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Annual Report 2010 / 2011

… male and female, He created them

EED’s gender strategy follows a two-pronged approach: integration of gender analysis and measures into all its programs and procedures and targeted funding of projects committed to improving the lives of women. The annual report before you takes a look at this latter aspect of our gender strategy.
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New Release

Encounter beyond routine

Documentation on an International Consultation, 17th-23rd January 2010
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The right to future

Nine examples of community based empowerment processes.
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Network

Walter Altmann: Increasing will to seek the unity of churches

(26.02.2008) The moderator of the World Council of Churches has appealed in his visit with the Church Development Service (EED) on the 22nd February for reinforced prayer for unity of the Christians. He pledged for a differentiated dialogue with the Pentecostal and evangelical movement.

Walter Altmann is the highest ranking representative of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and at the same time president of the Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil. The Brazilian theologian advocated for an integrated understanding of the Christian testimony und for the visible unity of churches.

Altmann pointed out, that the Pentecostal movements find a growing response – also amongst members of the Catholic and Protestant churches. “The concept of unity has gained recently higher importance in a lot of churches who are not members of the WCC.” Altmann sees the reason in the theological background of the Pentecostal Churches, which understand themselves as Protestant churches. In his home country young Pentecostal pastors have begun to study at the Methodist and Lutheran theological seminary, where they receive a classical theological formation. And in the future they may promote the dialogue. “On the other hand, the historical churches can also learn from the Pentecostal churches, as they appreciate personal experience.” The emotionality of the worship corresponds to the feelings of the people.

With the 500th anniversary of the reformation in 2017 he expects a strong impulse for church unity. In his analysis Altmann made a distinction between the Pentecostal churches of the first wave and the more recent Neopentecostal churches which preach a theology of social rise and prosperity. With them a practical co-operation is hardly conceivable, as they refuse to serve in society.

In view of the development work of his own church with small farmers, he underlined their importance for the food supply of the quickly growing cities in the South of Brazil. “By supporting the movement of the landless we cross the border of our own church. We do not care if someone is Catholic, Lutheran, or member of any other church. It is our goal that the agrarian question is solved in a just way. Our development work is an expression of the Christian faith. The people perceive this, when they worship together.”

In the conversation with EED representatives, both sides confirmed an active role of the WCC to strengthen ACT Development. ACT Development is the ecumenical alliance of churches and development organisations which was founded only last year in Nairobi. “The ecumenical movement disposes with ACT Development of a promising instrument of international solidarity and co-operation”, Tim Kuschnerus said on behalf of EED.

Hans Spitzeck