ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Lutheran World Council, Reporters

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), reflected on many of the challenges that Lutherans around the world face regarding their Christian faith and political, social, inter-religious and environmental concerns. Hanson addressed the council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at its meeting Sept. 1-7 in Chavannes-de-Bogis, Switzerland, near Geneva, and later spoke with reporters.
Hanson is LWF president and serves as the federation's chief official representative and presiding officer of the LWF assembly, council and executive committee. The LWF has 136 member churches in 76 countries around the world, representing 62.3 million of the world's estimated 66 million Lutherans.
The council is composed of 49 members elected at the LWF's Tenth Assembly in July 2003 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The council is the LWF's governing body between assemblies, which are normally held every six years.
"We will grow together rather than apart as we are defined by our faith, not our fears," Hanson told the LWF council, forming his remarks around the meeting's theme: "Growing Together, Growing Apart."
"Fear hardens lives and closes borders," he said. "Faith calls us to see the world through the eyes of God's vision for the world -- a vision of the goodness of creation, humanity created in God's image, interdependent, praising God, and pursuing justice and peace."
"As we humbly and honestly address the factors and forces that might cause us to grow apart, we do so trusting in the unity given to us by virtue of our baptism into Christ and the unity we share with all humanity as stewards of God's creation. The power of the Holy Spirit to unite is greater than all that might divide," he said.
Hanson said working together and reasoning with one another on some of the divisive issues of the day will draw Lutherans closer together. He raised "four arenas of our life and work" -- relationships among Lutheran churches, relationships between Lutherans and other Christians, relationships between Lutherans and people of other faiths, and global relationships.
"We run the risk of making declarations and decisions about human sexuality without being in conversation with each other. It would be tragic if that which we all share by virtue of our humanity -- that we are sexual beings -- becomes the cause for division rather than the source of respectful and admittedly difficult dialogue," Hanson said.
"Through our emerging conversations, I believe we will discover that our understanding of the doctrine of the Word of God, the authority of Scripture, and hermeneutics are shared, even though our conclusions about various issues may differ. I further believe we will be helped if we concentrate our prayerful reflection and conversation on the basic issues of what unites us, what is essential for a person to be called a Christian. Our discoveries will help us grow together rather than cause us to grow apart," he said.
On global relationships, Hanson said, "In no other arena of relationships does it seem as clear that the factors bringing us together in one world also are those driving us apart." He listed topics including the HIV/AIDS pandemic, economic globalization, war and violence, the environment and U.S. domination in the world.
"As a religious leader in the United States, I feel compelled to speak about our nation. I recognize the importance of each of us addressing our own governments, yet I am also mindful of the global economic and military domination today of the United States," Hanson said.
"I believe most citizens of the United States want to be known in the world as people who are generous, lovers of freedom, committed to democracy, and peacemakers. Yet, that is not how we are seen through the eyes of people throughout the world," he said. "The United States is viewed as a nation intoxicated with power."
"Let us as the LWF join with those in the United States and throughout the world who call for repentance and transformation where the United States fails, and let us also acknowledge with gratitude the work it does when and where it serves all of humanity," Hanson said.
"As I complete my first year as Lutheran World Federation president, it is with profound gratitude for the member churches," Hanson said. "In varied contexts with often seemingly overwhelming challenges, we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for God's creation, and strive for justice and peace," he said.
At its Chavannes-de-Bogis meeting the council re-elected the Rev. Ishmael Noko of Zimbabwe to a seven-year term as general secretary of the LWF. The general secretary conducts the business of the LWF and carries out the decisions of the LWF assembly and council. Noko has served as LWF general secretary since June 1994.
Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and various aspects of mission and development work. It is based in Geneva.

PUBLIC WITNESS OF FAITH, JUSTICE

Hanson met with reporters in a news conference following his address to the LWF council. One journalist asked him to explain a trend that indicates churches are growing in the Southern hemisphere and shrinking in the Northern hemisphere.
"People in the Southern hemisphere churches can't talk about Jesus outside of the context of their neighbor's physical wellbeing and economic situation," Hanson replied. "We see growth in the Southern hemisphere," Hanson said, where lay evangelists readily share their faith with others.
In the Northern hemisphere faith has become more of a private matter, Hanson said. Lutherans seem to be "genetically resistant" to the public expression of their faith, he said. "We must be more courageous about speaking about God in our lives."
Asked about speaking out about injustice, Hanson said, "We have not usually thought of religious leaders as prophets." In biblical times, prophets were seen on the fringes of communities, he said, and now church leaders are seen more as people in power.
"The vocation of every baptized person is to be striving for peace and justice in the world," Hanson said, admitting that Christians can often differ on how to do that.
Hanson said he was disappointed that in the months before the U.S.-led war in Iraq more churches were not engaged in lively conversation about the appropriate way to deal with a dictator who is causing great suffering among his people.
"I am trying to lead a church that encourages people to think before a decision is taken, and not just to react once the decision is made," said Hanson. "Complex problems are not easy to deal with in a context where we treat people as simple-minded consumers," he said.
"We have not nurtured a culture that deals well with ambiguity, yet we live in a world that is filled with ambiguity. Iraq was one of those ambiguous situations which called for complex critical thinking," Hanson said.
Hanson has met recently with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and with U.S. officials to express concern about the continuing violence in Iraq, as well as about international cooperation in humanitarian relief and peace throughout the Middle East.
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The home page of the Lutheran World Federation is at http://www.lutheranworld.org on the Web. Hanson's remarks to the council are available at http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/2004-Council/President_Address_EN.pdf on that site.

* This report was compiled from materials provided by Lutheran World Information, the information service of the Lutheran World Federation.

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