15.09.2005
LWF Council Receives Interim Report on Family, Marriage and Human Sexuality
Not an Easy Dialogue on Potentially Church-dividing Issues, but Positive for ChurchesJERUSALEM/BETHLEHEM, 15 September 2005 (LWI) – At its August 31 –September 6 meeting, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) received an interim report from the Task Force on Dialogue on Issues of Family, Marriage and Human Sexuality.
The interim report of the eight-person team appointed by the Council in September 2004, presented an account of their first meeting in April 2005, and the issues that had been considered so far. These included responses from 29 LWF member churches on the subject of family, marriage and human sexuality.
In the interim-report, the task force expressed deep appreciation for the statements and reports received from the member churches, and the work accomplished in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and other Christian world communions (CWCs).
It explained its first meeting, which included thorough discussions on the group’s mandate in finding common ground to initiate their work. The need was emphasised for discernment and respect in regard to the diverse historical, cultural and ethical contexts of the seven LWF geographical regions from which the member churches and Task Force members are drawn.
The first draft report developed from this first meeting will be updated continuously. The aim is to anchor the document more firmly in the material received from the member churches and make it more extensive as the dialogue continues amongst Task Force members until the second meeting planned for 2006.
The interim report to the Council stated that the dialogue had helped to facilitate a better understanding of the different positions of Lutheran churches. “Although not an easy dialogue on issues that have the potential for church division, the Task Force is convinced that it is a positive one for the member churches and one that should be held,” the interim report stated.
In the report presented by Task Force chairperson, Rev. Kristín Tómasdóttir, the team welcomed additional guidance from the LWF Council to help clarify the priorities and direction of their future work. It was however recommended to postpone any immediate decision on this issue in order to advance the dialogue so that it can progress beyond what has been done in the Council and the member churches up to date. (385 words)
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