May 16, 2006

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica/GENEVA – Argentine pastor Lisandro Orlov, the Latin American regional coordinator of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) HIV/AIDS campaign, says Lutheran churches in the region "have been successful in maintaining a presence in the critical segments of society."

Presenting his report to participants in the LWF Latin American Church Leadership Conference (Conferencia de Liderazgo – COL), in San José, Costa Rica, 25-28 April, Orlov pointed out that the churches had "succeeded in saying something new, something different * to be a church that takes on responsibility for the people, one which does not just talk about HIV, but which lives with those affected in community and solidarity."

The report by Orlov, of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELU), was one of four such presentations to the COL about the region's program activities.

The Rev. Angel Furlan, coordinator of the Latin American LWF member churches' advocacy program on the illegitimacy of Latin American and Caribbean foreign debt, emphasized the particular accomplishment of the region's churches having become involved with the topic. Furlan, IELU president, 1996-2004, added that the connection between foreign debt and the imposition of free trade agreements had now developed into a main focus of discussion.

As pointed out by Rev. Melvin Jiménez, coordinator of the regional diakonia (church social service) network, "diakonia is an important and integral component of church life." Latin America enjoys a wealth of diaconal experience, he continued, but "we are often not aware of the quality and diversity of this service." He added that it was now the time to systemize the theological foundation and methodology of the diaconal service provided by churches over the years.

Brazilian pastor Heitor Meurer, president of the Lutheran communications network in Latin America, Luteranos Unidos en Comunicacion (LUC), expressed the need for increased support for the region's Lutheran churches in their proclamation of the gospel. Meurer, of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), said it was additionally important to establish and provide opportunities for education and information exchange, and to give fresh impetus for better communications.

Further information and documents on the San José conference can be found in Spanish and Portuguese at: http://conferencialiderazgo2006.blogspot.com/.

Lutheran World Information