February 10, 2005

GENEVA – A high-level delegation of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) led by LWF President Bishop Mark S. Hanson and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, is visiting Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, February 10-17, to meet with LWF member representatives there, their ecumenical partners, and political leaders.

Their visit, aimed at strengthening expression of the identity of the Lutheran communion in West Africa, is an opportunity for the LWF president and general secretary to bear witness to the experiences and challenges of the region's member churches.

On the delegation's first stop, Nigeria, the challenges, difficulties and new opportunities for the region will be presented during a seminar of the Lutheran Communion in Western Africa, with a major focus on HIV/AIDS. The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, and Lutheran Church of Nigeria, will host a joint festive worship service attended by representatives of other denominations and leaders of the LWF member churches in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The delegation will also meet with local government officials.

Liberia and Sierra Leone have experienced long periods of internal strife and violence in the wake of civil war in the 1990s. The LWF continues active engagement in peace building and overall development efforts in both countries.

In Liberia, the LWF delegation hosted by the Lutheran Church in Liberia, will, among other activities, meet with staff of the LWF Department for World Service (DWS) program there, and with staff of the Phebe Hospital, which was built in 1921 with Lutheran support, but was extensively damaged and looted during the fighting. A major highlight of the visit will be Hanson's and Noko's reopening of the recently-reconstructed hospital.

In Sierra Leone, the delegation will meet with officials of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone, representatives of the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone, and officials of the HIV/AIDS National Secretariat..

Throughout their visit, the president and general secretary will reaffirm the solidarity of the global Lutheran communion with the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone who have suffered war, and assure continued support.

The visit to this region also will be an opportunity for the LWF leaders to reflect on the 50th anniversary celebrations of the All Africa Lutheran Consultation planned for the latter half of this year.

Lutheran World Information
By Julia Heyde, youth intern, LWF Office for Communication Services.