by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service
Two members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
were named to the Central Committee of the World Council of
Churches (WCC) during the 9th Assembly of the WCC, Feb. 14-23 in
Porto Alegre, Brazil -- Kathryn Lohre, research manager,
Pluralism Project, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and
Carlos Pena, president, Kleen Supply Co. Inc., Galveston, Texas,
and C.M. Distributing Corp., Houston. Lohre was on the steering
committee of the former ELCA Commission for Women and its
planning team for the Women's Leadership Roundtable. She served
on the ELCA Bishop's Global, Ecumenical and Interfaith
Relationships Roundtable and the culture committee of the ELCA
Consultation on Principles for Worship. Pena was elected to
serve a six-year term as ELCA vice president by the 2003
Churchwide Assembly. The ELCA is one of 348 WCC member churches.
The 150-member Central Committee serves as the WCC's main
decision-making body between assemblies held every seven years.
On Feb. 23 the committee elected a 25-member executive committee,
moderator and two vice moderators. The new WCC moderator is the
Rev. Walter Altmann, president, Evangelical Church of the
Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB). Altmann serves on the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council and its executive
committee, and he chairs the LWF Program Committee for Mission
and Development. The ELCA is also a member of the LWF.
Links:
World Council of Churches (WCC)
http://www.wcc-coe.org
9th Assembly of the WCC
http://www.wcc-assembly.info
Pluralism Project
http://www.pluralism.org
ELCA vice president
http://www.ELCA.org/pena.html
Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB)
http://www.ieclb.org.br
Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
http://www.lutheranworld.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
