June 9, 2005

REYKHOLT, Iceland/GENEVA – "Lutheran Churches in Europe – Set Free to Be a Healing Communion," is the theme of a regional Lutheran World Federation (LWF) consultation taking place, June 8-13 in Reykholt, Iceland. Over 90 bishops, superintendents, pastors, and representatives of LWF member churches from 23 European countries are participating.

Rev. Dr Andreas Woehle, Area Secretary for Europe in the LWF Department for Mission and Development (DMD) said one of the key issues at the LWF European Church Leadership Consultation is: "What models of leadership are favorable to a church that has the self-understanding of being church in communion?"

The concept of "being church" and its role in European society in particular will be discussed. The agenda also includes debate on subjects that could be potentially church dividing, and represents a significant challenge for the various European churches.

Representatives from the three LWF European sub-regions – Central Eastern, Central Western and Nordic Countries – started preparations for the meeting about a year ago. According to Woehle, the aim of the Iceland event is to "contextualize" what the LWF communion discussed globally and decided, at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. The last European Church Leadership Consultation was held in Meissen, Germany, in 1999.

The LWF Central European region comprises 15 member churches with a combined membership of over 1.7 million, whereas Central Western Europe has 22 member churches bringing together more than 16.3 million people. There are six member churches totaling 20.5 million members in the Nordic Countries region.

Lutheran World Information