Lutheran World Federation Plan North American Desk

LWF DESK FOR NORTH AMERICA

Canadian and U.S. Lutherans support a plan to establish a North
America desk for the Lutheran World Federation.  LWF is a Geneva-
based communion of 56 million Lutherans in 122 member church
bodies in 68 countries.  North America is the only region among
the seven LWF regions that doesn't have its own desk.  Earlier
proposals to establish such a desk were turned down because North
American church leaders said it wasn't needed.  Regional desks
provide information about the LWF to churches in an area of the
world as well as support projects in the region.  The Rev. H.
George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, called the proposed desk "a breakthrough."  He
said such a regional desk would provide a "two-way channel of
communication" and could facilitate the sharing of the gifts of
LWF member churches with the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada in areas such as outreach in mission, renewal in
church life and the witness of the church in society.  Anderson
said it might also make possible new cooperative mission ventures
by member churches and related agencies.  The proposal, which
came as part of a series of meetings Nov. 17-21 in  Toronto
preparing North American participants in the July 8-16 LWF
Assembly in Hong Kong, didn't specify whether such a desk would
be located on this continent or in Geneva.  Women assembly
participants from North America seconded a suggestion by Asian
Lutheran women that a global prayer chain be launched to
spiritually support the assembly.  The plan calls for women in
all LWF regions to offer a daily prayer for the welfare of the
LWF Assembly and the people of Hong Kong.  The assembly will be
held one week after Hong Kong is ceded from Britain to China.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958 or AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir.,
(312) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG; Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir.,
(312) 380-2956 or MRAMIREZ@ELCA.ORGA