Ukraine: German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine accepted into the LWF

16. Juni 2022

On June 14, 2022, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation accepted the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine into the ranks of the association as an individual member. The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine became the 149th member Church of the association, and Ukraine-the 99th country that is represented in it. Prior to that, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine had representation in the LWF through the Union of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, which also includes the Lutheran Churches of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, the European part of Russia and the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. This is reported by the website German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine.

According to the report, in 2019, consultations began with other members of the ELC Union. The Council of Bishops agreed that each participating church could join the LWF according to the standard procedure. "This step is related to the different contexts in which the Union churches serve and the desire for direct representation in international entities. In addition, the search for individual membership is part of a broader context for overcoming the negative manifestations of colonial heritage and representing one's own identity in a globalized world. In the same year, the decision to apply for membership was made by the GELCU Synod.

Individual membership in the LWF does not automatically mean the termination of GELCU's membership in the ELC Union," the GELCU commented on the event. (Quelle: www.risu.ua, 15. Juni 2022)