Lutheran Churches Must Respond to Genocide

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Division for Global Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has asked for a churchwide response to "recurrent tragedies of the 20th century resulting from ethnic strife."  The board of the division, meeting here March 14-16, voted to send its request to the ELCA Church Council, which approved the recommendation at its meeting here April 5-7.
     The action calls for three elements: repentance for silence, reflection on the legacy of violence in this century and commitment to peacemaking.  A suggested time line begins with Lent 1999 and goes through Advent and Epiphany 1999-2000.   The council is asked to bring appropriate units of the ELCA together to develop the church's response and to transmit the resolution to the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches.
     The board cited "a stunning report" by Belletech Deressa, director for development, on her January visit to Rwanda as well as "instances of genocide throughout the world in the past 100 years ... in Germany, Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia, East Timor and Guatemala."
     Deressa said "As we reflect on what has happened in Rwanda it is also essential for churches and leaders of churches and nations to find ways to challenge and expose conditions that lead to such genocide."
     Deressa wrote, "The horror of Rwanda and what I have seen was like nothing I have ever before experienced in my life.  I found myself shocked, frightened and the painful feeling shook my body and there were no tears in my eyes when I saw the bones, skulls, skeletons and belongings of the genocide in a Catholic church in Natarama ... where about 5,000 people were killed."
     She reported, "International communities were to some extent aware of the gross violation of human rights and escalating tension for many years.  Yet they did not speak against oppression.  None of the churches were willing to stop the genocide of 1994."
     Deressa said the Rwandan churches' silence led to genocide. "The genocide shook the very foundation of all the churches.  Not only were hundreds of religious workers killed, but hundreds of thousands of faithful parishioners were slaughtered in churches they had been taught to believe were safe sanctuaries and shelters from violence," she said.
     Many Rwandese speak of "the future church," "the surviving church," or "the repentant church," Deressa said.  "It was very clear to us that people have been hurt and lost confidence in the previous church leadership since the genocide, yet they did not give up on being Christian and people of faith."
     The small Lutheran groups who returned from exile relate to the Evagelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, Deressa reported. The Council of Protestant Churches in Rwanda with new leadership is trying to strengthen unity among the churches.
     The board took an action related to Hong Kong and the church there as the colony becomes an administrative region of the People's Republic of China this year.  It voted to "call upon the ELCA Church Council to encourage members of the ELCA to join in prayer with the churches and people of Hong Kong."
     The action committed the division to "accompany the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong as it embarks on a pilgrimage of faith into a new era of ministry and service" and to "strongly support" the church's "holistic ministry, theological education and relationship with the people of China."
     The board adopted a set of guidelines, "Expectations for International Personnel," outlining appropriate personal behavior of missionaries and volunteers abroad.  It reaffirmed the board's emphasis on development of women for church leadership, especially through scholarships.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html