FINLAND & PALESTINE Proceedings of a Joint Workshop

Development ofChurch Relations
•
My estimate is that no major changes will be worked out. The
restructuring and strengthening the CIR needs only more resources,
and a decision of GS. This can be done quite easily.
The rest, especially more tight regulation of the relation of
mission organizations to CIR, would affect directly, those independent
organizations that, so far, have been acting much as
they please. There will be strong opposition for this change.
Shift 0/interest
There is a trend in many Finnish Lutheran congregations to have
direct contact between them and churches I congregations
abroad. There are many positive aspects in these contacts.
However, there are also some negative aspects. Usually, Finnish
congregations do not have very much experience, and knowhow,
of international and cross cultural, foreign language cooperation.
Relations between congregations, on a friendship level, have a
good chance to succeed. Normally, then, there is not as much
emphasize on financial help and projects, but more contacts of
a personal, and spiritual, nature, and friendly visits both ways.
ELCF congregations have 291 official agreements of this kind.
They are with Ingrian (91), Lithuanian (8), Hungarian (54) and
Estonian (138) Lutheran congregations. Outside these numbers,
some friendship relations have been established, also,
with Russian orthodox congregations. 17
I discussed the topic with the pastor in charge for these activities
in Lapua diocese. He stressed that now, their strategy for ecumenical
and international relations has three areas of interest:
17 www.evl.fi
62