Bearing Public Witness Is Crucial for Advocacy
GENEVA, 30 November 2009 (LWI) – When representatives of member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) meeting in Geneva, asked LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko to identify the major obstacle that hinders churches from holding their governments accountable, he replied: “The churches’ lack of clarity as to the theological bases for doing so.”
Seeking clarity on how churches can hold their governments accountable was the main purpose of the 19-21 October 2009 consultation sponsored by the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS). Participants came from Argentina, Canada, Hong Kong, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Namibia, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Africa, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
As stated in the communiqué emerging from the consultation, “Good government is a blessing, and necessary for ordering life in community. Yet as are all earthly institutions, governments are also permeated by sin… Thus, the church, along with others in civil society, must remain alert to and be critical of any governments when they violate human rights, and fall short of furthering the common good.” The communiqué, which was subsequently affirmed and commended by the LWF Council can be downloaded from the LWF Web site.
A number of participants from Africa decried the major changes that occurred after liberation movements in which the churches had participated, evolved into ruling parties. “After independence, we felt ‘angels’ were in the government and then ignored what they were doing… In a pool of mud, we all became dirty…now a cleansing of the whole nation is needed,” declared Presiding Bishop Naison Shava of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe. He went on to point out that churches need accurate information in order to articulate what is at stake, and to collaborate ecumenically in a spirit of “critical engagement.”
Former United Nations Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Dr Bertrand Ramcharan emphasized the importance of people knowing their rights, as well as the human rights treaties signed by their respective countries. “The realities of what people face on the ground are best known by you the churches,” he told the LWF consultation participants.
During a session of theological presentations, Rev. Dr John Stumme of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America underscored that Lutherans are to distrust but value government. Namibian theologian Rev. Dr Paul John Isaak emphasized the importance of the church’s prophetic role, while Dr Lap Yan Kung of the Divinity School of the Chinese University in Hong Kong, suggested that churches consider the “social and moral capital” they could bring into their exchange with governments.
The Challenges Churches Need to Face
Participants shared a variety of disturbing examples of how governments mismanage resources or fail to serve the common good, and the different ways in which churches in the respective contexts were trying to hold them more accountable.
Consideration was given to how churches can best use their position in a given society. As Christians in a predominantly Muslim country such space is limited, noted Bishop Dr Solomon Rajah of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia. “We can only do so on constitutional grounds, not on Christian grounds,” he explained.
But churches also encounter difficulties in majority Christian countries, as pointed out by Ms Diadem Depayso from the Philippines. When some Christians speak out regarding human rights abuses, she said, they were often persecuted, tortured or even killed. Other participants lamented the church leaders’ failure to bear public witness, which, after all, is the core of advocacy, pointed out Mr Peter Prove of the LWF Office for International Affairs and Human Rights.
LWF/DTS director Rev. Dr Karen Bloomquist said input received at the consultation will be used to develop a resource in 2010. Examples of how LWF member churches are holding governments accountable, some of which will be included in the publication, can be sent to Rev. Dr Martin Sinaga, DTS study secretary for theology and the church. (669 words)
See also:
- Holding Governments Accountable
- Call to African Churches to Embrace the Gift of Women in Leadership
- Lutherans Actively Engage in World Mission Conference
- Acting on the Biblical Call for Justice
- Call for Theological Reflection on Urgent Environmental Needs
- Lutheran Theologians Call for Critical Engagement with, Countering of Fundamentalism
- Call for International Christian Solidarity to Overcome Caste-Based Discrimination
