The German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (GNC/LWF) is responsible for the LWF Center Wittenberg. The programs conducted at the center support theological education and formation in The Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) member churches.
The eleven member churches of the LWF in Germany comprise the German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (GNC/LWF), which supports the LWF in its theological, missionary, and diaconal work.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of Lutheran churches. Founded in 1947, it now has 148 member churches in 99 countries, representing more than 75.8 million Lutheran Christians.
Seven Lutheran State Churches in Germany form the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD). The VELKD has been supporting the educational theological work of the LWF Center Wittenberg both in terms of content and financially since the Center's founding in 2009.
The GNC/LWF has an agreement with Lutherstadt Wittenberg regarding the development and maintenance of the Luthergarten. The city is responsible for the horticultural care of the Luthergarten. The LWF Center Wittenberg maintains the signs of the trees and offers devotions and guided tours in the Luthergarten.
The Colleg Wittenberg is a conference and accommodation facility in the center of Wittenberg located directly across from the offices of the LWF Center Wittenberg. The seminars of the LWF Center Wittenberg take place here.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Wittenberg Center is the ELCA’s office in Wittenberg. The office is in the same building as the LWF Center Wittenberg, and there is close cooperation between the two partners.
The LWF Center Wittenberg works closely with the Town Church (Stadtkirche) and the Castle Church (Schlosskirche) congregations in Wittenberg. Attending services in both churches is an integral part of the seminar programs. In addition, the Executive Director and the Director of Studies participate in the spiritual life of both parishes.
The LWF Center Wittenberg has an agreement with the Town Church congregation to use the Corpus Christi Chapel (Fronleichnamskapelle) regularly. The chapel is the center of spiritual life during seminars, with regular morning devotions and Eucharist services for the participants.
The Evangelische Gesamtschule Philipp Melanchthon partners with the LWF Center Wittenberg as students harvest and process the fruits that grow in the Luthergarten. Since 2019, the school and the center have celebrated a joint “Creation Festival” in the Luthergarten in autumn.
Other Partners In and Around Wittenberg
The LWF Center Wittenberg cooperates with numerous other Protestant institutions in Wittenberg. They include the Protestant Seminary for Preachers (Evangelisches Predigerseminar), the Center for Protestant Worship and Preaching Culture (Zentrum für evangelische Gottesdienst- und Predigtkultur), the Protestant Academy of Saxony-Anhalt (Evangelische Akademie Sachsen-Anhalt), the Protestant Wittenberg Foundation of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) (Evangelische Wittenbergstiftung der EKD), as well as with the church district of Wittenberg (Kirchenkreis Wittenberg) and congregations in the surrounding area. The LWF Center Wittenberg also has ecumenical partners in Wittenberg, including the Roman Catholic parish of St. Mary.
by Cicero Design