a statement affirming the JDDJ in theological substance, which could be officially received by the JDDJ's signing partners - the LWF and Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). In its action on this item, the Council noted with appreciation that the WMC theological statement on the JDDJ had been shared with the LWF and PCPCU, and requested the Strasbourg institute staff, in cooperation with Prof. Track and Rev. Oppegaard to formulate some comments on the issue of simul justus et peccator (justified yet sinner) from a Lutheran understanding, and present these observations to the 2005 Council meeting.

Relations between the LWF and International Lutheran Council

Based on information on the development of relations between the LWF and International Lutheran Council, and on the 2002 and 2003 contact meetings between both Lutheran world bodies, the LWF Council received the communiqui from both meetings. It also expressed the LWF's commitment to continued development of contact and cooperation between the two Lutheran world organizations and their member churches.

Lutheran World Information