The most significant international event of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in 2024, the Mission Partnership Consultation, will be held in Helsinki Finland from August 26 to 30, 2024. You can join us via online here.
The Mission Partnership Consultation is expected to host representatives from the church’s partner organizations around the world. The furthest participants will come from countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Angola, Cambodia, and Colombia.
At the Mission Partnership Consultation, attendees will have the opportunity to hear updates from more than forty partner churches and organizations, share experiences, and learn together about contemporary mission work and available tools. The overarching theme of the meeting is “Your Will Be Done – Church and Mission in Changing Landscapes.”
“One-third of the world’s Christians are in the Global North, but we Christians in the North hold over three-quarters of all financial resources. This creates an imbalance between the churches of the Global South and the Global North. Addressing this requires meeting, listening, understanding, and sharing various resources,” says Rev. Dr. Risto Jukko, Global Mission Director of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
“The Mission Partnership Consultation emphasizes the rapidly changing environment in which churches operate. For example, the afternoon thematic workshops will address topics raised by partners, including peace and reconciliation, truth and forgiveness, food security, climate change, migration, inclusivity, and human dignity. We have much to learn from each other”, Jukko continues.
In addition to the international gathering, the church’s mission organizations and Finn Church Aid (FCA) will also have separate discussions with their own partners. Organizations such as the Media Mission the Messengers and the Finnish Bible Society are expecting their partners in Helsinki.
“For the Media Mission the Messengers, it is important not only to engage in mutual discussions but also to strengthen cooperation and professional skills among our partners for the advancement of the Gospel,” says Rev. Mikko Matikainen, CEO of Media Mission the Messengers.
Rev. Dr Petri Merenlahti, CEO of the Finnish Bible Society, sees the unity of the churches as a sign of hope in difficult times.
“As walls dividing people grow ever higher, the global unity of churches is a tremendous sign of hope. We are not alone, but Christians are a family that faces life’s challenges together. It is a great privilege to share experiences and support each other,” Merenlahti says.
The consultation will also include ecumenically significant guests and a wide array of bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The keynote speakers for the event include the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, the Programme Director for Unity and Mission and Ecumenical Formation, Rev. Dr. Kuzipa Nalwamba, and the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt. Burghardt is the first Estonian and the first woman to hold this position.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has previously organized the Mission Partnership Consultation once before, in 2014. At that time, church representatives gathered in Järvenpää.
Explore the publication from the 2014 Mission Partnership Consultation.
Images: logo and photos from the 2014 event.
Attached photo: In 2014, the Mission Partnership Consultation were held in Järvenpää. The picture shows Mabel Madinga from the Lutheran Church of Malawi, Doctor of Theology Mika KT Pajunen, and Bishop Matti Repo. The photo was taken by Aarne Ormio.
For more information:
Risto Jukko, Global Mission Director, Department for International Relations, the Office for Global Mission, The National Church Council, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Tel. +358 40 485 9643, risto.jukko@evl.fi
Maria Mountraki, Project Coordinator, Department for International Relations, the Office for Global Mission, The National Church Council, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Tel. +358 50 346 4218, maria.mountraki@evl.fi