History of the LWF

The LWF was established in 1947 as a Federation of Lutheran churches.

The LWF was founded in the wake of the Second World War, at a time when Lutheran churches aspired for greater fellowship and solidarity among themselves. It relies on four pillars:

  1. Rescue the needy
  2. Common initiatives in mission
  3. Joints efforts in theology
  4. A common response to the ecumenical challenge.

LWF historical highlights

The Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) first Assembly took place in Lund, Sweden, from the 30th June to the 6th July 1947, under the theme: “The Lutheran Church in the World Today”. It was attended by 47 member churches from 26 countries.

Archbishop Erling Eidem from Uppsala, Sweden presided in his capacity as retiring president of the Lutheran World Convention.

Professor Anders Nygren of Lund was elected the first President of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Dr Sylvester C. Michelfelder of the USA who had served as acting executive secretary was confirmed at the first Executive Secretary of the LWF.

The main decision was the adoption of a constitution for the LWF which comprised thirteen articles, the first three stating the name, the doctrinal basis and the nature and purposes.

The Lund Assembly elected an Executive Committee of sixteen persons, four each from Germany, the Nordic Countries, the United States and other countries.

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Assemblies
Assembly

Since 1947 there have been 14 Presidents

1950s 1. Anders Theodor Samuel Nygren
Country of origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Date of birth: 15.11.1890
Date of death: 20.10.1978
Period of mandate: 1947-1952
2 Hanns Lilje
Country of origin: Hanover, Germany
Date of birth: 20.08.1899
Date of death: 06.01.1977
Period of mandate: 1952-1957
1960s 3 Franklin Clark Fry
Country of origin: Pennsylvania, USA
Date of birth: 30.08.1900
Date of death: 06.06.1968
Period of mandate: 1957-1963
4. Fredrik Axel Schiotz
Country of origin: Chicago, USA
Date of birth: 15.06.1901
Date of death: 25.02.1989
Period of mandate: 1963-1970
1970s 5. Mikko Juva
Country of origin: Kaarlela, Finland
Date of birth: 22.11.1918
Date of death: 01.01.2004
Period of mandate: 1970-1977
1980s 6. Josiah Mutabuzi Kibira
Country of origin: Kashenye, Tanzania
Date of birth: 25.08.1925
Date of death: 18.07.1988
Period of mandate: 1977-1984
7. Zoltan Kaldy
Country of origin: Iharosbereny, Hungary
Date of birth: 29.03.1919
Date of death: 17.05.1987
Period of mandate: 1984-1987
8. Johannes Hanselmann
Country of origin: Ehingen/Ries, Germany
Date of birth: 09.03.1927
Date of death: 02.10.1999
Period of mandate: 1987-1990
1990s 9. Gottfried Brakemeier
Country of origin: Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil
Date of birth: 04.01.1937
Period of mandate: 1990-1997
2000s 10. Christian Krause
Country of origin: Brandeburg, Germany
Date of birth: 06.01.1940
Period of mandate: 1997-2003
11. Mark Hanson
Country of origin: USA
Date of birth: 02.12.1946
Period of mandate: 2003-2010
2010s 12. Munib Younan
Country of origin: Palestine
Date of birth: 18.09.1950
Period of mandate: 2010-2017
13. Panti Filibus Musa
Country of origin: Nigeria
Date of birth: 25.01.1960
Period of mandate: 2017-2023
2020s   Bishop Henrik Stubkjær
Country of origin: Denmark
Date of birth: 31.12.1961
Period of mandate: 2023-Currently

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Presidents
Presidents

Since 1947 there have been 9 General Secretaries

1950s

1. Sylvester Michelfelder
Country of origin: New Washington, Ohio, USA
Date of birth: 27.10.1889
Date of death: 30.12.1951
Period of mandate: 1947-1951
2 Carl Elof Lund-Quist
Country of origin: Lindsborg, Kansas,USA
Date of birth: 19.09.1908
Date of death: 26.08.1965
Period of mandate: 1951-1960

1960s

3 Kurt Schmidt-Clausen
Country of origin: Hanover, Germany
Date of birth: 01.10.1920
Date of death: 25.01.1993
Period of mandate: 1960-1965
4. André Appel
Country of origin: France
Date of birth: 20.12.1921
Date of death: 01.11.2007
Period of mandate: 1965-1974

1970s

5. Carl Henning Mau, Jr
Country of origin: Seattle, USA
Date of birth: 22.06.1922
Date of death: 31.03.1995
Period of mandate: 1974-1985

1980s

6. Gunnar Johan Staalsett
Country of origin: Nordkapp, Norway
Date of birth: 10.02.1935
Period of mandate: 1985-1994
1990s-2000s 7. Ishmael Noko
Country of origin: Zimbabwe
Date of birth: 29.10.1943
Period of mandate: 1994-2010
2010s 8. Martin Junge
Country of origin: Chile
Date of birth: 21.08.1961
Period of mandate: 2010-2021

2020s

9. Anne Burghardt
Country of origin: Estonia
Date of birth: 19.11.1975
Period of mandate: 2021-2026

At The Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) first Assembly, four women were delegates. Two were from the former United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA): Sister Anna Ebert und Dr Nona Diehl with Ms and Dr Aasgaard in the middle in the picture (right picture). Out of the 178 delegates, this represents 2,8% of the total delegations. It should be noted also that a small number of women were invited as visitors for this first Assembly.

The world of 1952 was still a time of refuge. The 13 women delegates at the LWF Hannover Assembly had come together to meet some very specific needs. They focused on post-war women and concentrated on topics as discussed in the Study Document for Section VI: “Home and Family”, the “Question of birth control, “Women in public life” and “What does the Bible say about men and women?”. Women came together to discuss what seemed to be their ever increasing estrangement from the Church at a time when new challenges to religion were being posed by the rise of communism.

The world of 1957 was “a world of new nations and cold war”. 18 women were appointed delegates among 255 men, representing only 17% of the total delegation. Lutheran women from all over the world participated actively in the Assembly and welcomed the first young woman delegate from the South: Maria von Reiswitz from the Deutsche Evangelische Kirche in Chile, she was only 23 (second from the left on the picture).

In July 1963, a Women’s pre-assembly conference was held in Schmalensee (Germany). The conference, entitled “Christian Women Today”, had representatives from 22 countries. They were mainly delegates and official visitors appointed member churches to participate in the Helsinki Assembly scheduled for 1963. Financial support for this gathering came mostly from women’s organizations in North America, but resources from a number of women’s groups were offered.

As Zeitgeist: the wounds of the Second World War were healing and despite the East- West tensions, Europe had managed to avoid hostilities. Regional conflicts flared, however, and the decolonization process was not yet complete. For the first time a pre-assembly Women Conference took place in Bastad, Sweden in 1969, attended by 40 women from the LWF member churches in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas. There were also a number of women representing churches other than the Lutheran Church.

Women realized “now they do have lots of things together – why not later on?” . In an article in Lutheran World written by Kathleen Hurty, a US delegate to the Assembly, she described: “The invisibility of women in the LWF Assemblies in language and worship and decision-making was altered slightly at Dar Es Salaam. Visions of a new community of women and men in authentic partnership expanded into tentative clarity with the election of six women to the LWF Executive Committee.

Consistently mentioned as a high priority was the need for leadership development. Between 1977 and 1984 a number of regional consultations also took place with the purpose of enhancing opportunities for exchange, learning and sharing within the world regions. Five major consultations were held in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Regional consultants were appointed: Nancy Y. C. Chow from Hong Kong, Bondu V. Subbama from India, Eva Jorkey from Liberia, Kaanaeli Makundi from Tanzania and Rosalind Daniel from Malaysia. From 1978 to 1984, WICAS entered a phase of stabilization and expansion with priorioties such as networking, leadership training and biblical and theological study. At Budapest, 32% of the delegates were women.

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Women who made Communion

The LWF Council consists of member churches representatives, elected by the Assembly. It meets once a year to ensure that LWF is satisfactorily organized and run according to its defined purpose and in accordance with resolutions made by the Assembly. 

Since 2023

Council

2017-2023

Council

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