Bishop Herwig Sturm of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria Is the new chairperson of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria(ÖRKÖ). He has been elected for a two-years term at the council’s annual general meeting on October 18, in Vienna.

Sturm succeeds Mother Superior Professor Christine Gleixner of the Roman Catholic Church, who has chaired the council over the past six years.

The National Ecumenical Council is a learning community, which the Lutheran bishop appreciates: “We learn to show understanding for the other churches, to see ourselves as a community on the move, and are able and ready to work with others in numerous areas of activity.” In his view, it is a great gift that the council understands itself as a spiritual community that can be experienced through joint worship services and prayer, particularly on big public occasions, reports the Vienna based Protestant Press Service in Austria.

The constitution of ÖRKÖ defines its goal as follows: "The purpose of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria is the joint realisation of ecumenical tasks. The Council sees its particular commission to realise the ecumenical idea in Austria by making this ideal known and by deepening it in the life of the churches (Gemeindeleben)." Presently the ÖRKÖ has 14 member churches. In addition to these there are 10 churches and church organisations that enjoy observer status.

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