Title: Lutheran World Agencies Celebrated
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 20, 1997
LUTHERAN WORLD AGENCIES CELEBRATED
97-CA-50-CA
PHILADELPHIA (ELCA) -- The Lutheran World Federation's birthday party
came to the village square constructed at the Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at the Pennsylvania Convention
Center. The assembly met here Aug. 14-20. The LWF, founded just after
World War II to help bind up the wounds of that conflict, now comprises 124
member churches all over the world.
The LWF was one of four international service ministries celebrated
at the ELCA assembly. The ELCA's own World Hunger Program, Lutheran World
Relief (LWR) -- the international relief and development agency -- and
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) also made presentations to
the more than 1,000 voting members of the assembly.
ELCA World Hunger Fund received nearly $12 million in 1996, said the
Rev. John Halvorson, director of the program. Congregational giving is
down, he said, noting that 80 percent of the ELCA's world hunger funds come
from congregations. Halvorson said the organization was able to "keep
Chicago-based overhead to six percent" of the group's total budget.
The LWF and LWR each receive about $4 million annual from the fund,
Halvorson said, as he thanked assembly participants for "being a channel
for God's compassion and God's justice."
Lutheran World Relief, a cooperative program that also involves the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, has helped bring "much good" out of the
"great evil" of World War II, said Kathryn Wolford, LWR executive director,
addressing the assembly.
Ralston Deffenbaugh, LIRS executive director, said his organization
had resettled 7,640 persons last year, many of them refugees from the
conflict in Bosnia. "You cannot change the past," Deffenbaugh said, "but
through the ministry of LIRS Lutherans help shape the future."
ELCA Vice President Kathy Magnus presented a certificate to Musimbi
Kanyoro, LWF executive director for women and church in society, honoring
the LWF's half-century of service. "Our pride is exploding to know that we
are so well-represented" in international mission and service, Magnus said.
Since its founding by fewer than 40 Lutheran churches, nearly all of
them northern European and American denominations, the LWF has expanded to
include churches in all parts of the world. It's most recent assembly in
July was held in Hong Kong, the first time such an assembly had been held
in Asia.
Previous LWF assemblies have met in Europe, North America, South
America, Scandinavia and Africa.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
