Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:36:36 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/ Asia Lutheran Communion en-us http://www.asia-lutheran.org/images/images/logo.gif http://www.asia-lutheran.org/ timo@asia-lutheran.org http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=529 Lutheran Church Representatives Share Good Practices on Mission MONTREUX, Switzerland/GENEVA, 6 June 2011 (LWI) – When representatives of Lutheran churches from around the world gathered to discuss how concrete church intervention is needed in today’s world, the first person to tell her story was Kyioe Narita of the Japan Lutheran Church. Her moving thank you for the humanitarian support her church received from the global Lutheran family following the March 2011 devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan seemed a fitting starting point for the stories that followed from Asia, Latin America and Africa. Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:36:36 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=528 Symposium Participants Say Work Has not Always Promoted Human Dignity GENEVA, 4 May 2011 (LWI) - The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther developed a new understanding of the meaning of work but churches have had a mixed record in dealing with labor movements, a symposium of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) held in Geneva heard. Luther, said Rev. Dr Martin Robra, a German theologian, questioned the value given to contemplative monastic life in the church of his era and instead underlined the importance of manual labor for the community. Wed, 04 May 2011 21:15:06 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=527 “LWF together” kicks off on 1 May GENEVA, 29 April 2011 (LWI) – On 1 May 2011, over 100 youth groups from the seven regions of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will embark on a six-month long common journey. Within the framework of an experimental global LWF program, they will exchange ideas and organize activities around a shared concern: environmental justice. The program, “LWF together - the earth needs you,” introduces a new and innovative methodology to the Lutheran communion. Wed, 04 May 2011 21:07:51 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=526 Holy Week Letter Reiterates Prayers and Support from LWF Geneva, 20 April 2011 (LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has sent a Holy Week message of praise and support to Japanese Lutherans who are among those providing assistance to people affected by the devastating 11 March earthquake and tsunami. The death toll of the calamitous earthquake and tsunami had by 19 April exceeded 14,000 people Japan's National Police Agency said, but a further 13,660 are still missing. Some 140,000 people are now in shelters after they were evacuated due to radiation alerts or their homes were destroyed. Sun, 24 Apr 2011 06:36:29 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=525 Region Commits to Communion-Building, Interfaith Dialogue GENEVA, 8 April 2011 (LWI) – The final message of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) “On Being a Lutheran Communion in the Asian Context: Understanding and Implications,” is now available on the LWF Web site. Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:28:17 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=524 Caution against Market-Driven Evangelism KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/GENEVA, 21 March 2011 (LWI) - Proclaiming the gospel in Asia, a multi-religious and multi-cultural society where Christians are a minority, should not be seen as a threat to other faiths, says Indonesian theologian Rev. Dr Martin Sinaga. The study secretary for Theology and the Church at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for Theology and Studies said he appreciated the vibrant growth of Christians in Asia, estimated at 300 million people, which he attributed to evangelization efforts. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:05:50 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=523 Asian Church Leaders Seek More Engagement at Local Level KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/GENEVA, 21 March 2011 (LWI) – Language and communication remain key challenges as women and youth leaders in Asia seek to participate fully in the life of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), says Rev. Shu-Chen (Selma) Chen from Taiwan. “Given Asia’s multi-lingual context, language is a major challenge that we have to address as we seek meaningful participation in the mission and life of the Lutheran communion,” Chen said in an interview with Lutheran World Information (LWI). Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:05:31 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=522 Dear Friends As of March 16 I have completed my term of service with the Lutheran World Federation. Thank you for your love and support in the past ten years. It has been a joy and privilege to serve God and all of you in the Asia Communion. God's richest blessings be upon you. Sally Lim (Kee) Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:32:48 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=521 Gift of Unity in Diversity in Asian Lutheran Communion KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/GENEVA, 15 March (LWI) – Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, president of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), appealed to LWF member churches in Asia to continue to be “a vibrant and creative witness” in the world’s most populous region. Younan, who is bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), made this call when he addressed church representatives attending the LWF Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) held in the Malaysian capital under the theme: “On being LWF Communion of Churches in Asian Context: Understanding and Implication”. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:09:22 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=520 Dear Rev. Martin, I am writing on behalf of Rev. Yutaka Kumei, NRK president and the Japan Lutheran Church (NRK). My name is Shinri Emoto and I am the Vice President of the NRK and interim Mission Secretary. We would like to thank you and the LWF, for your consistent concern and prayers. We have received messages of support and encouragement from churches around the world. It is a wonderful thing to see how the body of Christ comes together at a time like this. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:08:44 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=519 8.9 Magnitude Strikes Northeastern Japan GENEVA, 11 March 2011 (LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has written to the three LWF member churches in Japan reassuring them of the Lutheran communion’s prayers and support following the devastating earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan earlier today. “We are thinking of and praying for you, your pastors and church workers as you give spiritual care and leadership in this time and as you and your churches organize relief efforts,” said Acting LWF General Secretary Rev. Chandran Paul Martin, in letters addressed respectively to presidents Rev. Sumiyuki Watanabe, Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC); Rev. Shigeo Sueoka, Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC); and Rev. Yutaka Kumei, Japan Lutheran Church (JLC). Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:02:19 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=518 Delegation at Regional Conference Meets with Government Minister KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/GENEVA, 11 March 2011 (LWI) –The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and local church leaders have hailed Malaysia’s sincere efforts to promote “unity in diversity” in the multi-religious and multi-ethnic Southeast Asian nation. “We are happy about the welcoming and hospitable atmosphere here in Malaysia as all delegates to our conference here arrived without difficulty,” said LWF President Bishop Dr Munib A Younan. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, was speaking when LWF and Malaysian church leaders met with Dr Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department on 10 March. The meeting was held in the context of the 7-9 March Lutheran Council in Asia (LUCAS) gathering and the Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC), 10-13 March. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:58:01 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=517 LWF General Secretary Calls for Balance Between Listening and Serving MEDAN, Indonesia/GENEVA, 10 March 2011 (LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge praised Indonesian Lutherans for making “transparency and accountability” part of their “beautiful witness for Christ.” Junge, visiting with churches in the country 6-8 March, made his comments when he delivered the Sunday sermon at the Sidorame congregation of the Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia (GKPI) in Medan, North Sumatra. The general secretary expressed great appreciation for how the Sidorame congregation and GKPI leadership report each Sunday on the amount of money that had been raised and how it was being used. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:46:42 -0400 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=516 Malaysian Churches Host Asian Regional Conference GENEVA, 4 March 2011 (LWI) – Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), says his visit with churches in Asia, beginning 6 March, will be a time to reflect together with the LWF member churches in the region about their ongoing journey within the worldwide communion. “I am very much looking forward to being immersed in the Asian context, to listening to the conversations and projections of Asian member churches of the LWF, and to reflecting together with the leadership of these churches about our ongoing journey as a communion of churches,” he said. This will be Junge’s first visit with churches in the region since he became LWF general secretary last November. It will be in the context of the bi-annual gathering of the Lutheran Council in Asia (LUCAS) and the Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) taking place 8-13 March in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The theme is “On being an LWF Communion of Churches in the Asian Context: Understanding and Implications.” Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:33:43 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=515 Cornerstone Laid for New Building for the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah Students from the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah gather around the new cornerstone laid by Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL); Dr. Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; and Mr. Christian Berger, Representative of the European Union Monday, February 7, 2011. To view more pictures from the event, click here, or click on the photo to the right. JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, February 7, 2011 - “This new building builds hope, not only for the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope, and not only for the Lutheran community, but for all of Ramallah and the Palestinian people,” Bishop Younan said in his words at the cornerstone laying Monday morning for the new school building in Ramallah. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:31:35 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=514 Slight Increase Pushes Total Figure to 70.3 Million – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches maintained a general trend of growth globally, according to statistics released here. By the end of 2010, the 145 churches belonging to the LWF, ten recognized congregations and one recognized council in 79 countries, had a combined total of 70,308,294 members, an increase of 213,559 or 0.3 percent over the previous period. According to the 2010 annual statistical survey conducted by the LWF Office for Communication Services, LWF churches in Africa and Asia reported continued growth, with Africa adding almost 700,000 new members, and Asia more than 50,000. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 11:46:01 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=513 General Secretary: Fundamental Injustices Must Be Redressed GENEVA, 24 February 2011 (LWI) - The general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev Martin Junge, has urged the Lutheran communion to support those advocating for peace with justice in the Holy Land. In a statement on the 18 February United States veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling on Israel to cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Junge noted that such settlements were a violation of international law and undermined the prospects for peace and the stability in the region. “Fundamental injustices must be redressed, if peace is to be more than just a word,” he said. The LWF affirmed the responsibility of the international community to support Israelis and Palestinians in the search for a just peace in the Holy Land. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:46:51 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=512 Photo: Bishop Younan speaks at the Third International Conference on Muslim-International Relations. To see more photos from the day, click here, or click on the photo. Photos © ELCJHL/Rev. Elizabeth McHan. BETHLEHEM, February 12, 2011 - “For me, non-violent struggle is an integral part of spirituality that teaches us to see the image of God in the other. This non-violent way is the only way for justice, peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, and acceptance of the other.” Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:21:55 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=511 23 February 2011, 12.00 noon - As emergency services workers race against the clock to rescue survivors from the rubble in Christchurch, the prayers of LCA members join with that of LCNZ President Robert Erickson’s petition: “Loving Lord, have mercy”. Just over 24 hours ago a 6.3-magnitude earthquake violently shook the city of Christchurch in New Zealand’s South Island. So far there have been 75 confirmed deaths and up to 300 people are still unaccounted for. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:40:19 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=510 Interview with Bishop Younan on First “World Interfaith Week of Harmony” JERUSALEM/GENEVA, 4 February 2011 (LWI) - Classroom and playing field activities at Talitha Kumi Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Jala, West Bank, are an opportunity for Christian and Muslim students to grow and learn together. This is one of the four schools run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Holy Land (ELCJHL). The 2,027 students enrolled in the ELCJHL schools in 2011 comprise around 52 percent Christians and 48 percent Muslims. On the occasion of the first “World Interfaith Harmony Week” (1-7 February 2011) designated by the United Nations General Assembly last October, Rev. Elizabeth McHan spoke with ELCJHL Bishop Dr Munib Younan, also president of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) about the significance of this week for the Holy Land faith communities and for the global Lutheran communion. Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:31:51 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=509 With thanks to God, the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) rejoices that no lives were lost in the greatly feared Category 5 tropical cyclone Yasi, which crossed the coast around midnight on 2 February. At the same time the church extends the love and compassion of God to the people who lost homes and properties in what was one of the most ferocious storms in Australia’s history. Homes, properties and crops in and around Cardwell, Mission Beach and Tully, which were in the direct line of the cyclone, have been extensively damaged. Many homes have been completely destroyed and sugar-cane and banana crops have been flattened. The region produces 75% of Australia’s bananas. Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:17:11 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=508 Dear Friends Even those of us far from the direct line of the cyclone are feeling fearful this morning as we wake up to the news that it is now a Category 5! Some reports suggest it is twice the size of Katrina. It is far more dangerous than anything Australia has seen before. All of Australia is fearful of what is about to happen to the people in north Queensland. Please pray for them. North Queensland was the only part of the state not flood-affected. Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:18:34 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=507 Dear Readers A very happy and blessed 2011 to all of you. ALN54 is released! Click on the newsletter on the right and download for your reading pleasure. Do you know the new Asia Secretary has already been appointed? This issue also brings you the LWF New Year's message by the LWF General Secretary, Rev Martin Junge. Read about the flood situation in Queensland and how members of the Lutheran church in Australia reach out to the community in the midst of the worst flood in Australia. All these and more in this issue of the Asia Lutheran News! Kindly forward this link to others who may find the news helpful and relevant. Best regards Sally Lim Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:40:11 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=506 'LWF together' links groups of young people worldwide aged 15-30 for conversations and action on God’s creation and environmental stewardship. Three groups in different continents will be matched so they can share insights and learn about ecological issues people in the Lutheran communion are facing. From May to October 2011, each group in connection with the two others will study relevant Bible passages and take a look at creation care challenges where they live. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:37:08 -0500 http://www.asia-lutheran.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=505 In late December and January, the worst floods in Australia’s history caused record-breaking destruction across Queensland! At their peak they covered 75% of the state, an area the size of Germany and France combined. Apart from causing widespread damage to homes, properties and infrastructure in the state’s food-producing belts, the flooding also caused great devastation in some of Queensland’s largest cities, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Ipswich. The state’s capital and Australia’s third-largest city, Brisbane, suffered its worst flooding since the infamous 1974 flood. Across Queensland the cost of repairing infrastructure and restoring homes and livelihoods is estimated at over US$30billion. Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:43:37 -0500