Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) expressed his best wishes to Rev. Anne Burghardt, who is elected as the new general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

Rev. Burghardt is currently serving as Head of Development for the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church’s (EELC) Institute of Theology and advisor to the church for international and ecumenical relations.

“Rev. Anne Burghardt is committed in everything she does and will be able to move LWF into a new chapter of ecumenism and international cooperation,” said Dr Sørensen.

“Both the Governing Board of CEC and the Joint Committee of CEC and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) have benefitted immensely from her experience and commitment, both as a scholar and an ecumenist. We will miss her among the governing bodies of CEC,” he said.

“It is my hope and wish that this appointment may also be the opportunity of cooperation between CEC and LWF. For the benefit of all churches in Europe, as we prepare ourselves for the reopening of churches and church communities and sanitary conditions are easing,” added Dr Sørensen.

Rev. Anne Burghardt will take over as LWF’s new general secretary at the beginning of November, succeeding Rev. Dr Martin Junge who has led the communion of 148 member churches for the past eleven years. She will be the first woman and the first Central Eastern European to hold this leadership position.

Read more: LWF elects Estonian Anne Burghardt as new General Secretary