Programme

On this page you’ll find detailed information of the programme at the International Mission Partnership Consultation in Cultural Centre Sofia in Helsinki on 26 – 30 August 2024.

Daily programme

You can access the programme timetable here (pdf) and the timetable together with written detailed programme here (pdf).

Monday

Introduction and Welcome

14.30-15.30 in Sofia Auditorium

After settling into your hotel room and refreshing with some coffee and snacks, the day will begin with an introduction in the Sofia Auditorium. The event will be opened by Archbishop Dr. Tapio Luoma, followed by an overview of the missionary work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, presented by Bishop Dr. Jari Jolkkonen. During the introduction and welcome, you will also have the opportunity to meet personnel from the Department for International Relations of the ELCF. Words of welcome will be delivered by Global Mission Director Rev. Dr. Risto Jukko and project coordinator Ms. Maria Mountraki.

Tuesday – Your will be done

Plenary: Church in Changing Landscapes

Plenary 9.15-10.30 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

The plenary will focus on the changing landscapes of the first decades of the third millennium. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a shock for Europeans. However, war is raging in many other countries of the world, too. Wars, violence, and conflicts are not the only problems of humankind in the 2020s. Global problems also include, e.g., poverty, hunger, lack of quality education, migration, climate change. In these changing and turbulent landscapes, what can the Church of Jesus Christ say to people?

Keynote

Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is the ninth Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Pillay was previously Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria. He is a native of South Africa and a member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA). He served as President of the UPCSA from 2004-2006 and then as General Secretary of the same church from 2009-2014.

When he became part of the leadership of the Uniting Presbyterian Church, he was appointed a member of the WCC Central Committee and was also appointed to the Board of the Council for World Mission. He also served on the National Executive Committee of the South African Council of Churches for several years and was the first President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches from 2010 to 2017.

Comment to the keynote is given by Bishop Dr. Teemu Laajasalo from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Panel: Mission in changing landscapes

Panel 11-12.15 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

The panel will focus on the first decades of the third millennium. Global problems include wars and conflicts, poverty, hunger, lack of quality education, migration, climate change, etc. Mission is facing all these problems in various ways in different contexts. In these changing and turbulent landscapes, what does God’s mission mean? How is the Gospel message relevant in today’s world? Does the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ touch and change people’s lives? How can Christians be more credible in their words and acts? Is there a hope for the future? How will global Christianity look like in 2050?

In this panel discussion Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay from the World Council of Churches, Rev. Selma Chen from the Lutheran Church of Taiwan (LCT), Dr. Rosalee Velloso Ewell from United Bible Societies will come together to discuss the theme of the day. The panel is moderated by Rev. Johanna Björkholm-Kallio from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Workshops on Tuesday

Workshops 14-16, only for the participants of the consultation. Locations of the workshops are updated later.

Wednesday – Give us our daily bread

Creation in Changing Landscapes

Plenary 9.15-10.30 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

The plenary will focus on the fact that a liveable future is threatened by environmental crisis. Everyone has noticed the rise of temperature and other effects of climate change. Every year there are news of extreme heat waves, droughts, and floods. Christian church and mission were complicit in the exploitation of the earth’s resources that drove the colonial system. In today’s world, churches and missions need to take God’s creation seriously and mission urgently needs to re-think of its relationship with nature.

Keynote

Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba is the WCC Programme Director for Unity, Mission and Ecumenical Formation (UMEF). She is ordained in the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) and has served as congregation minister, school chaplain and as theological educator. She also worked for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) and the Council for World Mission (CWM) in various capacities. Her research interests are in eco-theology and history of Christianity and mission.

Comment to the keynote is given by Rev. Martin Lalthangliana, the president of the The Lutheran Church in Myanmar (LCM).

Panel: Creation in Changing Landscapes

Panel 11-12.15 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

In this panel discussion Rev. Dr. Kuzipa Nalwamba from the World Council of Churches, Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and Ms. Riina Nguyen from Orthodox Church Aid and Missions Filantropia will come together to discuss the theme of the day. The panel is moderated by Rev. Vesa Häkkinen from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Workshops on Wednesday

Workshops 14-16, only for the participants of the consultation. Locations of the workshops are updated later.

The International Mission Partnership Consultation participates in the Thursdays in Black campaign. Read more information from the World Council of Churches website or Finn Church aid website.

Thursday – Forgive us our trespasses

Society and Church – Changing Landscapes

Plenary 9.15-10.30 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

The plenary will focus on relations between society and church. In most contexts, the political cycle is short. This often hinders any serious action on global problems. Governments and political institutions often are detached from society at large, and in particular from the grassroots. No wonder that people are losing confidence in political parties, trade unions, global and national institutions, including ecumenical movements and organisation and churches, as well as other religions. This would necessitate theological reflection on the role of mission of public space.

Keynote

Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt is General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). She is an ordained pastor of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church where she used to serve at the EELC Institute of Theology and at the EELC Head Office. From 2013 – 2018, she served as Secretary for Ecumenical Relations at the LWF and was responsible for coordinating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. She has done research on Orthodox liturgics and has a doctoral degree from Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen, Germany.

Comment to the keynote is given by Bishop Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Panel: Society and Church – Changing Landscapes

Panel 11-12.15 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

In this panel discussion Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt from the Lutheran World Federation, Rev. Dr. A Joshuva Peter from the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India and Rev. Frank Dieter Fischbach from the Conference of European Churches will come together to discuss the topic of the day. They will focus on relations between society and church. The panel is moderated by Rev. Laura Huovinen from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Workshops on Thursday

Workshops 14-15, only for the participants of the consultation. Locations of the workshops are updated later.

Concluding Panel: The Future of Mission

Panel 15-16 in Sofia Auditorium. Follow the online stream here.

The plenary ties together the International Mission Partnership Consultation Your Will Be Done 2024. The panelists for this concluding plenary include Bishop Alex Malasusa from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Rev Dr. Risto Jukko from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and Ms. Whitney Gerdes from the Refugee Highway Partnership. The plenary is moderated by Rev. Dr. Kimmo Kääriäinen from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.