Leaders of Lutheran churches of 17 countries to gather in Tallinn

TALLINN – Leaders of Lutheran churches from 17 countries will gather for a two-day meeting of the executive committee of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Tallinn on Nov. 20.

The Tallinn meeting will be opened by the president of the LWF, Bishop Henrik Stubkjær of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The secretary-general of the LWF, Rev. Anne Burghardt, an ordained pastor of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the first woman and clergy member from Central and Eastern Europe to hold this position, will also participate in the work of the executive committee.

As part of the Tallinn meeting, participants will also visit the Tallinn Museum of Occupations and Freedom (Vabamu) and the Bethel congregation and social center of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, highlighting the role of religious communities in addressing social issues.

The LWF, active since 1947, unites 150 Lutheran churches in 99 countries. The organization's work encompasses both theological cooperation and active contributions to the humanitarian field. The LWF assists more than 3.47 million people in 24 countries. Among other things, the LWF owns a hospital in East Jerusalem, an area inhabited by Palestinians. The Lutheran churches of Russia and Ukraine, among others, are members of the LWF.