LWF General Secretary Anne Burghardt lecturing on “The Ecumenical Vineyard: the branch cannot bear fruit by itself.” Photo: Hajdú D. András © Pannonhalma Archabbey / Pannonhalmi Főapátság
General Secretary reflects on ‘The Ecumenical Vineyard’ at an international symposium in Hungary
(LWI) - Just as the branches of a vine cannot bear fruit if they are not connected to the root, so all Christian churches and communities must remain rooted in Christ and the liberating message of the gospel if they are to be fruitful and grow. That was the message which Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), brought to participants at an ecumenical symposium held at the Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary.
The LWF leader spoke on the topic of ‘The Ecumenical Vineyard’, emphasizing that the unity of Christians is rooted in the Body of Christ, already realized in baptism, even if the different churches remain divided. Churches, like branches on a vine, she said, may “watch each other grow in different and often separate directions,” but ecumenism, however, must focus on the root. “Christ is at the center,” she insisted, “He is both the root and the goal.”
Burghardt drew on a metaphor known as ‘The Three Sisters’, describing the horticultural practice of the Mohawk people in Canada, who grow corn, beans, and squash together because the crops “only thrive when they are near each other.” Corn offers support for climbing beans, while beans stabilize the corn and enrich the soil. Squash spreads across the ground, conserving moisture, suppressing weeds, and deterring pests—together creating a resilient, self-sustaining system. Their working together is not only visible above ground, it also “takes place in the ground itself,” she emphasized.
Walking together in the Lord
The 26 to 27 September international gathering of Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Reformed theologians and scholars opened with presentations on spirituality, ecclesiology, pastoral and dogmatic theology, liturgy, and literature, focusing on the theme of the ‘garden’. The second day featured workshops bringing together theology students from various seminaries, as well as professors from Hungary and beyond. Discussions focused on the LWF’s ecumenical commitments. Prof. Dirk Lange, LWF Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations noted that “the conversation opened up horizons for all involved, as we reflected on what it means to walk together in the Lord.”
The symposium also offered opportunities to connect with members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary (ELCH). Bishop Tamas Fabiny, an LWF Vice-President, and his successor as leader of the ELCH, Bishop János Szemerei, attended together with students, staff, and pastors of their church. Both have fostered a long dialogue and relationship with the Benedictine monks of Pannonhalma.
The monastery at Pannonhalma has been an important center of Christian culture since the Middle Ages. Founded in 996 AD, the hilltop monastic complex includes the archabbey, a school and an important library, as well as vines, a botanical garden and a collection of rare trees and shrubs. The motif of a garden—lost, forgotten, rediscovered, or reimagined—runs throughout Scripture, as well as early Christian and medieval thought, and continues to resonate in contemporary theological, philosophical and spiritual reflection.
