wfn.org | UPDATE: A Description of the LWF 11th Assembly Logo

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UPDATE: A Description of the LWF 11th Assembly Logo 

Cross in a Burgeoning Bud Depicts "Give Us Today Our Daily
Bread" Theme

ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA, 9 July 2008 (LWI) - The logo for the
11th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) was released
at the recently concluded LWF Council meeting in Arusha, northern
Tanzania. 

"Give Us Today Our Daily Bread" is the theme of the Assembly to
be held 20 --27 July 2010 in Stuttgart, Germany, hosted by the
Evangelical Church in Wuerttemberg. The Assembly host-church
together with the Leonhardt & Kern Agency in Ludwigsburg,
Germany, developed the logo. An initial round of design proposals
had included other agencies.

The Assembly Planning Committee (APC) in collaboration with the
LWF secretariat in Geneva chose the logo proposed by the
Leonhardt & Kern Agency, and presented it to the Council members,
meeting 25-30 June in Arusha. 

Youth Council member Rev. Abigail Zang Hoffman, Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), speaking for the 14-member
APC, described how the logo had been developed and presented the
artist's impressions. 

The logo's modest, simple design attempts to combine several
elements in one graphic image. The cross in the center is curved,
emphasizing that it is not an inert but rather a living entity.
It is surrounded by a stylized bud, drawn by a single vivid green
pen stroke, representing the life and growth which God gives to
all creation. The artist explains the unfolding bud as
representing "our daily bread," pointing out: "Every plant begins
with a tiny seed, and only if this seed falls into the earth and
dies can it become a great plant which will bear much fruit."

The small number of brush strokes contained in the logo, clearly
show humankind dependency on bread and how the petition for
"daily bread" is at once simple and vital. "The kind, reassuring
character of this logo attempts to reflect the kindness of God
who is present among us in the form of bread and wine-the fruits
of the earth in which we see the crucified and risen One."

The Council members endorsed the logo and agreed its
dissemination globally. Presenting the APC report, Zang Hoffmann
said the committee had noted how the 11th Assembly theme could
help the LWF regions "highlight poverty as the crucial diaconal
challenge of our time." Also, issues could be identified from the
regions, which may be considered as sub-themes. "The theme
reflects the prophetic voice of the church and proclaims that it
is part of our basic commitment to fair and dignified life,"
noted the APC in its report to the Council. 

>Assembly Materials

Council members were also informed that all materials for the
forthcoming Assembly would be made available to member churches
and congregations on time. 

The APC proposed, for financial reasons, that publication of the
complete LWF Six-Year Report be in English only, with summaries
in French, German and Spanish printed in the same volume. In
addition, assembly study materials would be published in several
parts, in the four languages. The publication Assembly Update
would be a supplement to the LWF newsletter, Lutheran World
Information. According to Zang Hoffmann, a fundamental
prerequisite would be the availability of all Assembly
publications in electronic format on the Assembly Web site which
is currently being developed. 

During discussion on the APC report, Rev. Riikka Myllys,
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, urged the Assembly also
to address the issue of declining membership in European and
North American churches. Palestinian Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, moved
that the 11th Assembly take up the problem of immigration in
Europe and focus particularly on relations between Lutheran
churches and Muslims. (612 words)

The logo of the LWF 11th Assembly 2010 is available on the LWF
Web site at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/Council/2008/20080628-Council.html

>*        *          *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 141 member churches in 79 countries all over the
world, with a total membership of over 68.3 million. The LWF acts
on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such
as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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