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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 14.07.2003 |
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| LWF Pre-Assembly Youth Participants Encouraged to Sow Seeds of Change |
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Argentine Theology Student Says the Economy, Churches and Families Need Healing
GUELPH, Canada/GENEVA, 14 July 2003 (LWI) – A worship service July 12, marked the opening of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Pre-Assembly Youth Conference (PAYC) in Guelph, near Toronto, Canada. In the sermon, Sonia Skupch of Argentina called upon conference participants to hold on to their ability to dream, saying that dreams are dangerous for the "powers that be" in the world, because they lead to change.
The 27-year-old theology student from the Evangelical Church of the River Plate emphasized that if there were no more dreams there would neither be opportunities to transform societies nor visions to sow the seeds of change.
Approximately 90 youth delegates and stewards from 54 countries are participating in the conference July 12-18 in preparation for the LWF Tenth Assembly that will take place July 21-31 in Winnipeg, Canada. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will be hosting the Tenth Assembly.
Skupch went on to say that God's dream could serve as a guide on the path to a renewed society and a renewed church. She said that rather than being empty promises, the prospects for a fulfilled life and a world in which justice and security reign are God's absolute certainties. Referring to the theme of the LWF Tenth Assembly, "For the Healing of the World," the pastor in training pointed out that it is not just communities, but also the economy, churches and families that are in need of healing.
In a written welcome message to the Youth Conference, ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schultz emphasized that the Assembly theme represents a great challenge. He expressed concern that there is still no effective partnership between the world rich and poor. He gave the example of Malawi - life expectancy is 38.5 years, many people have no access to clean drinking water or primary school education – and wondered how the Lutheran communion can contribute to the healing of the world in such a situation. He called upon the PAYC participants to be courageous, encourage wisdom, think independently, and pose critical questions.
Rev. Péri Rasolondraibe, Director of the LWF Department for Mission and Development (DMD), stated in his welcoming address that the PAYC is the last in a series of seven meetings in the run-up to the LWF Tenth Assembly. After meetings held for the women and the LWF regions to discuss the Assembly theme and agenda, now the Lutheran youth have the opportunity to formulate their specific expectations for the Tenth Assembly.
Rasolondraibe said the main objective of the Youth Conference was to prepare the youth delegates "to participate actively in all aspects of the Assembly and to make their contribution to the Assembly." He said that this was critical for the Assembly's success, since roughly two-thirds of the participants were participating in an Assembly for the first time. The DMD is responsible for coordinating all the preparatory consultations. It also organizes an accompanying program that offers visits to congregations and church programs in the Assembly host region.
Noting that the Canadian authorities have denied some youth delegates and stewards visas to participate in the Conference in Guelph, Rasolondraibe emphasized that he was aware of the burdens that many had taken on in order to come to Guelph. He included in his prayers all those who were still en route because of visa delays, as well as those excluded from participation because they are young and apparently not prosperous enough to be granted a visa. Out of a total 86 youth delegates to the LWF Assembly, 13 were denied visas to attend the PAYC and the Assembly, as were nine stewards.
Rasolondraibe noted that despite the difficulties apparent at the start of registration with nominating at least 20 percent youth delegates, the member churches made intensive efforts and successfully upheld their commitments. The DMD Director said that the denial of visas to youth delegates was a setback, but he called upon those present to seize the opportunity to present their issues and concerns, and place them on the agenda in Winnipeg.
The PAYC coordinator, Rev. Tita Valeriano, the LWF/DMD Secretary for Youth in Church and Society (YICAS) stated that the Youth Conference's work will focus on preparing the Bible study for which the youth delegates are responsible at the Assembly, and on developing specific contributions, based on the youth delegates' point of view, for thematic work in the ten "village groups" in which the Assembly theme will be discussed in Winnipeg. She said that their work also included setting the YICAS agenda for the coming years.
The meetings in the run-up to the LWF Tenth Assembly began with the Women's Pre-Assembly Consultation, held from 14-19 November 2002 in Montreux, Switzerland. The first of five regional Pre-Assembly Consultations took place in North America from January 23-26 in Denver, Colorado, USA, followed by Europe, February 23-26 in Vienna, Austria; Asia March 2-6 in Medan, Indonesia; Africa, March 23-26 in Nairobi, Kenya, and Latin America April 6-9 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Approximately 800 participants are expected to attend the Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg in July 2003, including over 400 delegates from the LWF member churches. The Assembly is the LWF's highest decision-making body and meets normally every six years.
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