wfn.org | Former LWF President, Archbishop emeritus Dr Mikko Juva dies at

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Former LWF President, Archbishop emer. Dr Mikko Juva dies at the age of 85
Juva laid ground work for present understanding of the LWF as a communion of
churches

GENEVA, 14 January 2004 (LWI) - It is with deep regret and a sense of loss
that the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has received the sad news of the
death of its former president, Archbishop emer. Dr Mikko Juva of Finland. He
died on January 1 aged 85.

Juva's life was marked by a long-term and dedicated involvement in the life
of the LWF and the ecumenical movement. It was during his 1970-1977 term as
president that the LWF took a major step forward from the status of a
Federation into a world communion. One of his leading themes was "the church
for the world." 

Mikko Einar Juva was born on 22 November 1918, in Kaarlela, Finland. He
studied history and theology at the universities of Turku and Helsinki
(1936-1944), and later (1946-1947) at the Lutheran Theological Seminary,
Gettysburg in the United States of America. After his ordination he served as
general secretary of the Student Christian Federation of Finland from 1944 to
1946 and as a student pastor from 1948 to 1950.

In 1950 he earned a doctorate in history, and one in church history in 1955.