Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt, LWF General Secretary, delivering the keynote address at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland during their Mission Partnership Consultation in Helsinki on 29 August. Photo: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
General Secretary Burghardt delivers keynote address at Finnish church Mission Partnership Consultation
(LWI) - Churches are called to be outward-looking communities, “offering hope to all people living in a broken world,” said Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt in a keynote address at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) Mission Partnership Consultation in Helsinki on 29 August.
Addressing the topic “Society and Church – Changing Landscapes,” Burghardt shared an analysis of the diverse contexts in which LWF member churches work and witness across 150 member churches in 99 countries. She also explored the essential role churches play in public life, emphasizing their responsibility to engage actively in addressing the pressing issues of our time.
We live in a world where polarization is increasing, democratic structures are being eroded, warned Burghardt. There is a pushback against women’s rights and human dignity, and fear is exploited to maintain power. She underscored the importance of the churches’ involvement in tackling global and local crises such as the climate emergency, forced migration, ongoing conflicts, and the spread of misinformation.
In her remarks, Burghardt drew attention to the contrasting realities faced by churches around the world. While churches in the Global North grapple with declining membership, many in the Global South are experiencing significant growth. Yet, she emphasized, “religion is not losing ground worldwide.”
Churches should be active in public space
General Secretary Burghardt stressed the vital need for churches to be active in the public space, supporting “public initiatives that aim at strengthening dialogue and not polarized dispute, at protecting human dignity and showing solidarity.” She called on churches to play a pivotal role in gathering diverse groups together, fostering unity and reconciliation in increasingly divided societies.
For churches to maintain credibility, the LWF General Secretary insisted they must "walk the talk." Authenticity, she explained, requires “actual solidarity with those who are oppressed or suffer under injustices,” including a willingness to “go to dangerous places” and to meet people who hold different worldviews, religions, or backgrounds.
“One of the most critical tasks for the church today is to share hope,” said Burghardt in conclusion. This hope is not rooted in naïve optimism or simple belief in progress. It is rooted in “faith in Jesus Christ [...] comforting us but also encouraging us to make a change.”
This is the second Mission Partnership Consultation organized by the ELCF, under the theme “Your Will Be Done – Church and Mission in Changing Landscapes.” Representatives from more than 40 of the ELCF’s partner churches and organizations met in Helsinki, Finland, from 26-30 August. Photo: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
One of the most critical tasks for the church today is to share hope.
LWF general Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt
Hope stands at the center of the LWF Strategy for 2025-2031, added the LWF general secretary, calling on churches to “plant seeds of hope today in credible, humble, and courageous ways,” building “communities of hope” that are outward looking and “aim at offering hope to all people living in this broken world.”
Church and mission in changing landscapes
This is the second time the ELCF has organized the Mission Partnership Consultation. Gathering under the theme “Your Will Be Done – Church and Mission in Changing Landscapes,” representatives from more than 40 of the ELCF’s partner churches and organizations met in Helsinki, Finland, from 26-30 August. Participants from countries such as Myanmar, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Angola, Israel-Palestine, Brazil, and Colombia shared experiences and reflected on the church's mission across diverse contexts.
Preaching on the opening day of the consultation, ELCF Archbishop Tapio Luoma emphasized that Christians are sent into the world “to witness to the risen Christ” both in specific contexts and across national and cultural boundaries. “Our message is of hope,” he affirmed, noting the “universal longing for this message.”
LWF General Secretary Burghardt was one of three keynote speakers at the consultation, alongside the World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Prof. Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, who spoke on mission, and WCC Programme Director for Unity, Mission and Ecumenical Formation Rev. Dr. Kuzipa Nalwamba, who spoke on creation and climate change.
