CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The new Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Wittenberg Center opened its doors this spring in Wittenberg, Germany. As a three-year pilot project, the center offers a place for study, tour and dialogue for congregational members, seminarians and college students. Wittenberg was home to 16th century German church reformer Martin Luther and his wife Katharina.
Under the direction of the ELCA Division for Global Mission, the center was formed by a steering committee including representatives of several ELCA units at the invitation of several agencies and churches in Germany. The Rev. Dean W. Bard, former pastor of the American Church in Berlin, was installed in May as the center's director.
Bard said he sees two missions for the center. It is significant to have a center at Wittenberg for historical reasons as well as a meeting place in a rapidly changing world, he said.
"This is the cradle of the Reformation," Bard said. "It's also where East meets West, an important place for globalization."
The Rev. H. Karl Reko, area program director for Europe, ELCA Division for Global Mission, said the center is a place to "help American Lutherans interact with the German churches and have an in-depth experience of Martin and Katharina Luther."
Researchers can study at the center and throughout Wittenberg. Rich in history, the city is home to a local research center called the Leucorea (where Luther taught), the Luther Museum within the Lutherhalle (where Martin and Katharina Luther lived) and several local churches that can serve as resources, Reko said.
Reko said the developers of the center envisioned an international community. He hopes churches of the Southern Hemisphere, especially South America, Asia and Africa, will send their students and teachers to the Wittenberg Center, Reko said.
Other goals of the center include strengthening ties between the ELCA and the German church and creating a center that is self-supporting in three years, Reko said.
In November, Bard will welcome American Lutherans and full communion partners to the center for the first travel seminar. Coordinated by Bard and the Rev. Timothy F. Lull, Luther scholar and president of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif., the seminar will include lectures, discussions and visits to Luther sites.
Reko said he sees the center as an extension of the mission of the church. He cites the Gospel that "frees us to do mission in ways that are relevant to the contemporary environment. It's an example of the various embodiments of the church making contributions to one another," Reko said.
[*Lisa Smith is a senior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. This =
summer,=20
she is an intern with ELCA News and Information.]
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John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
