LWF Assembly

Lutherans from all corners of the world gathered in Kraków, Poland, for the Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation.

Were you there? Tag yourself in the photo and a comment and tell us what the assembly meant for you.

LWF congratulates the newly elected Vice-Presidents. The Vice-Presidents are elected by the LWF Council for a seven year term, and represent the seven LWF regions.

The new LWF vice-presidents are:

Rev. Dr Arnfrithur Gudmundsdottir
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland
(Nordic countries)

Bishop Chun-Wa Chang
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong
(Asia)

Bishop Tamas Fabiny
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hungary
(Central Eastern Europe)

Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany
(Central Western Europe)

Rev. Katherine Gohm
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(North America)

Isabella Reimann Gnas
Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil
(Latin America and the Caribbean)

Rev. Dr Yonas Yigezu Dibisa
The Ethiopian Evangelical Lutheran Church Mekane Yesus
(Africa)

Lutherans from across the Communion met at the ICE Congress Center in Krakow for the 13th !

Join the live recording of the opening worship at https://2023.lwfassembly.org/live

Keynote speaker Tomáš Halík says churches must transcend national, religious, cultural boundaries. https://bit.ly/3RocAKY

LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt delivers her report to the . Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3PDUjb1

photos are being added throughout the day. Share them with your member congregations and unite them to our work in .

The Lutheran World Federation Explore The Lutheran World Federation’s 20,664 photos on Flickr!

President Archbishop Dr Panti Filibus Musa welcomes delegates and urges them to hold onto hope at the opening this afternoon https://bit.ly/3EADsj6

Are you tuned in?

https://www.lwfassembly.org/live

Good morning! We are live from the ICE Congress Center in Krakow for the 13th !

Join us for opening worship at 9am GMT+2: https://2023.lwfassembly.org/live

This is the week of the Assembly! Join us in prayer today with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for the churches and people in Peru. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.
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Dear God, we thank you for the beautiful country of Peru and for its people, who are a mosaic of cultures, beliefs and hopes. Today we turn to you in prayer, asking for Your blessing over Peru and the Lutheran community in that country.

We recall the difficult times Peru has experienced in the past, as a result of armed conflicts that brought much suffering and loss. We thank you for the present peace and hope that it shapes the future of this nation. We ask You to continue Your protection of Peru, helping in the pursuit of improved living conditions and internal peace. We support all the people of Peru with our prayers.

We ask for Your blessing on those, who strive to build justice, reconciliation and love. May Your light guide them in this path. We also ask Your blessing on the Lutheran Church of Peru. We give thanks for this community, which for many years has testified to Your love and grace. We ask for strength for Lutherans in Peru, so that they may continue to work for social justice, environmental protection and the preservation of democratic values.

May Your grace rest upon Peru, may it lead the country toward a better future full of hope and peace. We offer all this in Your name, Almighty God.
Amen.

Prayer for Peru - Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland Today we turn to you in prayer, asking for Your blessing over Peru and the Lutheran community in that country.

Engaging encounters and passion for women’s leadership and gender justice at the Women’s Pre-Assembly.

Women’s Pre-Assembly: delegates from LWF member churches gathered in Wrocław, Poland, to worship, strengthen relationships, assess needs for gender justice, identify priorities, and prepare a message to share with the Thirteenth Assembly.

https://lwfassembly.org/news/serving-church-equals

Serving the church as equals | Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation Women’s Pre-Assembly begins in Wrocław, Poland (LWI) - In the days leading up to the Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), 107 women, both lay and ordained, from across the world gathered in Wrocław, Poland, for the…

Youth delegates from around the globe are gathering for the next three days at the Youth pre-Assembly to share experiences and determine priorities for the Thirteenth Assembly. Here are a few snapshots from the first day.

Photos: LWF/Johanan Celine Valeriano

Youth pre-assembly, Poland 2023 These photos may be used by Lutheran World Federation member churches, partners and media free of charge to report about the LWF’s work, with credit to ’LWF/photographer’s name’ upon publication.

Participants from across the Lutheran Communion are arriving at the Krakow airport and receiving a warm welcome from the Assembly teams. Buses await outside to usher delegates attending the women and youth pre-Assemblies to Wisla Malinka and Wroclow.

This week we pray together with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for the churches and people in Nicaragua. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.
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Father God, we thank You that We are Your Church.
We thank You that You Yourself lead us to green pastures and calm waters. Today we entrust our Sisters and Brothers from Nicaragua to You. Although thousands of kilometers separate us we thank You for each of them. We thank You that You rejoice with them, and wipe away each of their tears. Please let them experience Your presence every day, let them be the light on the mountain and the salt of the earth.

Give peace, help bring Your love to places engulfed in hatred and chaos. Strengthen and nourish the weak and doubting, keep us by Your side in temptations and let us enjoy security in Your arms.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen

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Thank you Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce for sharing this highlight on the preparations in Krakow, Poland. It's exciting to know we are less than ten days away from seeing everyone at the Assembly!

Trwają przygotowania do Trzynastego Zgromadzenia Ogólnego
Światowej Federacji Luterańskiej. W Krakowie pojawiły się plakaty zapowiadające zgromadzenia, a niedługo będzie można zobaczyć informację w komunikacji miejskiej LWF Assembly Parafia Ewangelicko-Augsburska w Krakowie

1952 - The second LWF Assembly

The Second Assembly was held in Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany, 25 July – 3 August 1952. It convened in a city scarred by World War II, but with a will to reconstruct. The LWF was the first large, international organization to meet in Germany after the war and to elect a German as its president.

Delegates took important decisions to strengthen the LWF, opening paths for laity and youth to participate in the life of the communion. The Departments of Theology, World Service and World Missions were established.

The theme was "The Living Word in a Responsible Church"

As the Thirteenth Assembly approaches, join us as we revisit past LWF Assemblies. Discover more on the Assembly website at https://2023.lwfassembly.org/assembly/history-assembly
Photo: LWF Archive

Assembly participants will visit Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum as “a call to action to stand together wherever people’s dignity is being violated.” Learn more about the visit by clicking on the link below.

Auschwitz visit a key event at Krakow Assembly | Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation A visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum during LWF’s Thirteenth Assembly will be “a call to action to stand together, wherever people’s dignity is being violated.”

This week we join in prayer with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for the churches and people in Mexico. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.
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Dear God, the world we live in is filled with injustice and danger. People very often face many difficult choices in order to survive and preserve their own lives.

They often face all sorts of arrangements that can be a threat to health and life. In this context, we come to you thinking of the people from Mexico – a country filled with unrest, internal conflicts, which makes it impossible to live in a better world.

We ask You to bestow Your blessing on all Christians living there and surround them with Your protection in every situation!

We ask You that they will not experience conflicts and that their home will be associated with security.

We also draw your attention to the small community of our brothers and sisters in Mexico.

We thank YOU for them and ask you: be their Protector, experience them with your goodness and love. Strengthen them when daily life brings difficulties, and turn sorrow into joy.

May such experience of Your love be the driving force to follow Christ every day. May Your Spirit be present in their midst.
Amen

Prayer for Mexico - Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland We also draw your attention to the small community of our brothers and sisters in Mexico.

Meet the three Lutheran leaders who will be presenting reflections on the theme of ‘One Body, One Spirit, One Hope’ at the LWF’s Thirteenth Assembly in September!

Assembly thematic speakers from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sweden | Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation Meet the three Lutheran leaders who will be presenting reflections on the theme of ‘One Body, One Spirit, One Hope’ at the Krakow Assembly in September

1947 - The first LWF Assembly

Two hundred voting delegates met in Lund, Sweden, 30 June – 6 July 1947 for the Assembly that marked the LWF’s founding. Many came from bombed cities and countries drawn into the storm of World War II. Armed with the determination to forgive and rethink the vision of “the enemy,” they shared a commitment to seek new ways of living together in Christian communion.

The theme was "The Lutheran Church in the World Today"

As the Thirteenth Assembly approaches, join us as we revisit past LWF Assemblies. Discover more on the assembly website here https://2023.lwfassembly.org/assembly/history-assembly

Photo: LWF Archives

This week we join in prayer with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for the churches and people in Cuba. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.

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God and Father, who opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble!

We thank You for the Christians in Cuba, and especially for the small United Evangelical Church in Cuba. We thank You that Your Word works among them, that it awakens faith and that the Holy Spirit calls them to form a community despite and against difficult situations and circumstances.

We ask You that those who confess Jesus as Messiah and Lord may have the courage to face the problems facing their country. To go out with the message of reconciliation in Christ, to go out with a readiness to help and forgive, to go out with a readiness to act out of love for their neighbors. We also ask you to give them and us the courage to call evil and injustice by name, to stand up to those who hurt others and want to go unpunished.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask for guidance and blessing for Christians in Cuba.

Amen

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Messages from regional Pre-Assemblies are an important part of preparing for the Thirteenth Assembly. Read more about the insights from the regions and the important discussions held during their Pre-Assemblies.

Messages from Pre-Assemblies identify key issues and concerns | Thirteenth Assembly of The Lutheran World Federation Messages from regional Pre-Assemblies are an important part of preparing for the Thirteenth Assembly. They gather insights from the regions and reflect discussions held during the Pre-Assemblies.

The Lutheran congregation in Krakow has prepared a welcome program during the Thirteenth LWF assembly.

It features two engaging debates with distinguished theologians, publicists, and social activists, including Adam Michnik, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper and Bishop Marcin Hintz, of the Pomerania-Wielkopolskas Diocese. These discussions will explore critical topics of society and religion, offering diverse perspectives.

The program is designed not only for Assembly attendees but also for the inhabitants of Krakow and all who are interested.

Krakow congregation welcomes Assembly participants Discover the Assembly welcome program organized by the Krakow congregation for the LWF Thirteenth Assembly. Engaging debates, cultural experiences, and a warm embrace of diversity await attendees in this celebration of unity.  

We gladly join in prayer with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for the churches and people in Costa Rica. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.

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God, we are grateful to You for not forgetting anyone. For You every person, every nation and every church is equally important. Your praise is earned not by those who are great, famous, popular and influential, but by those who, despite various obstacles, strive to do Your will in this troubled, godless world.

Today we come to You with a prayer for the Lutheran Church in Costa Rica. Though not large, its members with their service to their neighbor give evidence of their desire to follow Christ. They care about the spiritual condition of children, young people, migrants. They are not indifferent to the ecological crisis and try to get involved in the fight against AIDS. Lord, help them to be good witness in a country where social inequality can be felt, as well as the effects of crime which is not sufficiently combated.

Almighty God, protect the followers of Christ in Costa Rica when natural disasters threaten their health, lives, and at times, deprive them of what they have struggled to earn. May they never lose hope for a better future and the certainty that nothing or no one will be able to separate them from Your love. Amen.

Prayer for Costa Rica - Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland Today we ask You for the Lutheran Church in Costa Rica.

The Welcome to Poland publication is out!

We are excited for you to read about the history of the Lutheran church in Poland and its work. Click the link and discover more about the host church of the upcoming LWF Assembly in Krakow.

Welcome to Poland: new Assembly publication Read about the history of the Lutheran church in Poland and its work in an increasingly secular society through the pages of this new brochure, introducing the host church of the upcoming LWF Assembly in Krakow 

This week let us pray with Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski (Luterański) w Polsce (ECACP) for churches and people in Colombia. ECACP is hosting the 2023 LWF General Assembly in Kraków, Poland and prays for a LWF member churches each week.
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Our Lord and God, we bow our knees today before you.
Because of you we are able to stand today, not by ourselves, but by Your grace and strength. We wish to thank You for Your innumerable blessings, which You so abundantly pours out upon us every day. May each beat of our hearts be a new hymn of thanksgiving raised to You for Colombia and the Colombian people.

Lord God, we thank You for the wonderful gifts You bestow upon them. For all the experiences You place in their path. Looking through our earthly eyes we measure ourselves against what You have prepared for us. We experience happiness, joy, fulfillment, but also tragedy, sorrow, pain, ingratitude and injustice. Only to us does it seem that we are able to make a choice and choose what is good for us and oppose what is undesirable.

Lord God, You watch with gentleness our every effort, our desire to control life. Our attempts to stop disasters, catastrophes, suffering, harm and pain. In the silence of your love, you suggest a solution to us. You do not impose, you wait patiently until we are ready to respond to your call. You wait until we are ready to immerse ourselves in the silence of Your Presence.
Lord God, grant us the grace and wisdom to discover the source of inexhaustible joy and peace that does not pass away. Grant us to feel Your Presence, which transforms our hearts, which teaches us Your insight. Amen.