ELCA NEWS SERVICE February 11, 2004 Istanbul Trip Reaffirms Orthodox Commitments, Says ELCA Bishop 04-019-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said a recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, to meet with world leaders of the Orthodox Church, reaffirmed the commitment of the Orthodox to "Christian community and peace in the world" and their commitment to caring for the environment. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson made the comment in an interview with the ELCA News Service at the conclusion of a Jan. 25-31 visit to Istanbul. The visit included meetings with leaders within the Ecumenical Patriarchate, home of the international leader of the Orthodox Church, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Hanson led a 14-member joint ELCA-Lutheran World Federation (LWF) delegation to Istanbul, both as ELCA presiding bishop and as president of the LWF, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Lutheran group was originally scheduled to visit Orthodox leaders as part of the presiding bishop's March 2003 ecumenical journey, but postponed the Istanbul trip until 2004 because of security concerns related to the start of the U.S.-led war with Iraq. The five-day visit included: an audience with Bartholomew, at which the Lutherans and Bartholomew exchanged formal greetings; a meeting with Orthodox ecumenical officials to discuss Lutheran-Orthodox dialogues, Lutheran Church relationships in the United States, ELCA full communion relationships, and the ordination of women and people who are gay and lesbian in committed relationships; a visit to an Orthodox seminary on nearby Halki Island, closed 33 years ago by a government order and which the church is hoping to reopen soon; and participation in an Orthodox Divine Liturgy at which Bartholomew presided. Scheduling conflicts prevented the Lutherans from meeting with the Armenian Patriarch, His Beatitude Mesrob II. Hanson left him a written message noting that the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, traveled to Armenia last year to participate in the 1,700th anniversary of the Armenian Church. "For your untiring efforts as a servant of Christ, the people of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America offer prayers of gratitude," Hanson said in his message. The audience with Bartholomew reaffirmed for Hanson the ecumenical patriarch's stature as a global leader, Hanson said. "With great grace he welcomed us, with gratitude he talked about the deepening friendship, relationship and understanding we have as Lutherans and Orthodox," he said. Now that he has met Bartholomew personally, Hanson said he hopes to build on that relationship "so together we can become articulate, global leaders of the Christian community at a very tumultuous time for the world." Hanson said the visit gives the ELCA an opportunity to "build bridges" with other Christians throughout the world. Too often, Christians in North America -- including Lutherans -- become "isolated" from the rest of the world, he said. "In a world so divided by hostility, for us to come and stand in solidarity with this very small band of Christians in a predominantly Muslim country also is our gift of solidarity to the Orthodox who maintain this very important global presence.in this vast country," Hanson said. "We both receive and give by virtue of our presence." Lutherans in North America have been in a formal theological dialogue with the Orthodox for nearly 30 years. There has also been an international dialogue in progress for more than 20 years, said the Rev. Randall R. Lee, director, ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs. "This relationship is very important because the Orthodox community is not in dialogue with many others around the world," Lee said in an interview. "They are sending us a signal that we take theology seriously, and therefore they are more than happy to talk with us about the things that we share in common in confessing the Christian faith." The ELCA is known internationally for its ecumenical work, and, in particular, its full communion agreements with the Episcopal Church, Moravian Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ. The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul is well aware of those developments, Lee said. "We get along so well because we share our common confession of the creeds, particularly the Nicene Creed," Lee said. "It is our sharing in serious theological reflection that has many touchstones that indicate ways in which we agree. It goes back to the earliest days of the Lutheran movement, when Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon were in contact with the Ecumenical Patriarchate at that time, seeking to engage in conversation." This summer, the North American Lutheran-Orthodox dialogue will complete its third round of meetings, he said. At that time the Lutherans and Orthodox hope to publish a common statement and a guidebook to help members of both traditions learn more about each other and encourage prayer together, Lee said. Accompanying Hanson, his wife, Ione, Almen and Lee on the visit to Istabul were: the Rev. David E. Jensen, Ascension Lutheran Church, Minocqua, Wis., and ELCA Church Council member; Kathy J. Magnus, regional officer for North America, Lutheran World Federation, Chicago; Arthur Norman, Spanish Fort, Ala.; the Rev. Fred S. Opalinski, Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa.; the Rev. Karen S. Parker, assistant to the bishop, ELCA Pacifica Synod, Yorba Linda, Calif.; the Rev. Paul A. Schreck, executive assistant, ELCA Office of the Secretary, and associate for bilateral dialogues, ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Chicago. Representing the LWF were the Rev. Ishmael Noko, general secretary; Karin Achtelstetter, director, Office for Communication Services; and Archbishop Georg Kretschmar, co- president, Lutheran/Orthodox Joint International Commission. Reporting on the trip were Achtelstetter and John R. Brooks, director for news and media production, ELCA Department for Communication. -- -- -- A video piece on the Lutherans' visit to Istanbul is at http://www.elca.org/co/news/videos/video.index.html on the ELCA Web site; photos from the trip are at http://www.elca.org/co/news/image.index.html on the Web. Complete texts of Bishop's Hanson's formal statements to His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Mesrob II are at http://www.elca.org/bishop/messages.html on the ELCA Web site. Information about Lutheran-Orthodox dialogues can be found on the Department for Ecumenical Affairs home page at http://www.elca.org/ea on the ELCA Web site. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news