LWF Council, here meeting in Geneva in 2019, will elect the next General Secretary in June 2021. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
President Musa writes to heads of churches inviting them to identify candidates to lead the global communion
(LWI) - Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches are invited to send in nominations for the post of the ninth General Secretary of the global communion.
LWF President Archbishop Dr Panti Filibus Musa formally issued the call for nominations on 14 September, following the announcement earlier this year that the incumbent, Rev. Dr Martin Junge, will be stepping down next autumn. Junge, the first Latin American to hold the office, is currently serving his second term after being reconfirmed as General Secretary in 2017.
In a letter to the LWF’s 148 member churches around the globe, President Musa noted that the Council has appointed a seven-member search committee, reflecting the key principles of regional and gender balance, as well as youth participation. The committee is chaired by Bishop Susan Johnson, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
Journey of joint witness
Writing from his hometown of Numan in Adamawa State, Nigeria, Musa urged church leaders to “identify and present good candidates” in order to facilitate the election of a new General Secretary who “continues to lead our journey of joint witness to Christ and service in the world, which matters more than ever today.”
Addressing the local church leaders, the LWF president said: “I rejoice as I think of all of you while writing this letter, always asking our Lord to protect you all and to guide you as you provide leadership in your churches in these challenging times of the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
The next LWF General Secretary will be elected by the Council in June 2021 to lead the LWF and its Communion Office from 1 November 2021. The new incumbent will be elected for a seven-year term of office and will serve as the global communion’s chief ecumenical officer in relations with other Christian churches. He/she will prepare, lead and implement the decisions of the Thirteenth Assembly, to be held in Krakow, Poland in September 2023.
May God continue to inspire your church, and our churches together, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to serve our neighbours with compassion, and to publicly stand for justice and dignity for all.
In his letter to all church leaders, President Musa concludes: “May God continue to inspire your church, and our churches together, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to serve our neighbours with compassion, and to publicly stand for justice and dignity for all.”
The 18 to 23 June LWF Council meeting will take place online, in view of restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The LWF Council normally meets in person every year, and is the highest authority of the LWF between assemblies. It consists of the President, the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, and 48 members from LWF member churches in seven regions.
