Lutherans to the Mennonites: We're Sorry!

Well, it's about time!

The Lutheran World Federation has drafted a statement meant to apologize to Anabaptists for past wrongs, reports ChristianToday. It's an old beef that the LWF wishes to apologize for as they work to, under the auspices of the Lutheran-Mennonite Study Commission, established in 2002, to look at how the two churches can better work together.

What did they do that warrants an apology? Only persecute, torture, and kill Anabaptists from the time of the Radical Reformation in the 16th century and endorse "theological arguments" for continued persecution throughout the following centuries.

The LWF, wrapping up a five day meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, drew up the statement and hope to adopt it at their 2010 assembly in Germany.

The unanimous vote in favour of the statement was welcomed by the general secretary of the Mennonite World Conference, the Rev Dr Larry Miller, who suggested that the request for forgiveness also required change within the MWC.

“You are not applauding for yourselves,” said Miller. “You are applauding for the grace of God in our midst. Mennonites have learned from Lutherans that we are justified by faith alone, because we know that justification produces not only relations between oneself and God but also communion between the churches.”

For more read Ekklesia.