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26.03.2007

“Give Us Today Our Daily Bread” Is the Theme of LWF 11th Assembly in 2010

Delegate Allocation Formula Adjusted to Accommodate Slightly Fewer Numbers and Better Balance

“Give Us Today Our Daily Bread” is the theme of the 11th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) which will be held from 20 to 27 July 2010 in Stuttgart, Germany. The Evangelical Church in Württemberg, Germany, will host the assembly.

Delegates attending the 20-27 March LWF Council meeting agreed on the proposed theme and dates during the 24 March discussions on the Report of the Assembly Planning Committee (APC).

The APC had received responses from ten member churches and one national committee on theme suggestions following an invitation by LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko to participate in the development of the assembly theme. After much deliberation, the adopted theme was chosen, because of the ability to maintain the quotation from the Lord’s Prayer throughout the years. During discussions, it was noted that “for many Christians, the words of the Lord’s Prayer may have little meaning when the daily necessities of life seem so abundant. The inability to comprehend this most basic plea only emphasizes the injustice of today’s world and the disparities which divide humanity.”

Other subjects that will be discussed under this theme include water, HIV and AIDS, globalization, the fight against poverty, multi-cultural and multi religious dimensions, and the spiritual and social challenges for Lutheran Christians today.

During the APC report presentation, the committee members said they had noted that financial implications and the need for greater balance in the number of youth and women attendees had necessitated adjustments to the delegate allocation formula for the 2010 assembly.

The APC report provided recommendations to the LWF Council members regarding a modification of the allocation process used at the 2003 LWF Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. Committee member Ms Abigail Zang noted that there were two primary reasons why the committee recommended the change. First, due to “financial reasons,” and, secondly, in order to “help to readdress gender and youth balances.”

At the 1984 LWF Assembly in Budapest, Hungary, it was decided that 50 percent of delegates to future assemblies should be women. At the 1990 LWF Assembly in Curitiba, Brazil, delegates decided that at least 20 percent of the delegates to future assemblies should be youth (under 30 years).

The Council approved the recommended change which will mean that churches with up to 25,000 members can send one delegate; and two for those with up to 150,000 members and three for those with up to 350,000, plus one additional delegate for every 400,000 members or fraction thereof. The Council also approved a recommendation, which would allow for additional regional delegates as follows: 4 for Africa, 10 for Asia, 5 for Europe, 6 for Latin America and 1 for North America. These changes would result in a reduction of the overall number of delegates at the 2010 Assembly to 418, compared with the 443 delegates present at the 2003 Winnipeg Assembly.

The committee noted that changes in the allocation figures are partially due to a decrease in membership levels from the Tenth Assembly. The membership figures for the 2010 Assembly allocation are based on the membership figures by 1 January 2006.

During the Council’s discussion on the report, representatives from the Asia region expressed concern regarding smaller churches being penalized for their sizes and the ability to meet the women and youth percentage criteria from their region with the new allocation figures. A motion brought on the Council floor to revert back to the 2003 Winnipeg Assembly allocation criteria was motion was defeated.

Zang noted that the new allocation system will “uphold the commitment to represent regions” at the Assembly versus individual churches. She clarified that regions would be responsible for determining which delegates would fulfil the additional regional representatives through a process of consultation within the region’s member churches, and additional positions should be used to meet the required representation for women and youth delegates.

The Evangelical Church in Württemberg, Germany, which will be celebrating its 475th anniversary in 2010, is the assembly host church. Wurttemberg Bishop Dr Frank Otfried July reiterated his church’s readiness to host the LWF’s 11th Assembly. He said pietism and the revival movements was a special feature of Württemberg. The Württemberg church as partnerships with 45 churches worldwide. Its LWF assembly preparations also include the LWF German National Committee and Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

The Assembly is the LWF’s highest governing body, meeting normally every six years. Past LWF assemblies were held in Lund, Sweden, 1947; Hanover, Germany, 1952; Minneapolis, USA, 1957; Helsinki, Finland 1963; Evian, France, 1970; Dar es Salam, Tanzania, 1977; Budapest, Hungary, 1984; Curitiba, Brazil, 1990; Hong Kong, China, 1997; and Winnipeg, Canada in 2003. (803 words)  

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