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Hope Does Not Disappoint

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Hope Does Not Disappoint Hope does not disappoint Annual Report 2015 5 2 16 24 41 32 48 Contents Hope does not disappoint ........................................... 1 Effective and empowering diakonia addressing human Harvesting hope, planting hope ............................................ 2 suffering, injustice, and emergencies ........................ 32 Ambassadors of reconciliation – agents of hope .................... 5 Joining hands in Nepal ...................................................... 35 Providing relief and support ................................................ 36 A communion strengthened in worship and ongoing Serving those affected by conflict ........................................37 theological discernment, ecumenical dialogue, and Life in solidarity .................................................................. 38 interfaith collaboration ............................................ 16 Local voices on the global stage.......................................... 39 LWF youth influenced COP21 ............................................. 19 The gospel and Christian identity ........................................ 20 Organizational sustainability and effectiveness ........... 41 On the ordained ministry .....................................................21 Sustainability ...................................................................... 43 Strengthened ecumenical partnerships .............................. 22 Staff ................................................................................... 45 Faith in the public sphere ................................................... 23 Finances ............................................................................ 46 Member churches growing in capacity for holistic mission Reformation Anniversary and Assembly ......................48 and deepening relationships with each other .............. 24 2017 Reformation booklets ..................................................51 Being in communion together ..............................................27 Global Perspectives on the Reformation .............................. 52 Strengthening relations ....................................................... 28 Preparing for the Twelfth Assembly ..................................... 54 Induction of newly elected leaders ...................................... 29 Reunification in a divided church ........................................ 30 Engaging neighbors and communities .................................31 LWF Annual Report 2015 – Introduction Hope does not disappoint Accept one another Four priorities “In a world characterized We take these words from General The Annual Report is organized ac- by communication Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge’s cording to the four priority areas laid breakdowns, by withdrawal New Years Message 2015, where he out in the LWF Strategy 2012-2017: and fragmentation, the quotes and reflects on Romans 15:7 1. A communion strengthened in prophetic witness of Christian as our starting point, “Accept one worship and ongoing theological communions – local and another, then, just as Christ accepted discernment, ecumenical dia- global – will be seen in their you, in order to bring praise to God.” logue, and interfaith collabora- capability to accept, welcome tion. and embrace the other.” As we do this we can keep in mind 2. Member churches growing in this simple but pointed characteristic capacity for holistic mission and of Christian communions: How is the deepening relationships with reality of meeting the stranger and each other. accepting the other as our sister and 3. Effective and empowering diako- brother reflected in the life and work nia addressing human suffering, of the LWF? In this report you will find injustice, and emergencies. many and diverse examples, which, 4. Organizational sustainability and we hope, will be both inspiring and effectiveness interesting. In addition, we have included a chapter on the preparations for the 2017 Assembly and the commemo- ration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 1 Harvesting hope, planting hope As a communion of churches the • Building on decades of commit- “With this call as a gift we LWF is called into a ministry of ted diaconal service on behalf look into ways to continue planting, not always knowing what of member churches, the LWF expressing our vision to the harvest will be. Our planting is is today a trusted organization live and work together an action that is full of hope, as it is that has increased its response for a just, peaceful and rooted in the faith in the triune God. as the refugee crisis in the world reconciled world. It is that The year 2015 has found us in reached new heights. vision, resulting from God’s this double role, harvesting from call, that we want to continue what others have done before and at In doing this, we plant seeds of hope expressing together.” the same time planting and prepar- and love as an expression of our ing for what lies ahead. faith. Our decisions and our actions to address climate change are also just, peaceful and reconciled world. • The perseverance of ecumenical planting seeds of justice which we It is that vision, resulting from God’s dialogues, sustained for decades hope others after us will harvest and call, that we want to continue ex- is yielding fruit today for the Ref- take as inspiration. pressing together. ormation anniversary. It is in this spirit of hope that the We give thanks to God for abun- LWF dealt with questions around dant harvest, building on what others • The commitment of church lead- its sustainability in 2015. We are in did before us, and for all we could ership, lay and ordained, men a privileged position: we continue do during this year, thereby offering and women, young and old, is hearing God’s call into communion a witness of faith, love and hope to fostering relationships among Lu- and we jointly witness in this world. the world. theran churches globally. This is With this call as a gift we look into a foundation on which churches ways to continue expressing our vi- Rev. Dr Martin Junge jointly engage in holistic mission. sion to live and work together for a LWF General Secretary 2 LWF Annual Report 2015 – Introduction LWF General Secretary Rev Dr. Martin Junge at the opening worship of the Global Young Reformers’ conference. Photo: LWF/Marko Schoeneberg 3 Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan at the inter- religious dialogue meeting in Kazakhstan . Photo: ELCRK 4 LWF Annual Report 2015 – Introduction Ambassadors of reconciliation – agents of hope Hope does not disappoint. It does Lutherans around the world con- spect for all rights, poverty into equal not disappoint us or our neighbors. nect with and sustain one another opportunity, and injustice against Our global communion’s com- in their joys and difficulties. As a women into gender justice. mitment to holistic mission and communion of churches, we have This prophetic witness cannot prophetic diakonia means that we found ways to show the love of God, be realized among Lutherans alone. seek to see all human communities proclaiming our hope to the world. We must work together with other flourish. Today, we are increasingly In my travels throughout the world, churches and ecumenical families confronted with the challenge to I see the diverse, contextualized Lu- to realize God’s will of life abundant. promote religious and political theran theology in practice. I admire Without the communion, we cannot moderation. We are called to be our communion more and more. fully express our hope. Thus, the ambassadors of reconciliation and communion is not an end in itself, agents of hope. “We seek to offer prophetic but is at the same time essential for Our hope in the reconciling love diakonia that can transform what God calls us to in this world. of God in Christ Jesus calls us to hatred into love, animosity I am grateful to the General Sec- get our hands dirty in the service into friendship, violations retary, all LWF departments in the of our neighbor. The crucified and of human rights into communion office, the Council, and risen Christ reminds us to ask ques- respect for all rights.” the Meeting of Officers. Only our joint tions about the deadly structures of efforts could make our communion injustice that permeate our world in a communion of hope. the hope that we continue to face Our work is an effort to show that these challenges together. we are liberated by grace through Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan As President of The Lutheran faith. We seek to offer prophetic LWF President World Federation, my visits to mem- diakonia that can transform hatred ber churches have enabled me to into love, animosity into friendship, see the wonderful ways in which violations of human rights into re- 5 Highlights of the year January pressed appreciation of its partner- sage, “Do not be overcome by evil, ship with LWF. “You go where others but overcome evil with good.” LWF and the Pontifical Council don´t go […] you are right there with for Promoting Christian Unity an- us,” UNHCR Director of the Regional Women theologians and church lead- nounced that a joint ecumenical Bureau for Africa George Okoth- ers from all LWF regions met in Wit- commemoration of the reformation Obbo said during a meeting with tenberg, Germany, to develop a work would be held in Lund, Sweden, the Committee for World Service. plan for Women on the Move. One of on 31 October 2016. LWF General LWF is the fifth largest implementing the four thematic approaches was to Secretary Martin Junge welcomed partner of the UN refugee
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