March 31, 2008

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras/GENEVA – The 2008 conference of church leaders from the 14 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Latin America will focus on illegitimate foreign debt, the LWF renewal process, and the evaluation of a five-year joint process by the region's member churches.

According to Rev. Martin Junge, area secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean in the LWF Department for Mission and Development (DMD), a highlight of the 31 March – 4 April gathering in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, will be the participation of Ecuadorian Minister of State Ricardo Patino, who is also president of Ecuador's Commission for the Complete Auditing of Public Debt (Comision para la Auditoria Integral del Credito Publico – CAIC). President Rafael Correa established CAIC in July 2007 to evaluate the processes leading to the country's debt negotiations, and to determine the legitimacy of all the money Ecuador borrowed between 1976 and 2006.

"We are pleased that the minister has accepted our invitation to come and report to the region's church leaders on the review of Ecuador's foreign debt," says Junge. He notes the Ecuadorian government invited the direct participation of the LWF, which currently chairs the commission's working group on legal aspects of foreign debt.

Argentine Lutheran pastor Rev. Angel F. Furlan hopes the minister's presentation will open up "wider prospects for our advocacy, particularly on how the issue of illegitimate foreign debt can be raised and followed up at international level. We would like the Ecuadorian government to tell us what it sees as the role of the LWF member churches and the LWF Secretariat in this regard," says the former president of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELU) in Argentina, who heads the Argentine-based LWF advocacy program on illegitimate foreign debt in the region.

The conference will also discuss the LWF renewal process, of which the General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko will speak on the topic "The LWF Today and Its Perspectives for the Future." The presentation "outlining the overall context of the renewal process will assist the church leaders in evaluating the last five years of the joint process as Latin American member churches," says Junge. The evaluation process, decided by the Latin American Church Leadership Conference (Conferencia de Liderazgo-COL) in 2007, aims at helping the churches to deepen relations and cooperation at regional level, and to participate in the renewal process with clearer ideas. "The concept of communion needs clear forms of expression that must be identified in joint dialogue." According to Junge, that is the reason why the evaluation process was concluded in February 2008.

The conference will also deal with the first results of the regional program on sustainability of churches in the Latin American context. In two regional conferences last year, the church representatives agreed on a comprehensive understanding of sustainability. It covers not only the financial aspects but also other factors including the social contexts and relevance, internal structures, and the transparency and clarity of the respective contextual mission.

The sustainability program has defined three priorities for reflection in the work with the churches: theological (missiological) reflection; participatory forms of planning; and the identification and mobilization of resources. Junge expects the program to generate intensive discussion about models and forms of traditional church work, and possible alternatives. "The heterogeneous nature of the Latin American member churches is a great strength in this context, as it stimulates a critical assessment of the work of each individual church," adds the DMD area secretary.

The LWF Latin America and Caribbean region stretches from Mexico in the north to Chile/Argentina in the south, and includes 16 member churches – 14 in Latin America and two in the Caribbean. In addition, there are nine LWF recognized congregations in Latin America. About 822,000 Lutherans belong to the Latin American and Caribbean LWF member churches and recognized congregations. Some of the churches were founded in the 18th century by immigrants, mainly from Europe, while others stem from United States' and European missionaries. Yet others have local roots. (692 words)

Lutheran World Information