2007 LWF Council Theme: "Living in Communion in the World Today" Preparations for LWF 60th Anniversary Events Proceeding Well
GENEVA, 1 September 2006 (LWI) - "Living in Communion in the World Today" is the theme of the 2007 meeting of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council to be hosted by the Church of Sweden in Lund. The meeting scheduled from 20 to 27 March 2007 will include celebrations marking the LWF's 60th anniversary.
The Council meeting theme is traditionally determined upon suggestion of the host church. The last meeting was held under the theme "The Church: Called to a Ministry of Reconciliation," and hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, from 31 August to 6 September 2005.
In a letter to all the LWF member churches, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko confirms the Council meeting theme, and reports that preparations for the upcoming meeting and anniversary events are proceeding well.
In February 2006, the LWF Executive Committee, via mail vote, decided to combine the next Council meeting with the anniversary commemorations in Lund, Sweden, where the federation was founded in 1947. The events will include a church leadership consultation bringing together women and youth leaders, as well as all LWF member church leaders.
The 49-member Council governs the LWF between Assemblies, normally held every six years. The current Council was elected at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. Its members include the LWF President, the Treasurer, and 48 lay and ordained persons drawn from the member churches. Up to 30 advisers also serve on the Council's Program and Standing Committees.
"The Lutheran Church in the World Today" was the theme of the First Assembly of the LWF, held from 30 June to 6 July 1947 in Lund, and hosted by the Church of Sweden. With nearly 7 million members, the Swedish church is the largest LWF member church.
The LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, representing 66.2 million Christians. (339 words)
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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 66.2 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)
[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF?s information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]
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