Asian Lutheran Identity & Self-Understanding

The search for an identity has been an ongoing journey of LWF since its founding in 1947 in Lund, Sweden. As LWF responded to the needs of the world, it continued to reflect on its self-understanding in relation to the mandate and nature of its mission.

One significant milestone was the shift of its identity from federation to communion in July 2003 at the Tenth Assembly held in Winnipeg, Canada. It conveys the self-understanding that we are a family, a close-knit communion more than a formal and structured relationship of a federation. This new identity continues to inform and guide the work LWF does.

At the same time, the world is going through great changes in the midst of post-modern reforms driven by the vehicle of globalization. Of significance are the changes in the theological and social landscapes worldwide, to which churches have to respond to individually and collectively. 

The LWF Asia region launched the process of its search for a Lutheran identity and self-understanding in Asia context in 2012. This was facilitated by a series of annual conferences inaugurated in 2012 and will culminate and conclude in 2017, coinciding with the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The final outcome would be Asia's contribution to the global communion for this landmark commemoration. 

The first three conferences delved into the meaning and implications of a Lutheran Identity and and self-understanding in Asia context. They identified core areas on which an Asian Lutheran identity and self-understanding could be defined and developed.