A contribution to unity in the global Lutheran communion

Through the annual Retreat of Newly-Elected Leaders (RoNEL), the LWF seeks to engage its member churches in practices of transformative leadership. Participants explore and reflect together on the understanding of leadership, share insights of how it is practiced across the communion, and deliberate on being leaders in the Lutheran communion.

The retreat is a space where church leaders can:

• strengthen relationships among themselves
• connect and support each other
• contribute through mutual learning and sharing of experiences
• enhance understanding of the LWF Communion Office as a resource for the member churches
• share in daily worship and prayer

The LWF Department for Theology, Mission and Justice coordinates the program in close collaboration with the Office of the of General Secretary and the LWF Center in Wittenberg, Germany.

Agenda

• 4 – 8 September (Geneva, Switzerland)
• 9 – 12 September (Wittenberg, Germany)

Related Content

• Newly Elected Leaders

The LWF’s governing body between Assemblies came together for its annual meeting in 2013 under the theme, “Called to be disciples in today’s world.”

Highlights included

• President’s address
• Report from the General Secretary
• Program framework for the Reformation anniversary “Luther 2017: 500 Years of Reformation”
• Intergenerational dialogue meeting | Dialogue session between generations to envision a sustainable LWF
• Proposal for an LWF Gender Policy
• Launch of From Conflict to Communion | Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity
• Roll-out of new LWF visual identity

LWF Department: LWF Global

LWF working language: English

Council Documents in English

• Address of the President
• Claiming the gift of communion in a fragmented world | Council Exhibit (9.0.1)
• Claiming the gift of communion in a fragmented world | Lutheran World Information
• Claiming the gift of communion in a fragmented world | Message of the Council of the LWF
• From Conflict to Communion | Lutheran-Roman Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017
• From Conflict to Communion | Response | Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan
• From Conflict to Communion | Response | Bishop em. Eero Huovinen
• From Conflict to Communion | Roman Catholic Press Statement | Prof. Dr Wolfgang Thönissen
• Greetings | Anglican Communion
• Greetings | Global Christian Forum
• Greetings | International Lutheran Council
• Greetings | Pentecostal Churches
• Report of the General Secretary
• Report of the Chairperson of the Finance Committee
• Report of the Special Committee "Luther 2017: 500 Years of Reformation"
• Resolutions | Council 2013
• Sermon | Opening Worship
• Statement on Central America
• Statement on Freedom of Religion or Belief
• Schedule
• Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders

Council Documents in German

• Die Gabe der Gemeinschaft in einer zersplitterten Welt bekräftigen | Ratsdokument (Anlage 9.0.1)
• Die Gabe der Gemeinschaft in einer zersplitterten Welt bekräftigen | Botschaft des LWB-Rates
• Fremde willkommen heissen - Selbstverpflichtungen von Religionsführerinnen und Religionsführern
• Grusswort | Päpstlicher Rat zur Förderung der Einheit der Christen
• Öffentliche Erklärung zu Religions- und Glaubensfreiheit
• Öffentliche Erklärung zu Mittelamerika
• Resolutionen | Ratstagung 2013
• Vom Konflikt zur Gemeinschaft | Hauptreferat | Kurt Kardinal Koch
• Vom Konflikt zur Gemeinschaft | Presseinformation von katholischer Seite | Prof. Dr Wolfgang Thönissen

Council Documents in French & Spanish

• Accueillir l’étranger - affirmations des chefs religieux
• Acoger al extranjero: afirmaciones de líderes de comunidades basadas en la fe
• Affirmer le don de la Communion dans un monde fragmenté | Document du Conseil (9.0.1)
• Affirmer le don de la Communion dans un monde fragmenté | Message du Conseil
• Reivindicación del don de comunión en un mundo fragmentado | Documento del Consejo (9.0.1)
• Reivindicación del don de comunión en un mundo fragmentado | Mensaje del Consejo
• Resoluciones | Reunión del Consejo 2013
• Résolutions | Réunion du Conseil 2013

Listen to the Reports

• Address of the President
• From Conflict to Communion | Introduction, Keynote address & Response
• From Conflict to Communion | Press Conference
• Report of the General Secretary
• Report of the Chairperson of the Finance Committee
• Report of the Special Committee "Luther 2017: 500 Years Reformation"

At its biannual meeting, the Committee for World Service will determine global, regional and country strategies and policies for the Department for World Service (DWS), and decide on future programs and projects.

The Committee for World Service is appointed by and responsible to the LWF Council. It meets twice a year.

Department: Department for World Service

Event language:  English

The LWF’s governing body between Assemblies is coming together for its annual meeting in 2014 under the theme, “Like a Tree Planted by Streams of Water.”

Program highlights include

• President’s Address & Report from the General Secretary - Spotlight on activities and themes of the past year and future perspectives for the LWF.
• Keynote Panel on Interfaith Dialogue - A look at interfaith dialogue in Indonesia where 80 percent of the population is Muslim and 16 percent Christian. Both faith traditions will be represented on the panel.
• Reformation 2017 - Planning of programmatic work relating to the 2017 LWF Twelfth Assembly in Namibia and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

The churches of the LWF National Committee in Indonesia are hosting the Council 2014 meeting.

Council documents and decisions

The Pre-Council Meeting enables women and young members and advisors of the LWF Council to share experiences and learn about developments in related programmatic areas.

The meeting also gives space for strategic planning so that gender and generational concerns feature in Council deliberations and, consequently, in the overall work of the LWF.

The Pre-Council Meeting in 2014 is focusing on:

• youth participation in the communion
• the project “Women in the On-going Reformation”
• implementation of the LWF Gender Justice Policy

Departments: Department for Mission and Development, Department for Theology and Public Witness

Programs: Women in Church and Society, Youth

“Freed by God’s love- to change the world” is the first virtual conference of the LWF Global Young Reformers Network (GYRN) and is being held on Reformation Day 2014.

Keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops will explore questions of Christian faith and Lutheran identity. Participants will be able to delve deeper in discussions in small groups.

Workshop topics include:

• Foundations of the LWF foundations
• Principle of youth participation
• Identity and diversity of the Lutheran communion
• Advocacy for climate justice
• And many more…

There will be an online Reformation Day worship service. A special highlight will be a virtual choir bringing together dozens of singers via the Internet.

Participants will have the opportunity to vote on GYRN priorities.

Speakers include Rev. Martin Junge, LWF General Secretary; Ms Eun-Hae Kwon, LWF Vice-President for the Asia region; GYRN Steering Committee members; and members of the LWF delegation to the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change and UN Climate Summit 2014 held in New York in September

Young reformers and other interested people throughout the world are invited to take part in this 3-hour, interactive online event.

The conference will be held in two time blocks to facilitate participation regardless of time zone. To take part, visit conference.youngreformers.net.

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Programs: Capacity for Advocacy – Youth Advocacy, Transformative Leadership and Good Governance - Youth Leadership and Youth Participation, Reformation 2017

Language: English

The church’s role in transforming societies will be the focal point of this year’s meeting of the three LWF regions in Europe (Central Eastern Europe, Central Western Europe, Nordic Countries).

The fifty-five participants include LWF Council members, representatives of National Committees, Women in Church and Society regional representatives and church ecumenical officers.

They will explore new models of being church today in light of the shift from churches in Europe being a leading ethical and social player to simply one of many civil society actors.

Topics include:

• new ways of networking
• perspectives of the church as a “guest” in society
• pilot projects aiming to strengthen church members’ faith identity
• diaconal outreach to young people and people in need
• missional outreach to young people

The European church leaders will consider regional follow-up to LWF women and gender programs and reflection on the self-understanding of the communion.

A panel, including Kurt Cardinal Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will focus on ecumenical preparations for the Reformation anniversary in 2017.

Through the host church Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy, the group will learn about contributions that a numerically small church can make to society.

Department: Department for Mission and Development - Europe Desk

Program: Relationships and Identity, Reformation 2017

Event series: Annual pan-European regional consultations

Language:  English

The Assembly is the LWF’s highest decision-making body and highest representation of the life of the LWF.

The theme of the Twelfth Assembly is “Liberated by God’s Grace,” with three sub-themes:

• Salvation – Not for Sale
• Human Beings – Not for Sale
• Creation – Not for Sale

LWF member churches representatives will determine the future direction of the LWF, share experiences about issues facing the communion and worship together, celebrating cultural diversity.

The Twelfth Assembly also will be the place where the communion will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation at a global level.

The three Namibian LWF member churches hosting the assembly are:

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia

Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia

Languages: English, German, French, Spanish  

Assembly agenda

“Liberated by God’s Grace” is the theme of Twelfth Assembly of the LWF, to be held in May 2017 in Windhoek, Namibia.

Members of the IWPC were appointed by the LWF Council in 2014, with the mandate to ensure that the Twelfth Assembly prayer and worship life will be rich and meaningful. The IWPC takes into account the thematic preparations for the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation within the Lutheran communion. The committee includes a representative of the three host churches in Namibia, who will act as the IWPC’s point of contact in Namibia.

Members of the IWPC:

• Rev. Dr Stephen LARSON (chair)
• Rev. Sonia A. SKUPCH (Argentina)
• Prof. Dr Jochen ARNOLD (Germany)
• Rev. Lilla MOLNÁR (Hungary)
• Ms Karin RUNOW (Sweden)
• Ms Michelle Mu Le WONG (Malaysia)
• Rev. Dr Martin NELUMBU (Namibia)
• Rev. Seth Sululu (Tanzania)

Consultants:

• Rev. Dr Terry MACARTHUR (Switzerland)
• Dr Sakari LÖYTTY (Finland)

Members of the working group on the self-understanding of the LWF communion explore the theological significance of the concept of communion and its impact in relation to number of topics including: 

• Global dynamics
• Lutheran ecclesiological insights in relation to insights during the Reformation
• The concept of communion in the LWF’s bilateral dialogues
• The importance of linking autonomy and accountability in relations between churches
• The meaning of communion in a multireligious context; and the power dynamics between churches.

 At this, their second meeting, the members of the working group on the self-understanding of the communion will further reflect on the theological significance of the concept of communion and how living in a communion is understood within The Lutheran World Federation. Based on their previous reflections, which include a contribution by En Yu Thu, a member of the group until the end of 2014 and further discussions, the group will finalize a draft statement that will be presented to the LWF Council in June 2015 and, if approved, published in October 2015. 

Working Group Members

• Dr Minna Hietamäki
• Dr Guillermo Hansen
• Dr Allen Jorgenson
• Rev. AnnikaLaats
• Rev. Dr Hance A. O. Mwakabana
• Prof. Dr Elisabeth Parmentier

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