Europe's Lutherans Pledge Support for Diaconal Services despite Diminishing Resources

Message from Regional Church Leadership Consultation

Europe’s Lutheran leaders pledged to continue to advocate on behalf of their local and global neighbors, even as they cautioned about a growing demand for diaconal services on the continent amid diminishing resources.

In the final message of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) European Church Leadership Consultation held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, 10-15 May, the 80 leaders from 38 churches noted that despite a strong tradition of churches providing social services (diakonia), the work faces serious challenges.

“Increasing indebtedness, rising unemployment rates especially among the young, and diminished communal resources have caused an increased demand in social and diaconal services,” the leaders said in their message titled: “With Passion for the Church and for the World.”

“Although Europe may appear to be one unified, social political and economic region, there are emerging economic gaps between rich and poor and especially among migrant workers and marginalized populations,” they noted.

Lack of funding had compelled churches to re-examine their reliance on professional service workers and rely on volunteers, the Lutheran leaders noted at their meeting jointly hosted by the Evangelical Church of the Czech Brethren and the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.

They however reiterated that the biblical and theological focus of human beings as being made in the image of God (Imago Dei) challenges them to examine their diaconal work from a renewed perspective.

In discussions, participants shared the richness of diaconal efforts that churches around Europe are undertaking: a congregation in Amsterdam (Netherlands) opens its doors to neighbors for community and friendship; in Baden-Baden (Germany) and Budapest (Hungary) church artisans sell their works to raise money so the poor can buy medicine and food. Other examples were cited from Riga (Latvia), where a diaconal program provides 2,000 meals a week; in Rome (Italy) churches are open to the poor; in France church members volunteer in state-run charities; and in Sweden church doors are opened to the unemployed.

“We believe that diakonia within the LWF European regions should include the active role of coordinated advocacy on behalf of the neighbor around the world,” said the church leaders representing the Central Western, Central Eastern and Nordic regions of Europe.

The three regions agreed to strengthen their level of cooperation by organizing annual pan-European gatherings on themes relevant both to the European context and the global communion of Lutheran churches.

(Miriam Paszova from the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession contributed to this story.)