LWF Council Meeting 2004
Geneva, Switzerland, 1-7 September 2004
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LWF President Hanson congratulates LWF General Secretary Noko on his reelection. |
Zimbabwean Theologian Ishmael Noko Re-elected LWF General Secretary
On Wednesday, 1 September, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) re-elected Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko as LWF General Secretary for another seven-year term.
Members of the LWF Council in the plenary. |
The 49-member Council elected the 60-year-old Zimbabwean theologian in a closed session at Chavannes-de-Bogis, near Geneva, where the LWF governing body is meeting, September 1-7.
Noko expressed deep appreciation to the Council on his re-election. With regard to his term, he expressed the hope that he would attend the next LWF Assembly scheduled between 2009 and 2010 as a guest. More...
Please click here for biographical data in PDF format.
LWF President Hanson: We Will Grow Together Rather than Apart
"We will grow together rather than apart as we are defined by our faith, not our fears," the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said today in his address to the LWF Council meeting taking place, September 1-7, at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva.
LWF President Hanson. |
Fear hardens lives and closes borders. Whereas faith calls on the churches "to see the world through the eyes of God's vision for the world - a vision of the goodness of creation, humanity created in God's image, interdependent, praising God, and pursuing justice and peace."
Hanson referred to the many challenges that Lutherans have to face and respond to within the communion and in the political, social, inter-religious and ecological sphere. "So we must confess our unity in Christ," Hanson insisted, and affirmed the theme of this year's meeting, "Growing Together, Growing Apart." There are around 170 participants in this year's meeting including the 49-member Council invited guests, stewards, interpreters, journalists and LWF staff persons. More...
Click here for the full text of the President's Address in PDF format.
LWF General Secretary Noko: Communion an Example of Inclusion and Unity in a Fractured World
The challenges faced by Europe as it grapples with the political, economic and social changes following the establishment of the European Union (EU) have implications for countries and organizations all over the world, according to the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko.
LWF General Secretary Noko reporting to the Council. |
Describing Europe as a continent that has undergone "many transitions and transformations in its political and religious history," Noko said the establishment of the EU was forcing member countries to confront the challenges and controversies associated with their newfound unity. There had been difficulties and disagreements, Noko noted, but "Europe currently represents a political and social experiment of great importance."
The continent is tackling fundamental questions regarding identity and relationships and the answers arrived at will carry important consequences for the future of the world. "Europe is actively and in concerted ways seeking a future where the rich complexity of faiths, languages and traditions can prosper - in peace and freedom - and where social networks are kept from disintegrating as a result of economic competition," the general secretary observed. More...
Click here for the full text of the General Secretary's Report in PDF format.
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Photographs from the Council meeting can be ordered at LWF-Photo Service.
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