Stridspunktet er giftermål for homoseksuelle, hvor den etiopiske Mekane Yesus kirke er totalt uenig med sin lutherske samarbejdspartner i USA og den svenske lutherske kirke – etioperne har ellers altid haft nære bånd til Skandinavien.
Det skriver Kirken Update i sit seneste nyhedsbrev mandag.
Med nu 5,5 millioner medlemmer er Mekane Yesus kirken et af Afrikas vigtigste lutherske kirkesamfund og har fra dansk side især fået bistand fra Dansk Ethioper Mission (DEM) siden 1948 – mere om kirken på http://www.dem-dk.dk/globalt/partnere-og-lande/mekane-yesus-kirken-i-etiopien
Mekane Yesus betyder “stedet, hvor Jesus bor”.
CHICAGO, 7th February 2013 (ELCA News Service): The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is severing its relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Church of Sweden and “those churches who have openly accepted same-sex marriage.”
The action for “all Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus departments and institutions (at every level) to implement this decision” was ratified at the denomination’s (fællesskabets) general assembly, which met Jan. 27-Feb. 2 in Addis Ababa.
“The ELCA is very saddened by this decision,” said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for ELCA Global Mission.
“The ELCA and its predecessor church bodies have been walking with the people of Ethiopia for more than 50 years, and our sister church, the Church of Sweden, for more than 150 years. In this journey, we have learned from one another, we have deepened and extended the bonds of fellowship and partnership in the gospel.”
Nej til fælles altergang
To ensure that the decisions by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus are implemented, members of the denomination “will not receive Holy Communion (hellige nadver /gå til alters) from the leadership and pastors of the (ELCA and the Church of Sweden).
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus will not distribute communion to these churches,” as stated in the minutes of the denomination’s meeting.
“Representatives of these churches at national level or leaders at every level would not be invited to preach or speak at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus congregations (menigheder) or other gatherings. They should not be invited for any spiritual ministries of this church,” stated the minutes.
They also reflects that leaders and pastors of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus “at every level will not visit the synods, dioceses (stifter), congregations and national offices of churches that have accepted this practice without proper permission from the head office of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.”
While the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is “closing the door to this partnership,” Malpica Padilla said that the ELCA and the Church of Sweden “are not locking the doors from our side. It is open for when you decide it is time to resume this journey together”.
“It is my hope that in the near future, we will again walk together in Christian love. We will do this not because of doctrinal agreements or consensus, but because the gospel compels us to do so,” noted he.
Læs videre på
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=5276
Begynd fra: “The ELCA has consistently kept its Lutheran companion churches informed about the…..”
