November 5, 2005

VIENNA, Austria/GENEVA – Bishop Herwig Sturm of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria, is the new chairperson of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria. He was elected with a large majority at the council's annual general meeting 18 October, in Vienna. His two-year term as head of the body of 14 churches begins on 1 January 2006.

Upon election, Sturm expressed appreciation for the ecumenical council as a learning community. "We learn to show understanding for the other churches, to see ourselves as a community on the move, and to be ready to work with others in several areas of activity." It was important for the council to understand itself as a spiritual community that can be experienced in joint services of worship and devotion, particularly on big public occasions, he noted.

He sees the council as an equally important bridge to young people for the future, with regard to the next generation's understanding of ecumenical ideas and the reality of the ecumenical movement. Another important area is expanding inter-faith conversations.

He noted that Austria's European Union presidency during the first six months in 2006 would offer a "fine challenge to look for, and experience, depths of spirituality in a common Europe." The Charta Oecumenica, which defines the common responsibility of churches in Europe, is important in this context.

Sturm succeeds Mother Superior Christine Gleixner of the Roman Catholic Church, who has chaired the Ecumenical Council over the past six years.

The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria has around 322,000 members, and has been a member of the Lutheran World Foundation since 1947. (297 words)

Lutheran World Information
Edited from the original German article by the Protestant press service, Evangelischer Pressedienst fuer Oesterreich.