October 26, 2009

GENEVA – The newly elected General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Rev. Martin Junge, says his major priorities include enhancing the quality of relationships among churches in the Lutheran communion and embarking on a participatory planning process to ensure the organization's sustainability.

The Council elected the Chilean theologian in a closed session today in the context of its 22-27 October meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis, near Geneva, Switzerland. Junge received 37 votes in favor and five against in the election for which a search committee had proposed him as the sole candidate for election.

LWF President Bishop Mark S. Hanson's announcement to the open Council plenary session about Junge's election was received with a standing ovation and a long applause. "Our clear vote is a strong, strong statement of our confidence in Martin Junge," said Hanson, who is presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

In his acceptance speech, Junge said he accepted with humility the privilege to serve the Lutheran communion in this new position, and urged support and prayers in carrying the burdens and challenges that the task entailed. He particularly called for the support of outgoing general secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, and expressed his conviction that "we will manage to organize a perfect transition period as this communion deserves it. [And one] in which you will be fully in charge until the last day of your period, and I will be able to be in charge right from the first day of my own period."

Congratulating his incoming successor, Noko assured Junge of his cooperation and prayers in the transition, saying, "God's grace is plenty, this is your daily bread, to depend on God." He promised to arrange in dignity and respect "the way we should hand over the work of the LWF."

The LWF president expressed his commitment to facilitate this transition in the best way possible. He declared that the long election process "did not say anything about the quality of the candidate but it was because of the difficulties in the procedure." He said he took personal responsibility that the June 2008 Council meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, had not given clear guidelines for the search committee process. He thanked the two other nominees – Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla (USA) and Mr Robert Granke (Canada) – who were present at the Council meeting and "for whom the process wasn't easy." The election was originally scheduled for 22 October.

Participatory Change Process

Junge explained that prioritizing focus on the institutional development of the LWF was necessary in order to enhance democracy in decision-making and implementation, promote effectiveness and efficiency, and integrate innovation for sustainability in the future.

"We all know how difficult changes are, particularly for an organization as big and diverse and with as many stakeholders and interests as ours. Yet, without changes, without innovation, no organization can survive in the long term. This is why plans need to be developed, so that those changes that the gift of communion requires today and tomorrow, can actually take place," said Junge in his acceptance speech.

"I'm prepared to lead these processes, involving staff in a participatory manner in order to generate concepts, proposals and scenarios, which will then be the basis for your work as the governing body of the LWF," he added.

Junge emphasized the importance of the polycentric nature of the LWF communion – with no one center, but many centers – allowing for spirituality, theology and diaconal witness to develop especially with respect to ecumenical relationships. "This diversity is not a problem. It is a gift," he added, citing examples of LWF's initiatives globally including diaconal work, ecumenical dialogues and interfaith diapraxis.

The general secretary-elect is currently area secretary for the Latin American and Caribbean region at the LWF Department for Mission and Development, a position he took up in 2000. He will succeed Zimbabwean theologian Noko, who has served as general secretary since 1994, and is scheduled to leave office at the end of October 2010.

Junge was born in 1961 in Chile, as the third of five children of an Austrian mother and a Chilean father. Following studies in Protestant theology in Germany, he was ordained as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana en Chile – IELC) in 1989. He was IELC president from 1996 to 2000. Since 2008, he has been pursuing a diploma in the management of not-for-profit organizations at the "Verbandsmanagement Institut" (VMI) of the University of Freiburg in Switzerland

General secretary-elect Junge is married, with two children.

The LWF General Secretary conducts the business of the Federation in collaboration with the Cabinet, made up of the directors of departments and units appointed by the Council. The position holder is responsible for the implementation of the Council and Assembly decisions. (818 words)

More information on the 2009 LWF Council meeting is available on the LWF Web site at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/.

Around 75 representatives from LWF member churches and partner organizations are attending this year's Council meeting at Chavannes de Bogis near Geneva, Switzerland. An additional 90 registered participants include invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, media persons and LWF staff.

The 49-member Council is the LWF's governing body, meeting every 12-18 months between Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the President, Treasurer as well as lay and ordained persons, representing the different LWF regions.

The Council host church, the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein has 6,818 members, and has been an LWF member church since 1979. It is headed by Ms Dagmar Magold.

Lutheran World Information