Council Affirms Proposal for New LWF On-Line Presence
Committee Commends LWI Pilot Project
ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA, 1 July 2008 (LWI) - The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) adopted a recommendation seeking the provision of sufficient funds in 2009 for the on-line presence of the LWF.
The Program Committee for Communication Services brought the recommendation before the Council, after discussion of the report of the May 2008 “Communal Portal” roundtable which brought together more than 45 representatives of member churches and partner organizations. The participants had recognized the urgency of a new institutional Web site in view of preparations for the LWF 11th Assembly in Stuttgart, Germany.
The Council approved that work continues on a proposal for a communion on-line space in light of the LWF Renewal Committee’s work.
The Council also recommended that the Office for Communication Services (OCS) and Department for World Service seek closer cooperation with Ecumenical News International (ENI) stringers in the regions. The LWF is one of the founding members of the Geneva-based global ecumenical news service, started in 1994.
A recommendation to appoint a working group to evaluate the allocation of funds to LWF Priority 4—communication—was referred to the next Executive Committee session for decision.
The communication program committee had discussed follow up to the LWF Guiding Principles for Comprehensive Communication, especially the guidelines’ revision. Input was received in 2008 from the Communication Committee of Lutheran Minority Churches in Europe (KALME) and from the Africa Lutheran Communication and Information Network (ALCINET). The Asian region is expected to review the communication document during a workshop in November this year. The Committee noted the North American and Latin America and the Caribbean region should be encouraged to respond to the document. It was however, noted that the Latin America and Caribbean region no longer had a continental, active network of Lutheran communicators.
The program committee commended the realization of an LWI pilot project for the African region in collaboration with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The committee members encouraged other regions and members churches to consider similar partnerships. (345 words)
* * *
Around 170 participants attended this year’s Council meeting including church leaders, officials from LWF partner organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, LWF staff and co-opted staff and accredited media.
The Council is the LWF’s governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the President, Treasurer and 48 persons elected by the Assembly. Other members include advisors, lay and ordained persons, representing the different LWF regions.
LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
Tel.: +41/22-791 63 69
Fax: +41/22-791 66 30
Editor’s E-Mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
Media contact in Arusha: +255 782 321 852
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
