|
|
|
The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
|
| 24.03.2003 |
|
| Leaders of LWF Member Churches in Africa Meet in Nairobi for Regional Pre-Assembly Consultation |
| |
Emphasis on Peace Building, HIV/AIDS Pandemic
GENEVA, 24 March 2003 (LWI) - The theme of peace in Africa, HIV/AIDS pandemic and preparations for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly are the main issues at the Africa region preparatory conference for the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly.
With the recent flare-ups of military conflict and a further worsening of the situation due to the uncontrolled proliferation of weapons throughout the continent, there is still no peace at home for Africans, said Rev. Dr Musa Filibus, Area Secretary for Africa, LWF Department for Mission and Development (DMD). The office is hosting the March 23-26 pre-assembly jointly with the All Africa Lutheran Leadership Conference.
In Africa, peace and stability are often threatened, thereby undermining any genuine effort to forge development for the continent, said Filibus. In protest against conflicts between ethnic and religious groups, civil wars and violence, the Lutheran community in Africa plans especially to urge Africans to live in peace with one another. Building peace will require joint efforts and readiness to forgive, to be reconciled and to confess guilt, the Africa Secretary stated.
Another focus of the conference will be the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is spreading rapidly especially in southern Africa, Filibus continued. At the pre-Assembly, the goal will be to build up on the LWF's global HIV/AIDS campaign, officially launched in May 2002 in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. As stated in its related HIV/AIDS action plan, “Compassion, Conversion, Care: Responding as Churches to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic,” all resources must be harnessed to work effectively against the pandemic, Filibus explained.
The African conference is the fourth in a series of five such regional meetings in the run-up to the LWF Tenth Assembly. They focus on the Assembly theme, “For the Healing of the World,” and overall content from the viewpoints of the different regions. The Assembly will take place July 21-31 in Winnipeg, Canada, hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).
The central purpose of the regional conferences is to prepare the delegates for active and meaningful participation in the Assembly, says Rev. Dr. Péri Rasolondraibe, DMD Director. On the significance of pre-assemblies, he pointed out that for around two-thirds of the participants, this would be the first time that they were attending an LWF Assembly.
Combining the pre-assembly with the conference for church leaders on the continent is a way to ensure that topics that are important to the world-wide Lutheran fellowship are discussed also with those African church leaders who will not be delegates to the Assembly, according to Rasolondraibe. The DMD is coordinating all the pre-assemblies as well as a program that includes visits to congregations and their work in North America, the region hosting the Assembly. The LWF has four member churches there, namely the ELCIC, Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad (Canada); and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Diaspora (USA).
The work on the themes at the Tenth Assembly will take place in ten “Village Groups.” Each pre-assembly conference considers, among other things, the areas to be discussed in the various village groups from the viewpoint of its own region. Each region is also asked to prepare a Bible study.
Each pre-assembly gathering also draws up a regional list of nominees to the 48-member LWF Council that is appointed at the Assembly, the LWF's highest decision-making body. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by the Council, which meets annually. The regional meetings also familiarize the delegates with the LWF structure and work.
About 110 representatives of African LWF member churches and Assembly delegates are expected to take part in the Nairobi conference. The 29 LWF member churches in Africa have a total of 11.9 million members in 21 countries.
The first regional Pre-Assembly Conference was held January 23-26 in North America, in Denver, Colorado, USA, followed by the European Pre-Assembly Conference, February in 23-26 Vienna, Austria, and by the Asian Pre-Assembly Conference, March 2-6 in Medan, Indonesia. The regional gathering for churches in the Latin American and the Caribbean region is planned for April 6-9, in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Women’s Pre-Assembly Conference was held 14-19 November 2002 in Montreux, Switzerland. The final Pre-Assembly Conference will be a global youth conference in July 2003 near Toronto, Canada.
Around 1,000 participants are expected at the Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg including the 436 delegates from the 136 LWF member churches.
|
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
|
|
|
|
|
|
