LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 12

Gary Doer Promises to Pursue Matter with Canadian Government

WINNIPEG, Canada, 23 July 2003 – The government leader of the Canadian province hosting the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly has vowed to get to the bottom of a controversy surrounding the refusal of visas to dozens of international participants in the event.

“We’re going to follow this up with the federal government and the group here to make sure that whatever went wrong won’t go wrong again,” said Manitoba Premier Gary Doer in an interview after bringing greetings to the LWF meeting this morning.

“This is something we’re going to have to manage as a country a lot more carefully in the future.”

As of last night, 51 individuals, including delegates and visitors, had not received visas from the Canadian government to attend the 10-day LWF Assembly in Winnipeg, the capital city of the province of Manitoba. Of those people, 27 were from India alone. All affected delegations are from Africa and Asia, which have some of the poorest nations on earth.

The visa issue has cast a cloud over the LWF conference, which has as its theme “For the Healing of the World.”

Doer said the Manitoba government will seek more facts from federal immigration officials about why so many LWF participants have so far failed to receive visas.

“We’re not in possession of all the information. We’re going back to the federal government to find out who made the decisions, why they made them and what this means for Canada.”

Doer said his government tried to intervene on participants’ behalf when it learned about the visa problem. It managed to get some denials reversed but not all, he said.

Manitoba has played host to a number of international events, including the 1999 Pan-American Games, and has never experienced a situation such as this before, according to the Premier.

“Is this a post-September 11 reality? I’m not sure. We didn’t seem to have this problem with the last international body I spoke to.”

Doer expressed concern that the current visa problem could set a bad precedent for future international events, such as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games which were recently awarded to Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Canada hosts a lot of events. We can’t have international bodies coming to our country and having some of their people left behind without a perceived reason for doing so.”

The Assembly last night agreed to hold a public demonstration on Tuesday, July 29, to protest the Canadian government’s failure to approve the outstanding visas.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 13

Canada’s Hydro Electricity Production Harms Indigenous People’s Lives

WINNIPEG, Canada, 23 July 2003 - A chief of the indigenous Pimicikamak people narrated here today how a hydro-electric project in northern Manitoba, Canada, has devastated the lives of his people. “Hydro is breaking our hearts,” lamented Chief John Miswagon at the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation.

Canada is the world’s largest producer of hydro-electricity. Many people in Canada may brag about this as a major achievement until they consider the resulting devastation caused by the industrial complexes to the environment and to the lives of the indigenous people.

The Churchill Nelson Rivers’ Manitoba Hydro project was built in early 1970s by the Manitoba Hydro and the Government of Manitoba to generate electricity for domestic use and for export to the U.S. Midwest. Manitoba Hydro reportedly generates more than USD 680 million per year-36 percent of it from sales to utility companies of northern states of the United States.

In 1966 the Canadian Federal Royal Commission on Aboriginal People’s reported that the project has “subsequently become well known for its massive scale and detrimental effect on the northern Manitoba environment and the Aboriginal people who live there.”

The report further stated that reserve territories occupied by the indigenous people had been “either flooded or affected by dramatic changes to levels in surrounding lakes and rivers,” and traditional land-use areas have been “damaged or rendered inaccessible.”

Miswagon, the chief of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation of about 6,500 people, claimed that the project has denied his people of their subsistence – food, water, shelter and medicine. Shorelines have been washed away and forests have been swallowed up by rising levels of water, he said.

The hydro-electric system includes dams, generating stations, river diversions, flooded forests, reservoirs and transmission lines. As lakes and rivers are flooded, emptied or used, the industrial water regime destroys the boreal shoreline ecosystem – the most productive and most sensitive part of the boreal environment, upon which all the rest depends.

About 1,000 square miles of boreal forest have been flooded and destroyed, according to a report on the State of the Manitoba Environment published in 1991. The Pimicikamak, once a healthy society with a sustainable traditional economy, now has catastrophic unemployment, mass poverty, despair and one of the highest suicide rates in North America, according to community leaders.

The environmental degradation has gone hand in hand with water pollution, which has made the rivers and the lakes uninhabitable for fish, he said. “In 1960 there were 30 fresh water lakes in the area,” he said. “Today, there are only 12.”

Standing side by side with Chief Miswagon, Women’s Chief Eugenie Mercredi could not hold back her tears as she presented samples of visibly unsafe water, which, she said, her people drink from the polluted rivers and lakes.

The two chiefs acknowledged that Canada has laws to protect the interests and rights of indigenous populations, but some companies “violate these laws and get away with it.”

However, said Chief Miswagon, Manitoba Hydro has offered to monitor the state of the environment and to become involved in conservation efforts.

He appealed to “the whole world” to work together to restore and preserve the environment. “We may never be able to make it right,” he said, “but, certainly, we can make it better.”

The Pimicikamak have suggested a five-point approach to stop and reverse the devastation:-

.Clean up the environmental and social mess created by hydro-electric energy generation;

.Face the social impacts of the hydro project (shoreline erosion, mercury poisoning, greenhouse gases, loss of forests to erosion and water fluctuations);

.Prevent further harmful hydro-electric projects;

.Support development of cleaner and safer energy options, such as conservation, efficiencies, wind, solar and biomass;

.Help to widen respect for indigenous peoples working to protect their environments.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 14

Work of the Federation Since ’97 Hong Kong Assembly Highlighted

WINNIPEG, Canada, 23 July 2003 – It may have been a relief for delegates and visitors to the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to turn from business and theological discussion and be entertained, inspired and informed by a colorful multimedia presentation highlighting the Federation’s accomplishments since its last Assembly in Hong Kong, China, six years ago.

The musical group Krystaal warmed up an appreciative audience, who were ready to clap and sway for a change of pace. Krystaal is comprised of brothers who escaped from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1989, spent many years in refugee camps in Kenya believing the others were dead, and then reunited upon their emigration to Canada. They have released a CD and perform frequently at public events across Western Canada.

The Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, LWF General Secretary, introduced the program, which was narrated by Danish journalist Niels Thure Krarup and Zimbabwean journalist Diana Mavunduse.

The 90-minute presentation, which featured dancers from many nations, live music, narration in 12 languages, video and audio clips and group singing, endeavored to account for what the LWF had accomplished in response to the mandates handed down at the Hong Kong Assembly.

It provided snapshots of the LWF sponsored activities, actions and programs of the past six years, including the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, scholarship assistance for theological education in poorer nations, and the actions of churches to end violence against women.

While the entertainment and information provided an essential review of the six years since the Hong Kong Assembly, Pauli Rantanen, Director of the Office for Finance and Administration, sounded a note for the future by pointing to the LWF Endowment Fund.

Following the general presentation “LWF Presents Itself,” the Tenth Assembly broke up into interest groups organized around the LWF departments and offices.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 04

Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Major Global Challenges for World Community

WINNIPEG, Canada, 22 July 2003 – Peace between the world’s religions and a common front against terrorism are among the top challenges facing Christians in the 21st century, the president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Bishop emeritus Dr Christian Krause, said in his address to the LWF Tenth Assembly July 22.

Krause was speaking to some 800 participants, including around 400 delegates from LWF member churches, in the first plenary session of the July 21-31 Assembly.

It is no longer enough that states commit themselves to ending their conflicts by peaceful means, the LWF’s chief officer said. They need to form global alliances “in order to combat terrorism together and to guarantee their citizens civilized life in society.” The fight against terrorism cannot be separated from the struggle for justice and human dignity, LWF’s chief officer said.

Krause expressed concern that the United States, the only remaining world superpower, is now militarily so superior that it does not need to fear any military opponent in the world. “It has resolved to use war as a political means when that serves its own interests,” he said. He noted that the war against Iraq was waged in spite of the United Nations’ own opposition and the anti-war demonstrations by millions of people worldwide. International law cannot safeguard peace if the USA do not respect this international law and prefer to replace it by the right of the mighty one,” he noted.

Islam or other religions should not be equated with terrorism, Krause warned. While fundamentalism attracts very few supporters, the phenomenon is also present among Christians and among Jews. Some 1.2 billion people in the world are Muslims and only a very small number of them sympathize with terrorism, he said. The fight against terrorism must include as many states worldwide as possible, especially those with majority Muslim populations. “But it must never become a clash of civilizations or even of religions.” What is imperative for the 21st century is not a crusade against Islam, said Krause, but peace between the religions and their common struggle against terrorism and its contempt for human beings.

The aim is to find common ground between the two world faiths, as with similar efforts in ecumenical dialogues between Christians. The concept of “reconciled diversity,” developed for relations between churches, may also be a useful goal for relations between Christians and Muslims.

Poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are two other top challenges facing the world community, Krause said. He pointed out that the call for communio, which has been discussed with growing intensity in recent years, is not primarily a call for humanitarian aid in view of poverty and HIV/AIDS, much as that is also important, but a call to a worldwide community of trust and hope in discipleship of Jesus Christ. “Are we ready for this – the rich with the poor? Krause asked the Assembly participants.

Krause declared the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification to be the most significant theological achievement since the previous LWF Assembly held in 1997. The landmark declaration was signed by representatives of the LWF and Roman Catholic Church in 1999.

The number of member churches has nearly tripled to 136 since the LWF was founded in 1947, Krause noted. The expansion of the Federation mainly involved churches in the South becoming members. While the churches in the North are faced with shrinking memberships, churches in the South are growing significantly, mainly among charismatic, spirit-filled congregations and communities. According to the LWF president, the future of Christianity will mainly depend on whether it is possible to gather together the historical confessional churches and the charismatic congregations and movements.

He said there is need for new ecumenical models in order to meet one another also across internal barriers, and deal constructively with the existing controversies and be able to celebrate worship together.

Krause expressed his deep sense of gratitude “for the gift of communion in Christ which transcends all borders and divisions.” He paid tribute to the hospitality of the many people who have received him together with his wife Gertrud during visits to member churches of the global Lutheran communion. “I then had the strength to persevere even when the strain was great. That gave me the resolve to stand up for our cause also before the governments and the powerful of this world,” he noted.

He thanked the Assembly host the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and its National Bishop Raymond Schultz, the LWF Geneva staff and the many other people who prepared the Assembly.

Krause was appointed as LWF President at the 1997 Ninth Assembly in Hong Kong China.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 06

Assembly Asked to Consider Proposal for Discussion on Name Change

WINNIPEG, Canada, 22 July 2003 – The strength and unity of member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) lies in their ability to enhance common efforts and mutual accountability toward deepening the experience of communion without undermining each other’s autonomy. But this sharing in each other’s joys and sufferings in very concrete ways “also means taking risks,” LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko told participants in the organization’s Tenth Assembly that began in the Canadian city of Winnipeg July 21.

His report to the Assembly highlighted significant steps taken by the LWF and its member churches since the 1997 Ninth Assembly and the challenges posed by ongoing and emerging global concerns.

“We were mindful of the fact that the world is a wounded world,” Noko said of the decision two years ago to have “For the Healing of the World,” as the Assembly theme. Global developments and their implications since then, including the 11 September 2001 terrorism attack on the United States, the Iraq war, as well as new and re-awakening civil conflicts in many parts of the world only confirm the significance and timeliness of the theme, Noko said. He urged the Assembly participants to bear in mind that the international environment in which the LWF churches live and witness has been fundamentally re-shaped by such events.

Since the 1997 Ninth Assembly, the churches have witnessed a further intensification of the process of globalization and its positive and negative impact, Noko noted. On the one hand, its unifying trends including new mechanisms for globalized justice such as the International Criminal Court and increasing prominence in international affairs are cause for hope. On the other, the increasing inequality of wealth and well being visible in the tragic conditions of the poor, accentuate marginalization among the world’s populations.

“An estimated 80 percent of people in the world have never heard a dial tone, let alone sent an e-mail or surfed the Web. [Around] 2.8 billion people, close to half the population of the planet and almost all of them in developing countries, live on less than two dollars a day,” Noko noted. He continued: “The devastation resulting from poverty is much more than the absence of material goods.” It also inflicts “spiritual wounds that undermine one’s self-esteem, self-worth and confidence.” It attacks the God-given dignity and equal value of every human being, and “therefore undermines any notion of community and communion,” he told the Assembly participants.

Churches must respond to the ‘for the healing the world’s wounds’ “because they must bear the marks of Christ’s healing sacrifice.” Life in communion, he noted, is not based on a partial commitment of Christ, but on the total “emptying of himself for our sake.”

Other highlights of the General Secretary Noko’s Report to the Tenth Assembly included the role of the LWF in mission and diaconia, working to realize the vision of an inclusive communion of women and men, and approaching complex social and ethical issues including the question of homosexuality. It also focused on the episcopal ministry in the church, engagement in global and regional aspects of inter-faith relations, indigenous issues, conditions of work in the churches and the issue of HIV/AIDS.

Noko noted the importance of the altar and pulpit fellowship shared by the LWF member churches, without which the organization could be like a civil agency and not a communion of churches. The LWF’s administrative structures such as the Assembly, Council, National Committees and Secretariat although important, are not in themselves “communion.” These setups are an integral part of the communion’s life, enabling it to function properly and meaningfully as an international body and a spiritual fellowship,” he emphasized.

“Communion is communication,” the general secretary noted. He reported that the Secretariat is seeking to respond to the current challenges in this area by engaging member churches and partner organizations more actively in the development of communication strategies. The LWF news service, Lutheran World Information serves to maintain a broad coverage of developments related to the life of the Lutheran churches globally. The Ecumenical News International, in which the LWF is a partner, provides media around the world with important news related to the activities of churches and church-related organizations.

The general secretary noted that since the inception of the LWF in 1947, its member churches have prayed for a fellowship that is inclusive of all Lutherans in the world, yet over three million Lutherans remain outside the LWF fellowship. He conveyed his gratitude for the collaboration in diaconal activities between the LWF and its member churches and the Lutheran communities outside the LWF, but underlined that the yearning for a fully inclusive Lutheran communion remains unfulfilled.

The lack of a united Lutheran witness undermines the integrity of a common mission and reduces the vitality of ecumenical engagement, Noko said. “Should not the common affirmation of the Lutheran confessional writings be sufficient for church fellowship among the Lutheran churches? What are the real reasons that keep Lutherans apart?” he asked the Assembly participants who include delegates from the LWF member churches worldwide.

He informed the Assembly about the process of consultation between representatives of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and the LWF, noting that common ground as well as differences are being identified in the area of theology especially confessional and ecumenical issues. He hoped that the conversations with the ILC – representing most of the Lutherans still outside the LWF fellowship – would enhance coordination, communication and theological discussion.

Noko also made reference to the LWF’s commitment to ecumenism globally and described the ecumenical movement as a “deeply significant healing process in the present time.” The October 1999 signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification could not have been achieved without the instrumentality of the LWF, he said. The vast majority of all bilateral communion agreements that have been established around the world involve Lutheran churches, Noko said. But he pointed out that new efforts must be made to ensure that these processes can take place among churches in the developing countries.

The general secretary mentioned the ongoing international dialogue commissions with the Orthodox churches and Roman Catholic Church. Conversations between the LWF and the Seventh-day Adventists have been carried out and the report and recommendations from this process are being studied by the member churches. Also, two international working groups, with the Anglican Communion and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, have both submitted their reports. The LWF Council has received these reports, and upon its request they have been sent to the member churches for study and response.

He spoke also of the increasing ecumenical importance of the collaboration between the Christian world communions (CWCs) such as the LWF, and the World Council of Churches (WCC). A resolution of the 1998 WCC Eighth Assembly in Harare calling for closer cooperation between the council and CWCs has been followed up both by the LWF Council and WCC Central Committee. The WCC provides a unique framework for the deliberation of fundamental ecumenical issues, Noko said, and urged the LWF and its member churches to play an active and supportive part in the current discussions on the nature and purpose of the WCC. He expressed the need to explore further how the WCC and LWF could build on their existing cooperation, for example through their jointly-founded emergency agency, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.

The self-understanding of the organization’s name has been discussed in previous governing bodies of the LWF, including at the 1997 Ninth Assembly. In his report today, the general secretary asked the Assembly to consider initiating a discussion process on changing the organization’s current name to “The Lutheran World Federation – A Communion of Churches,” keeping the present acronym “LWF.” The suggestion was endorsed by the Council at its September 2002 meeting.

In requesting the LWF’s highest decision-making body to consider formalizing such a discussion, Noko explained that the issue of an alternative name was based on the shared opinion that the “federal concept no longer expresses adequately the ecclesial nature of the fellowship that exists between the member churches.” He confirmed that the name being proposed would be consistent with the existing constitutional description of the Federation.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 07

“Martin Luther: The Reformer” to Tour North America

Winnipeg, Canada, 22 July 2003 – From the modern halls of the Winnipeg Convention Centre into the German Reformation world of Martin and Katherine Luther, one steps back in time 500 years upon entering a remarkable traveling exhibition of Martin Luther memorabilia that was unveiled July 22 at the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The exhibit is titled, “Martin Luther: The Reformer.”

Sabine Sparwasser, representative of the German Ambassador to Canada, officially opened the exhibition from the floor of the assembly, welcoming participants to “Luther’s front door” in Wittenberg. She spoke of Luther’s conviction that Christians should be empowered by the gospel to bring about healing in the world through political as well as religious institutions.

The more than 700 participants in the Assembly will have a full ten days to browse through more than 100 books, manuscripts, illustrations, paintings and other documents recording the life and work of the man whom “Life” magazine ranked third among the most influential people of the past millennium.

Dr Cornelia Doemer, executive director of the Luther Center in Wittenberg Germany, stated that the exhibition is organized in a circle representing “the twelve chapters of Luther’s life.” It contains the first Gutenberg Bible, paintings and illustrations by Albrecht Durer and Lucas Cranach, manuscripts by Luther and a letter by his wife.

Astoundingly all the pieces in the exhibit are painstaking replicas and facsimiles of the originals, which reside in the towns of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt that were central to Luther’s life. Doemer stated that the replicas were created during the years of the former German Democratic Republic by German craftsmen and artists who had no Luther exhibitions to mount and therefore no challenges besides artistic and historic integrity.

The exhibit’s creators have succeeded in creating an environment – complete with actors in period dress portraying Martin and Katherine Luther – that affords the viewer an atmospheric as well as authentic taste of life at the dawn of the Reformation.

The exhibit portrays Martin Luther, monk, spiritual seeker, courageous reformer, eloquent preacher, brilliant teacher, and loving family man, as the theologian who not only transformed western Christianity but also reformed German language and culture. The Protestant Reformation took root in Germany and then spread across Europe and the world.

Since the collapse of communism, Doemer said, it has been a joy once again to invite the people of the world to Wittenberg to visit the Luther sites in person. She added that this tour offers the opportunity to take Luther to America to be more fully appreciated by Americans of German heritage, by Lutherans and by the public in general.

It is the ultimate tribute to Luther that the church that bears his name honors him at its world gathering, 500 years after his death in 1546.

The Luther exhibit will be open at no charge to the public on the main floor of the Winnipeg Convention Centre from July 22-30, during the LWF Assembly. The Following the assembly, “Martin Luther: The Reformer” will tour twelve sites in the United States, beginning at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 05

Canadian Bishop Schultz: Church People Have Been Judgmental About Sexuality

WINNIPEG, Canada, 21 July 2003 – Pomp and color marked the opening Eucharist of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly, being hosted here by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

The Lutheran worship service, which was held at the St Boniface Cathedral (Roman Catholic), started with a colorful procession to the adjacent Red River, where some 400 delegates to the Assembly had gathered for a dedication ceremony.

The service was led by the ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schultz and the Most Rev. Emilius Goulet of the Cathedral. Also present were the LWF President Bishop emeritus Dr. Christian Krause, General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

The Assembly runs from 21 to 31 July under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” Some 700 participants will be attending.

In a thought-provoking sermon, Schultz regretted that the Church has remained reserved on issues of sexuality even in the era of HIV/AIDS. “Church people have been more judgmental about sexuality than practically any other aspect of human behavior, yet it is in sexual seeking that humans act out their deepest longings for love, belonging and identity,” he said.

“To have such a powerful aspect of human experience tied to such a terrible disease is an enormous challenge, but also an enormous opportunity. Here is where unconditional acceptance of sufferers and compassion of the highest order can touch people where their self-esteem is most threatened, and their spiritual health is most eroded by the disapproval and censure of their society,” he added.

On the theme of the Assembly, Bishop Schultz remarked that the church had been called to bring compassion and mercy for the suffering, peace and reconciliation for the conflicted, justice and equity for the oppressed, shelter and hospitality for the homeless and hope for the hopeless.

The Assembly, which is LWF’s highest decision making body takes place every six years and brings together delegates from the LWF member churches from across the world.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are around 820 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly including 380 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org

* * *

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide.

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

Controversy Highlights Exclusion of Poorest from World Community

WINNIPEG, Canada, 20 July 2003 (LWI)

– The leadership of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) issued a last-ditch appeal to the Canadian authorities to issue visas for over 60 participants of the LWF Tenth Assembly, due to start here tomorrow.

Over 800 official participants, including some 400 delegates from member churches, have been invited by the global body to attend the July 21-31 Assembly. Of these, about 35 percent require visas to enter Canada.

“If immediate action is taken, it still might not be too late for the Canadian Government to rectify this matter,” the Federation’s Council said of the visa denials, in a statement issued here today after its July 19-20 meeting.

The Council expressed “deepest concern and outrage” about the visa denials, noting that they only affect participants from among the poorest nations of the world.

“This situation reflects one of the most deplorable aspects of globalization.” The result is that churches “of the South, the poor and the marginalized” are excluded from the global community.

The visa controversy highlights “the brokenness of human relationships” in the world that the Assembly theme seeks to address. The meeting’s theme is “For the Healing of the World”.

One of the Assembly’s main actions is to elect the new Council, which will then meet here August 1-2.

The Council gives leadership to the LWF between assemblies. Most of the present Council’s members were elected at the Federation’s previous Assembly, in 1997.

The full text of the Council’s statement follows below:

Statement by the Council of the Lutheran World Federation

On the eve of the opening of the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Winnipeg, the leadership of this global church family expresses its deepest concern and outrage that over 60 delegates and official participants from around the world have not received visas from the Government of Canada to enable them to attend this meeting.

The LWF is a federation of 136 member churches of the Lutheran communion in 73 countries, representing a total of approximately 63 million people. In addition to serving as a forum for the worldwide Lutheran community, the LWF is also a major institution for mission, theological reflection, ecumenical dialogue, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, in which representatives of all member churches are entitled to participate. The Assembly takes place only once every 6 years, and sets the direction for the LWF’s work for the coming period. Comprehensive participation is therefore essential.

It is the first time that the LWF has held its Assembly in Canada, and we have been warmly and enthusiastically received by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) as host church. The joy of this celebration of global Christian fellowship is dimmed by visa difficulties of a magnitude completely unprecedented in the more than 50 year history of the LWF.

We are very grateful for the untiring efforts of the ELCIC and the LWF’s Secretariat in Geneva to secure the favourable consideration of these outstanding visa applications. However, the response thus far of the Canadian authorities has been in effect to deny entry to participants exclusively from among the poorest nations of the world. This situation reflects one of the most deplorable aspects of globalization, namely the exclusion of the South, the poor and the marginalized from the global community. It illustrates very concretely and painfully the brokenness of human relationships that the theme of the Assembly, ‘For the Healing of the World’, seeks to address.

The situation is also a poor reflection of Canada’s traditional policies of openness, internationalism and support for the developing world. The lack of recognition and responsiveness to the concerns already repeatedly raised by the ELCIC with Citizenship and Immigration Canada manifests a very saddening disregard for the church’s role in this society.

If immediate action is taken, it still might not be too late for the Canadian Government to rectify this matter, and to facilitate the fulfillment of the Assembly’s primary purpose as a truly global gathering of the Lutheran church family. We appeal to the Canadian Government to be a force ‘For the Healing of the World’, to avoid promoting division and marginalization, and to issue these visas now.

* * *

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place 21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme “For the Healing of the World.” It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

There are some 800 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly, including delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo [at] lutheranworld [dot] org