At the 19 to 24 April meeting, a dozen participants from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean are setting out to explore together a variety of dimensions of church leadership – all as part of the 2023 LWF Thirteenth Assembly call for the global communion to accompany and strengthen its member churches in leadership, within a framework of responsible theology.
Yichun Chiang Chiang, a participant from the Lutheran Church of Taiwan underlined the significance of convening in the historic setting of Wittenberg, as the group on the opening day visited the town church of Saint Mary, where Martin Luther himself lived and preached and the Reformation was set in motion in the early 16th century.
“We come from different churches, but for us all, as Protestants, it started here, and I think it is beautiful and very meaningful that we can learn from each other in the place where it all started,” said Chiang, who received support from the LWF to undertake a Master’s degree at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, United States.
“One of the things I look forward to this week is to reflect and learn about a leadership that encourages and empowers people, rather than a leadership that is controlling,” Chiang added.
