Asia regional meeting

This event will gather young reformers and leaders from the LWF member Churches in Asia in order to organize them as a youth network and develop main goals and activities for their work upto 2021. Delegates will identify contextual challenges, their regional themes and engage actively in the future of the network. This network is built by young Lutherans within the context of reformatory heritage, Lutheran identity, LWF Youth priorities and today’s global framework of Justice and Peace. It will empower and equip the young people to address challenges and to act boldly in faith grounded in scripture.

Report of the LWF Youth Pre Assembly 2017

Global Young Reformers Network

Europe regional meeting

This event will gather young reformers and leaders from the LWF member Churches in Europe in order to organize them as a youth network and develop main goals and activities for their work upto 2021. Delegates will identify contextual challenges, their regional themes and engage actively in the future of the network. This network is built by young Lutherans within the context of reformatory heritage, Lutheran identity, LWF Youth priorities and today’s global framework of Justice and Peace. It will empower and equip the young people to address challenges and to act boldly in faith grounded in scripture.

Report of the LWF Youth Pre Assembly 2017

Global Young Reformers Network

Churches around the globe hold services marking Reformation Day

To mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark ecumenical document, the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), Catholic and Lutheran leaders celebrated together in Geneva’s St Pierre Cathedral in June with representatives of Anglican, Methodist and Reformed churches who have also affirmed the historic agreement. For their shared worship service, they used an ecumenical liturgy, available on-line in four languages, which all Lutheran churches are encouraged to adapt for their own needs as they mark Reformation Day.

Prayer Service for the 20th anniversary of the JDDJ

Diversity and Identity - Different Kinds of Gifts, but the Same Spirit…

(1 Corinthians 12, 4-6)

Member churches from the LWF Central and Eastern Europe region meet to strengthen regular exchange and cooperation and to decide on concrete actions as a follow-up to the resolutions of the 12th LWF Assembly in Namibia as well as the LWF Council meeting in Geneva. 

From the perspectives of their specific regional contexts they will discuss the following main topics in the plenary and in group discussions: 

• The Ministry of the Churches in CEE; 
• Global Perspectives on Lutheran Identity 
• Being Church in the Public Space 
• Theological Education and Pastors’ Vocation in CEE 
• European Church Leadership Consultation in 2020 
• LWF Assembly in 2023 

The Consultation 2019 takes place on the invitation of Archbishop and LWF Vice-President for CEE Urmas Viilma of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

LWF Strategy 2019 – 2024

Registration Deadline: 31 May 2019 

Language: English and German

Awareness, Action, Accountability

The 16 Days of Activism for ending Violence Against Women and Children is a global awareness-raising campaign. This annual campaign, 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day) works to end sexual and gender based violence.

Together with international partners, faith based organizations and global advocacy groups around the world, we work to break the silence, stop the stigma and end Sexual and Gender Based Violence. We encourage LWF Member Churches and Country Programs from around the Communion to creatively engage with the 16 Days campaign, and we offer resources to facilitate their work. Awareness is not enough. Let us move into action and embolden accountability to end SGBV and stand together to promote Gender Justice.

25th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Will be held in Madrid

The impact of climate change constitutes one of the most critical threats to human life and nature, directly affecting the lives of the poor and most vulnerable worldwide. Climate change hits harder than projected by climate science. The latest Special IPCC Reports emphasize that the world needs to take urgent, transformative action to avert the most severe impacts of global warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.

LWF advocates for climate justice with a strong focus on ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement, emphasizing that it is possible to stay at 1.5 C to prevent a climate disaster. It is an increasing matter of concern that climate action itself can be detrimental to justice and people's rights as mitigation or adaptation policies and projects, if poorly planned, can undermine those for whom they are intended. Thus, climate action should be designed and implemented so as to respect and promote justice for humans and other species, and human rights.

The LWF delegation at COP 25 brings together experienced climate leaders, who together with a youth delegation, advocate for the voiceless from a faith perspective along with ecumenical partners.

Find more information on this subject at:

• LWF on Climate Justice
• LWF COP Delegations
• LWF Assembly Resolution on Climate Change
• ACT Alliance: Climate Change Advocacy Framework Position (2016–2018)

Strengthening the public role of churches in view of populist exclusionary policies

How can churches resist the increasing politically driven aggressive and divisive public discourse? And, how can they foster societies that embrace respect for diversity and inclusion? The Lutheran World Federation seeks to stimulate discussion around these questions through a new publication titled Resisting Exclusion - Global Theological Responses to Populism. 

The authors are church leaders and theologians from around the world, who share their experience of populist strategies, inviting readers to engage with these contextual views and action.  

To order copies of the publication in hard copy, please contact:

Ms Pauline Mumia Communication Officer: Theology and Publications Editor Contact by email +41 22 791 6371  

Download publication

Related news

Read more The LWF seeks to stimulate discussion around this question through a new publication titled Resisting Exclusion - Global Theological Responses to Populism. The volume in the LWF Studies series (2019/1) offers analyses and theological perspectives on the public role of churches in view of populist exclusionary policies.

New publication: Resisting Exclusion - Global Theological Responses to Populism

Challenges and Potential for Society and Schools

The conference invites theological and scientific researchers, faith leaders, and people engaged in education and activism (advocacy). Participants will explore how environmental ethics can be a point for dialogue among people of different faiths. 

The conference aims to share new knowledge, and inspire educators, scientists and faith leaders who are committed to ways that religion and beliefs nurture deeper ecological reflection and action. Participants will share data and experiences on how religious institutions are responding to environmental problems.  

The following questions will be addressed:  

• How do different religious traditions understand the intersection between sustainability and theology?  
• What is the potential for ecological sustainability to be a platform for interfaith dialogue and practical cooperation between people of different faiths and traditions?  
• How can these efforts be implemented in religious and public education?  

Topics such as eco-theology, environmental ethics, dialogue and teaching methods will be explored through keynote presentations, thematic group work and excursions around Bergen, voted as the best Norwegian city for climate research.  

Organized by:

• Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Bergen Campus)
• The Church of Norway
• The Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway (STL)

Co-organizers

• The Lutheran World Federation
• Al Mowafaqa Ecumenical Institute of Theology (Rabbat, Morocco)

Deadline for registering as a participant is 10 January 2020. In addition to keynote presentations, participants are invited to propose theoretical and scientific papers. 

Registration

Faith-based actors in solidarity with refugees

One year after the affirmation of the Global Compact on Refugees, UNHCR will hold the first ever Global Refugee Forum (16-18 December, Geneva).  The Forum aims to put into action the Global Compact for Refugees and Migrants (2016), by asking all governments  to truly translate into action the principle of international solidarity and responsibility sharing- by making concrete pledges.

In this perspective, faith-based organizations (FBOs) and religious leaders play a key role in welcoming refugees and migrants, supporting them in rebuilding their lives by creating spaces and opportunities of encounter between host communities and refugees.  As FBOs, our primary duty is to ensure the voices of refugees and migrants are heard and restore hope and dignity to those we serve.  

As LWF, we support refugees and migrants on many levels – through humanitarian work, rooted in faith, through very concrete diaconal action in many congregations, but also in advocacy on policy-making level through our L2G approach, ensuring meaningful representation of refugees. 

At the GRF, the LWF will participate in making three  pledges with a faith-based voice.

On 16. December 2019, 11-12.30, LWF will co-host and participate a side event

"Faith-based Action for scaling up for a culture of encounter with people seeking refuge. How faith-based organizations create impactful pledges in support of refugees towards the Global Refugee Forum"

at St John XXIII Parish (Conference Hall)

Rue de Montbrillant 57, 1203 Geneva

The event is open to all who are interested.

How faith-based organizations create impactful pledges in support of refugees towards the Global Refugee Forum

Opening remarks: Aloysius John, Secretary General, and Caritas Internationalis

1. Permanent Mission of Uganda (tbc)
2. Dominique Froideveaux, director, Caritas, Geneva
3. Youth delegates from Caritas Greece and Caritas Sofia
4. Rev Dr Sivin Kit and Mr Atallah Fitzgibbon, Faith Partnership Advisors Lutheran World Federation and Islamic Relief
5. Mantalin Kyrou, Policy Officer, ICMC
6. Christian Wolff, Program Manager Migration and Displacement, ACT Alliance
7. Experience sharing with refugees living in Geneva, Rev. Michel Schach
8. Unveiling of "Share the Journey" collage

Closing remarks: Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, Secretary General, ICMC

Moderation: Alfonso Apicella, Global Campaigns Manager, Caritas Internationalis

Photos and messages will be posted to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #ShareJourney and #CompartiendoElViaje

The event is co-hosted by ACT Alliance, Anglican Communion, Caritas Internationalis, International Catholic Migration Commission, Islamic Relief , Jesuit Refugee Service (tbc), World Evangelical Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, Caritas Genève, Order of Malta, Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII, Permanent Mission of the Holy See.