POSITION PAPER                                       P.  P. 84-1

PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN THE LUTHERAN WORLDS FEDERATION

AND IN THE WORLD AT LARGE

BACKGROUND

In 1981, the National Assembly of LSM-USA passed resolutions supporting the formation of a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Youth Desk and the convening of the Pres-Assembly Youth Gathering (PAYG) at the 7^th Assembly of the LWF in Budapest, Hungary, in July, 1984.  Both action have been fulfilled and at the 1984 LWF Assembly, the Working Group on Youth and Church in Society stated:  “We affirm that youth are not a separate entity in the church, but are members of the Body of Christ.  We are mindful of the problems faced by the youth of our churches, such as generation gap, drug abuse, and identity crisis.  We recognize the tremendous tasks and challenges that are ahead of youth with respect to the churches’ ministry.  Youth feel challenged to serve and request that due consideration is given to (out) proposals.”

THEREFORE, in light of the participation of youth in the 1984 LWF Assembly and in the light of the fact that 1985 is the United Nations International Year of Youth,

BE IT THE POSITION of LSM-USA that we support the following recommendations:

1. That the LWF Youth Desk continue to exist in the office of the LWF in Geneva, Switzerland, and that it be reinforced;

2. That the next youth coordinator com from the third world;

3. That six regional consultants representing Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa be appointed;

4. That at least one member of each LWF Commission and the Executive Committee be a youth;

5. That at least 20% of the delegates at each LWF Assembly be youth delegates, and that a Pre-Assembly Youth Gathering be held at each assembly to prepare such participants; and

6. That, finally, with regard to the member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, we recommend that young people take full part in the decision making in their churches, because you people must be seemed as important resource people in the living church.

Sponsored by: 1983-84 LSM-USA National Council

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Summary:            This position paper continues support the past LSM-USA resolutions on promoting the position of young people in the church, and specifically calls on the Lutheran World Federation to establish youth as full participation members.