Lutherans elect Chilean theologian as next general secretary

|PIC1|The Lutheran World Federation has today elected Chilean theologian Martin Junge as its eighth general secretary.

Junge, an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile, is the first Latin American to hold the chief executive post of the LWF.

He will succeed the Rev Dr Ishmael Noko, the first African in the role, when he steps down on 31 October 2010.

Junge, the current area secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the LWF Department for Mission and Development, was elected by the LWF at a meeting of its governing body in Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva.

The governing body has been meeting since last Thursday under the theme of "Upholding Human Dignity: Confronting Human Trafficking". The President of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Mark S Hanson, challenged members to tell the story of “the truth that sets free”.

Preaching to the LWF governing body on Sunday, Bishop Hanson said the story of believers, was a “new script” centred on Jesus Christ and God’s reconciling love and mercy.

He said the liberation from sin offered by Christ was not “banishment, sending you out on your own”, but rather forgiveness and “your incorporation, your restoration into the abundant life of God’s household”.

"The truth that makes you free isn’t some idea you have to discover [nor] some religious proposition to which you must give a cent or some personal decision you must make," said Bishop Hanson.

During the Eucharistic service, members of the governing body affirmed their baptism by dipping their fingers into a bowl of water and making a sign of the cross on the hand of the neighbouring person, saying, “Remember you are baptised.”

Bishop Hanson warned that people today were living in a culture of deception in which they refuse to see the truth.

“We construct alternative truth (and) narratives, seemingly so plausible, so believable that we end up deceiving ourselves,” he said.

He said: "We deceive ourselves that our consumption does not destroy the environment, that the Israeli occupation brings security rather than breeds resentment. Or that the perpetuation of white male power and privilege is somehow based upon God's intentions for humanity.”

The service also marked Reformation Sunday, traditionally marked by Lutheran and Reformed churches around the world on the last Sunday of October in celebration of the Reformation.

On Saturday the governing body marked the International Day of Climate Action with a morning prayer during which they formed the number 350, symbolising the global 350.org campaign advocating reductions in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.

At its meeting in Tanzania in June last year, the LWF resolved to promote strong political commitments to reach the 350.org target.

"I very much hope that the Council continues to take further action toward this goal," said Rev. Roger Schmidt, secretary for Youth at the Department for Mission and Development, presiding at the morning prayer.

"We can no longer wait but must actively contribute to global ecumenical and interreligious initiatives to respond to this crisis," asserted LWF General Secretary the Rev Dr Ishmael Noko in his report to the Council meeting on Friday.