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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 02.03.2003 |
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| Indonesian Churches Host Asia Region LWF Pre-Assembly Consultation |
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Christian-Muslim Dialogue among Major Topics
MEDAN, Indonesia/GENEVA, 2 March 2003 (LWI) – More than 120 representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches in Asia are meeting in the Indonesian city of Medan, March 2-6, for the region’s preparatory meeting for the forthcoming LWF Tenth Assembly.
The Asia Pre-Assembly Consultation (PAC) combined with the Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) is a forum for church leadership—bishops and presidents, women and youth representatives—from the 46 LWF member churches in Asia to gather information that will enable them to contribute meaningfully and participate effectively in the life and work of the Assembly. The LWF Tenth Assembly will be held 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
The regional consultation is being hosted by the 12 LWF member churches and LWF National Committee in Indonesia. The churches in the country have a combined membership of about 4 million people. Women delegates met one day prior to the start of the Asian PAC/ACLC while youth representatives will hold their meeting in the course of the consultation.
The five-day meeting will provide an opportunity for the churches to deepen their understanding of the Assembly theme, “For the Healing of the World.” It is hoped that deliberations at the meeting will enrich the fellowship of churches as a communion through mutual sharing of experiences, and focus on regional concerns and the situation of member churches there. Participants who include delegates to the Assembly are drawn from 15 countries.
The regional meeting enables member churches to follow up on resolutions of the LWF Council—the Federation’s governing body meeting annually—plan joint mission and ministry strategies and share resources. It also serves as a forum to gain new impulses for the various ministries of the churches, including the mainstreaming of women and youth’s contribution and participation.
The Asian PAC/ACLC will meet in plenary and small discussion groups. The keynote address—by Bishop Munib A. Younan, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan—presentations by other speakers, Assembly matters, reports and regional concerns will be discussed in the full sessions. In preparation for LWF Tenth Assembly business sessions, which will be conducted in the so-called ten “Village Groups,” four small groups during the Asia PAC will discuss three pre-selected village group issues reflecting the region’s concerns: The Mission of the Church in Multi-faith Contexts; Overcoming Violence; and Transforming Economic Globalization. HIV/AIDS in the Asian context will be tackled as a regional concern.
One of the main deliberations at the Asian PAC will be the Christian-Muslim dialogue in Indonesia. The topic “The Role of Religion in Peace Building” will be presented from both the Muslim and Christian perspectives. Some Muslim participants from the Medan area have been invited.
During one of the closed sessions for church leaders, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko will address the heads of LWF churches in Asia with the aim to review a number of concerns about the internal life of the Lutheran churches and leadership issues.
The Asian PAC/ACLC began with an opening worship service on Sunday in one of the Medan Lutheran congregations, at which Bishop Dr Wesley Kigasung, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG) preached. The Asia PAC is sponsored by the LWF Department for Mission and Development Asia desk in cooperation with the Asia Regional Office. Also attending the meeting are representatives of three mission partners: the Chicago, USA-based Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany and the United Evangelical Mission - Communion of Churches in Three Continents, Wuppertal, Germany.
The Asia PAC is the third in a series of five such meetings in preparation for the LWF Tenth Assembly. The North America PAC took place in Denver, Colorado in the USA, January 23-26 while Europe’s was held February 23-26 in Vienna, Austria. Representatives from the Africa region will meet March 23-26 in Nairobi, Kenya, while the Latin America and Caribbean consultation will be held April 7-10 in San Salvador, El Salvador. An international Women’s Pre-Assembly Gathering took place 14-17 November 2002 in Montreux, Switzerland, and a global youth conference will be held prior to the Assembly.
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