Concern expressed about hostility against foreigners in Germany
9/25/1998 NOTE: Information for this story was provided by the Rev. Heinrich Meinhardt, a United Methodist pastor in Berlin. by United Methodist News Service Concern about the "continuing and growing hostility against foreigners in Germany," was expressed by members of a United Methodist group meeting Sept. 23 in Frankfurt.
The International Council of the United Methodist Church in Germany released a statement urging federal, state and local officials, political parties, and all citizens to "express friendliness and friendship toward all foreign citizens who are living in Germany for whatever reasons."
The council is responsible for international congregations and ministries in Germany. Its members represent the annual conferences of Germany and two churchwide boards: the Board of Global Ministries, based in New York, and the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, based in Nashville, Tenn. Also represented are the international ministries and congregations in Germany.
In their statement adopted Sept. 23, council members said "it is our deepest belief that the biblical comment '… you and the alien shall be alike before the Lord' (Numbers 15:15), still is valid and a measurement for our behavior and politics.
Chairman of the council is German Bishop Walter Klaiber; director is the Rev. Sonja Waldmann-Bohn, both of Frankfurt.
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Full text of the statement follows:
The International Council of the United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about the continuing and growing hostility against foreigners in Germany. Many members of our International Congregations experience this in personal and public life.
"We urge the federal, state and local governments especially, the political parties and all fellow citizens to express friendliness and friendship toward all foreign citizens who are living in Germany for whatever reasons.
"Especially, we ask all of our church members and our clergy to support their fellow foreign citizens in whatever way they can and stand up against any kind of discrimination they may experience.
"It is our deepest belief that the biblical comment '. . . you and the alien shall be alike before the lord' (Numbers 15:15), still is valid and a measurement for our behavior and politics"
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