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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 06.01.2005 |
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| Former LWF President Krause Reaches 65 |
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Noko Sends Greetings on Behalf of Lutheran Worldwide Communion
GENEVA, 6 January 2005 (LWI) - Former President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop emeritus Dr Christian Krause celebrates his 65th birthday today. In a congratulatory letter, LWF General Secretary, Rev Dr. Ishmael Noko, recalls how the president developed bonds of friendship with many people from different cultures within and outside the church. In his greetings, on behalf of the Lutheran communion, Noko says he hopes Krause "can draw from these contacts spiritual gifts and strength as you continue to serve in God's vineyard where every act of kindness carries the unique signature of love."
Krause was elected LWF President at the 1997 LWF Ninth Assembly, in Hong Kong, China. His six-year presidential term officially ended in July 2003 at the LWF Tenth Assembly, in Winnipeg, Canada. During his time in office, Krause was among signatories from the LWF and Roman Catholic Church to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, Germany. In signing the declaration, Lutherans and Roman Catholics confirm they have reached a consensus on the basic truths regarding justification, and that the condemnations of the 16th century Reformation do not apply to the teachings presented in the JDDJ.
Krause, who studied theology in Marburg, Heidelberg and Göttingen, in Germany, as well as in Chicago, USA, was research assistant in the then LWF Department of Theology in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1966 until 1967. After a role as assistant pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover (ELCH), Germany, he was ordained as an ELCH pastor within the Geneva Lutheran congregation in 1969. Between then and 1970, he became special assistant to the LWF Department of Theology. Between 1971 and 1972, he was a headquarters staff member of the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (former LWF Department of World Service) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Between 1972 and 1985, Krause was executive secretary (Oberkirchenrat) of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, and chairperson of the LWF National Committee in Germany. He then became general secretary of the German Protestant Church Convention (Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag) in Fulda, Germany, until 1994.
In June 1994, Krause was elected bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick, Germany. At the beginning of 2002, he retired from this position and concentrated on his responsibilities as LWF President, as chairperson of the Governing Board of the Protestant Church Development Service (EED), and as president of the Luther Center in Wittenberg, Germany.
In June 1999, Krause became Doctor Honoris Causa of the Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. In 2001, he was awarded the Knight Commander's Cross (Badge and Star) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Krause remains active in several honorary posts and currently lives in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. He continues as chairperson of the EED Governing Board, and as president of the Luther Center, Wittenberg, Germany.
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