LWF Council Meeting 2002
Wittenberg, Germany, 10-17 September 2002
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The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Johannes Rau (center) greets LWF President Christian Krause (left) and LWF General Secretary Ishmael Noko (right) in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. |
German President Johannes Rau Greets LWF Council Meeting
The President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop emeritus Dr. Christian Krause today described Johannes Rau, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, as "a strong advocate for worldwide ecumenism as well as for a distinct common witness."
LWF President Krause Appeals to Churches to Shun Religious Confrontation. More... © LWF |
Welcoming Rau to greet LWF Council members meeting September 10-17 in the Luther city of Wittenberg, Krause said the ecumenical and the global belong together for the 133 LWF member churches in their continued struggle for a shared and at the same time global Lutheran confession. Churches could engage themselves in the globalization process by taking global action for justice all over the world.
In his address to the Council, Rau said he was happy that the LWF governing body could once again take place in Germany. [Reformer] Martin Luther would be astonished if he looked around and saw the countries in which his name bears meaning.
LWF General Secretary Ishmael Noko: Consequences of Globalization Have Affected Churches in "Very Specific Ways". More...
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Rau recalled the beginnings of the LWF through its Lutheran World Service assistance to refugees who included among others, German refugees in the United States of America, Canada and Australia. As an international humanitarian organization, the LWF has over 5,000 staff persons in the field dealing with refugees and responding to emergencies. The state president particularly thanked the LWF for standing in solidarity with Christians in central eastern Europe during the Cold War period and making them feel that they were part of a global community.
Rau also spoke of the relevance of the LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the Healing of the World," particularly in the context of the recent flooding around Wittenberg. "The recent flood waters showed us what can happen when the world is not healed," Rau said. The flooding caused serious suffering. He also recognized that LWF Council members were coming from other countries that frequently experience flooding, as happened in Europe when the river Elbe burst it banks. More...
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Information on Lutherstadt Wittenberg can be found at: www.wittenberg.de/en
