World Reformed and Lutheran Governing Bodies Hold First Joint Meeting

Officers from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Executive Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), have held meetings in the course of overlapping days, but have met for the first time in joint sessions on Saturday 18 November 2006.

|PIC1|Discussions during the meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, focused on the present status of Lutheran-Reformed relations around the world, on various areas of shared challenges and cooperation and on the new Joint Consultative Commission between the Christian World Communions (CWCs) and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Deliberations between the two global bodies also included the issue of future ecumenical assemblies and the possible coordination of meetings of the governing bodies of the WCC and the CWCs.

The joint meeting of the WARC Officers and the LWF Executive Committee was co-chaired by the presidents of the two communions, Rev Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, (Presbyterian Church, [USA]), and Rev Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The WARC Officers, including some members of the WARC Executive Committee, held their regular meeting at the John Knox International Reformed Centre, Geneva, from 13 to 18 November. The LWF Executive Committee met from 18 to 20 November at Chavannes-de-Bogis.

Regarding future global assemblies, the joint LWF and WARC governing bodies agreed that the future of ecumenical assemblies is a matter of crucial importance for conciliar ecumenism in the 21st century.

The meeting brought out the urgent need for a new type of assemblies in which the broad, multilateral nature of the ecumenical movement is expressed more substantially. Delegates also realised the need for such assemblies to be a place "where representatives of churches, CWCs and church agencies for mission and development can process a commonly developed agenda, and where CWCs that have no relationship with the WCC at present might also be represented."

The LWF and WARC representatives strongly recommended that the first new type of ecumenical assembly be considered to take place in 2013. They also urged the WCC to prepare for a decision in principle on this matter at the next meeting of the WCC Central Committee in 2008, and asked that their two general secretaries discuss the issue as soon as convenient with the WCC general secretary.

Both governing bodies considered that after 2010, "the LWF and WARC would no longer hold global assemblies of their own, given a satisfactory development in this area."

WARC President Kirkpatrick said, "We celebrate the growing unity we find among Reformed and Lutheran Christians and leave this historic meeting with great hope that our organizations will be able to strengthen one another and the church ecumenical to bring justice to our world today."

Commenting on the meeting's outcome, LWF President Hanson said, "We give thanks to God for this significant conversation as together with WARC we have strengthened our relationship with one another within the context of our shared commitment to ecumenism and to working for justice, peace and reconciliation."

"I thank God for this meeting which was a particularly significant event in the life of the church. I am happy that both Lutheran and Reformed representatives expressed a commitment to our common witness and action for justice and peace as it is lived out daily in many regions of the world. I hope and pray our meeting today inspires an even greater commitment to work together for life in fullness for all," stated WARC General Secretary Rev Dr Setri Nyomi.

The LWF General Secretary, Rev Dr Ishmael Noko described the meeting as "a concrete translation of our mutual commitment to the search for visible unity. This meeting will give energy to our constituencies."

For more information on the WARC please visit: HERE