Lund, Sweden, 20-27 March 2007
Greeting from LWF General Secretary
Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko
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Dear Friends,
I greet you all with immense joy and gratitude on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Joy, because 60 years after the foundation of the LWF, we return to Lund where our forefathers and foremothers gave shape to their vision of Lutheran witness and unity of the church in the world.
Gratitude, because over six decades, the LWF has gradually moved from being a free association of “Federated” churches to becoming an expression of a communion of churches within the church catholic.
As we return to Lund guided by the theme “Living in Communion in the World Today,” we remember and pay tribute to those who gathered for the First Assembly of the LWF under the theme “The Lutheran Church in the World Today,” only two years after the end of World War II. The thematic shift indicates that as we walked together in our pioneers’ footsteps, we encountered new challenges in our joint witness to the world and found new and different ways of giving concreteness to their and our vision.
The time in Lund offers us the chance to give thanks, rejoice and celebrate together. It is also a unique opportunity for creative and strategic reflections about our hopes, wishes and visions for our future as a living and life-giving communion, bearing witness to the gospel through our actions in the world.
Our churches face a myriad of challenges, including economic globalization, poverty, the HIV and AIDS pandemic, war and conflict, the search for spiritual renewal, and the need for new ecumenical and interfaith initiatives in an increasingly complex environment.
In this context of seeking God’s guidance in discernment we gather as LWF Council Members, church leadership – Bishops, Presidents and lay leaders – envisioning a common mission within the church universal.
I wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Church of Sweden for hosting this important event as in the year 1947.
May God’s abundant grace be with us as we seek new and effective ways of serving and witnessing in the world.
Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko
General Secretary
The Lutheran World Federation
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