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Before
the Assembly Assembly
Host Church National Bishop
Dear Assembly Participants, I am delighted to welcome you to Winnipeg on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). Winnipeg is at the geographic center of this huge country and one of the oldest Lutheran settlements in western Canada. Many refugees and immigrants from Europe landed here, then migrated to other provinces where they started Lutheran congregations. It is a great privilege for us to host such an international assembly of delegates, guests and visitors. We will be more than rewarded for our work by the richness and variety of the experience that you will bring to us. Hundreds of volunteers and visitors from all parts of Canada will be among you to make you feel at home and respond to your needs. We look forward to telling you about this country and our church’s life within it. We look forward to hosting you at worship and prayer, to being your stewards, tour guides and friends in Christ. Membership in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is very important to the ELCIC. In communion with other churches, we are able to experience the breadth of God’s church in the world and participate in initiatives that we cannot launch on our own. The LWF Tenth Assembly theme "For the Healing of the World," offers us a powerful opportunity to play a pastoral role in the world’s affairs. I write to you against a background of war in Iraq and the use of force as a political strategy. In contrast, our communion will address the ways in which we express peaceful ways to support one another and the creation that God so loves. I am extremely grateful for your partnership and look forward to your coming with great hope. Grace and peace to you all,
Raymond L. Schultz [Site Map] [LWF Assembly Home] [Links] [LWF Home] |
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