Lay Leaders

Serving the Body of Christ

Church leadership is a shared responsibility. As people who are baptized, we are members of the Body of Christ. We are all called to proclaim the gospel and bring our unique and diverse gifts for the well-being of others and for the growth of community.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
– (1. Cor. 12:4-7)

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Lay Leaders meeting 2019-27 — LWF Third International Lay Leaders’ Seminar, held from 27 June to 6 July in Geneva and Wittenberg. Participants Mabel NGEE-FUI HO (Malaysia), Melkion PANUAITAN (Indonesia) and Anna Christine Ursula UNRUH-LUNGFIEL (Germany). Photo: LWF/S. Gallay

The LWF invites non-ordained leaders from its member churches to participate in a joint leadership journey—to explore and reflect together on the concept and practice of church leadership.

The Lay Leaders’ Seminar is conducted annually by the LWF Communion Office and the LWF Center Wittenberg. Participants are selected in collaboration with the member churches; therefore, each individual must be endorsed by his or her church.

Rather than being a one-time event, the seminar is a process which consists of:

individual studies and reflections;
in-person seminar in Geneva and Wittenberg;
peer-based interventions and networking.

The seminar’s content is based on the following thematic areas:

Biblical foundations on leadership
Lutheran theology on leadership
Vision and values of church leadership today (What guides Lutheran leaders today and

The program is adjusted each time to correspond to the participants’ needs and expectations.

Throughout the process we nurture a learning culture, which encourages mutual learning and sharing of experiences and resources. We want to offer a space where leaders become connected and mutually supported especially with regard to contextual concerns. By facilitating the establishment of networks, the LWF wants to encourage leaders to find synergies, share resources and be connected with each other. The joint leadership journey also provides an opportunity to learn more about LWF’s work and deliberate on the meaning of being churches in the Lutheran communion.

The LWF Center Wittenberg will send out the invitation letter for the 2022 Lay Leaders Seminar to LWF member churches. If you are interested in the seminar, kindly contact your church leadership.

For more information, please contact the LWF Center Wittenberg or the LWF Communion Office.

Leadership Accompaniment and Continuous Learning

Church leadership is a calling and at the same time an ongoing vocation that needs to be practiced and developed. There is always more to learn and explore for everyone. Diverse contexts and changing circumstances in which leaders carry out their ministries require willingness to develop skills and acquire knowledge. The LWF leadership program invites member churches to participate in a continuous journey of leadership and life-long learning.

Management and Good Governance

The LWF Communion Office supports member church initiatives in management and good governance. Rather than facilitating or granting financial support for one-time training the focus is on organizational development processes, which aim at sustainable results including changes in church structures, policies, practices and models in decision making. This kind of transformation goes beyond performing tasks and is often a matter of changing mindsets, attitudes and organizational cultures.

Newly Elected Leaders

This is a leadership development process for newly elected church leaders, namely bishops and pastor presidents. The program consists of biblical, theological, leadership and management learning/sharing modules, which are implemented through a combination of individual and peer learning, online workshops and in-person retreats in Geneva and in Wittenberg, Germany. The retreats are organized in collaboration with the LWF Center Wittenberg.