The First Regional Pre-Assembly was held at Mansfield College, Oxford, together with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Britain in reflection to the Thirteenth Assembly, 'One Body, One Spirit, One Hope'. These two organizations reportedly maintained strong relations since the Second World War.
First Regional Pre-Assembly, 'One Body, One Spirit, One Hope'
Approximately 100 representatives from Lutheran congregations in Europe's Western, Eastern, and Nordic regions gather at Mansfield College in Oxford. The college has had close ties with the local Lutheran community since World War II's end. The Lutheran World Federation reported that during that time, the head of the college, which had been established as a "non-conformist" institution so that students who were not members of the Church of England could still attend the university, was sympathetic to the struggle of German churches against the Nazi regime.
This week, in Oxford in the United Kingdom, delegates from LWF member churches from all across Europe gather for the first regional Pre-Assembly in advance of the worldwide Thirteenth Assembly, which will take place in Poland in September. The Lutheran Church in Great Britain would host the European Pre-Assembly from Mar. 21 to Mar. 24.
At the beginning of the Pre-Assembly, a worship service would be held in the chapel of Mansfield College. Invited people would come from other Christian denominations. Before the plenary sessions, which will center on preparations for the Krakow Assembly held from Sept. 13 to 19 with the theme of "One Body, One Spirit, One Hope," there was a meeting of LWF youth delegates.
As per the LWF Assembly, the LWF's highest decision-making authority is vested in its Assembly. In addition to celebrating the shared faith of the Lutheran communion across contexts and cultures, the Assembly provides the platform for collective decision-making and mutual enrichment opportunities through joint reflection and discernment. The LWF Assembly is the most representative representation of the LWF communion because it serves as the primary authority for the LWF. Participating are delegates appointed by each of the member churches. The decisions and outcomes of this meeting will serve as the foundation for the work that the LWF does over the next six to seven years.
Also Read: Rev. Adam Arends Appointed as New Pastor at St. Timothy Lutheran Church
Relationship of Mansfield College, Oxford and Lutheran World Federation in Britain
The Council of Lutheran Churches is a communion of churches that has come together to promote the Lutheran presence in the United Kingdom and participate in ecumenical and interfaith activities. Congregations from nine other European churches as well as the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, make up its membership. During both World Wars, communities of refugees and immigrants came together to form the Council of Lutheran Churches. Their goal was to construct shelter and security for themselves despite being strangers in a new nation.
They are reportedly overjoyed that their long-standing cooperation with Mansfield has been revitalized due to our commitment to the common cause of assisting refugees. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Canadian Lutheran Church (CLC) worked together to establish a tutorship at Mansfield that was used to educate Lutheran ministers beginning in the middle of the 1950s and continuing into the 1990s. And even further back in time, significant ties existed between Mansfield College and members of the German Confessing Church, who provided aid to German refugees living in Oxford in the 1930s.
Related Article:Bishop Pavlo Shvarts of German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine Talks About Humanitarian, Faith in Times of War
"We are delighted that we can come together in this place which enjoys such long and rich connections to the LWF," said Ireneusz Lukas, LWF Regional Secretary for Europe. #LWFAssembly@LWFYouth#LutheranChurchinGreatBritain#CouncilofLutheranChurcheshttps://t.co/6AFQq2Q9q3
— The Lutheran World Federation (@lutheranworld) March 21, 2023
