September 1, 2005

JERUSALEM/BETHLEHEM – The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko has urged the LWF Council to consider putting in place "a new LWF" by the year 2010.

By the time of the next Assembly, 20 years will have passed since the Eighth Assembly in Curitiba, Brazil, established the current structure, Noko told participants in this year's Council meeting taking place in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. "The changes that have occurred since the 1990 Assembly require a new LWF," he said in the General Secretary's Report to the Council.

"The times in which we live are very ambiguous, and [therefore] self-definition becomes necessary," Noko said. He noted that since the LWF understands itself as both an instrument for Lutheran unity and for wider ecumenical movement, "participation in the reconfiguration discussion is not an option but an obligation." His report also contained other proposals especially in view of the ongoing discussion on the reconfiguration of the ecumenical movement, initiated by the World Council of Churches (WCC).

On the outcome of the June 2005 consultation on "The Future of the LWF in the Context of Ecumenical Reconfiguration," Noko asked the Council to consider authorizing the Executive Committee to appoint at its next meeting a Renewal Committee to deal with this issue.

He however pointed out that the reconfiguration process was not a matter of structures only, but it also involved theology and self-understanding, and would have direct consequences also for the renewal of the LWF as body that brings together member churches.

He underlined the need to ensure an inclusive process in the renewal process, and suggested that the committee also focus on additional topics including, among others, the LWF's financial sustainability in the future and the Constitution and Bylaws. The renewal committee should also focus on a review of the governing bodies*size and composition of the Council, Executive Committee, Program and Standing Committees model of working; location and size of the Geneva secretariat; and the role of regional and sub-regional offices. The time-rhythm, size and relation of the LWF Assemblies to those of the WCC and World Alliance of Reformed Churches should also be considered.

The general secretary pointed out that some of the agencies have expressed concern that they felt kept "at arm's length when it comes to making core decisions in the Federation, except when finances are needed for the organization." He asked the Council to consider asking the proposed Renewal Committee to suggest an affiliation status for related agencies and mission organizations in the future constitution.

Use of Excommunication in Churches

Noko expressed concern about the use of excommunication in ways that raise serious theological and pastoral questions. He pointed out that this form of church discipline can only be used as the last resort with the aim to preserve the integrity of the church, its witness, and the faith of its members.

The LWF general secretary said the exercise of excommunication by church leadership in power struggles in order to marginalize persons who criticize or oppose them was "a grave misuse of a pastoral form of discipline, turning it into a weapon of self-preservation by those in power." Such practice not only flouts the very core of the gospel and breaks up the church's spiritual communion, it alsodiminishes the credibility of the church in the eyes of others.

He also spoke about conflicts in the LWF member churches relating to problems with power relationships, ethnic tensions, theological disputes and ethical issues; and explained the LWF's intervention by sending pastoral delegations to churches experiencing such conflict. "It is evident that these conflicts undermine the integrity of both the church and its witness," he said. The gospel, he observed, always needs to be maintained and proclaimed, not least in cases of tension and such conflict.

Establishment of an Advisory Doctrinal Commission

The general secretary reiterated his earlier proposal for the establishment of a doctrinal commission for the LWF. An Advisory Doctrinal Commission (ADC), he said, would assist the Federation's governing bodies in preparation for deliberations and actions that have doctrinal aspects.

He explained that the "governing bodies of the LWF will not themselves, on the basis of advice from the ADC, begin to take decisions binding the churches." He noted that many issues that the Council, in particular, is required to handle often have doctrinal aspects, and cited the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, economic globalization and human sexuality as among these concerns. Such a commission, Noko explained, "cannot, and should not, in any way infringe on the authority that each LWF member church holds in matters of church teaching and discipline."

On the issue of illegitimate debt, Noko reiterated the LWF Tenth Assembly affirmation that substantial parts of the external debts of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean are illegal in view of the fact that they result from loans granted to illegitimate and undemocratic governments. The LWF has launched a program that supports the work of its Latin American member churches in this area. It is expected that a forthcoming consultation in Buenos Aires on this issue would establish a new foundation for action on this question by the LWF as a whole.

LWF's 60th Anniversary in 2007

Noko requested the Council to consider combining its 2007 meeting with a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the LWF. Leaders of LWF member churches could be invited not only for the celebration but also for a joint encounter with the Council. He proposed the city of Lund, where the LWF was founded, as an appropriate venue.

On staffing in the Geneva secretariat, the general secretary expressed his constant concern at the steady decrease in the number of staff employed at headquarters and in the field. There were 70 persons with permanent contracts and seven interns employed at the headquarters on 1 July 2005. This represents a reduction of 30 percent compared to the 94 persons employed at the end of 2001.

The general secretary said staffing was "now approaching a critical level" and asked Council members, as they discuss the LWF's strategic planning during this meeting, "to do all that is within your ability" to improve the member churches' financial contributions to enable the Federation overcome the present constraints.

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