Editorials

Mark Hanson visited EKD in Hanover

ELCA Presiding Bishop visited EKD in Hanover

September 25, 2008

Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) who had participated in the launching of the "Luther Decade" in the Castle Church of Wittenberg on 21 September, visited the city of Hanover in northern Germany, where the LWF's second assembly had taken place in 1952.

During a meeting with the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover , Margot Kaessman, Bishop Hanson said that he was very pleased that the events leading up to the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, when Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg's Castle in 1517, would be advertised under the label of the "Luther Decade". Using Martin Luther's name would appeal to Lutherans world wide and invite Lutheran churches to reflect on what it means to be Lutherans. The official logo chosen for the "Luther Decade" shows a portrait of Martin Luther and the wording "Luther 2017 - 500 years Reformation".

In his meeting with the Rev Dr Hermann Barth who is the President of the EKD's Church Office in Hanover, Bishop Hanson enquired about the situation of Protestantism in Germany and the process of growing together of the Lutheran, Reformed and United churches in Germany within the framework of the EKD. Bishop Hanson and Dr Barth discussed in depth their respective dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church while acknowledging that the agreement on full communion between the ELCA and the EKD, which was signed in Chicago last year, now allowed ordained ministers from all member churches of the EKD to become pastors in ELCA congregations and vice versa.

During his brief stay in Hanover Bishop Hanson, who was accompanied by his wife Ione and the ELCA's Communications' director, John Brooks, also paid a visit to the sisters of the "Brotherhood of Christ" at the medieval monastery of Wülfinghausen. The protestant sisters are in charge of a spiritual retreat and training center, where prayer, silent meditation but also horse-riding are part of a wholistic concept of spirituality.