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The NCCA gathers together Churches and Christian communities which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures. We commit to deepen our relationship with each other and to work together towards the fulfilment of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Lutheran World Federation General Secretary Rev Dr Anne Burghardt and Regional Secretary for Asia Rev Dr Rospita Siahaan met with local church and community representatives during their visit to Central Australia.

Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev Dr Anne Burghardt and LWF Regional Secretary for Asia Rev Dr Rospita Siahaan have completed a six-day visit to Australia, meeting with church leaders, visiting ministries in Central Australia and South Australia and learning more about the life and mission of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ).

Accompanied by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith and Assistant Bishop for the Northern Territory Stephen Radke, Dr Burghardt and Dr Siahaan spent time in Alice Springs, Hermannsburg, Nuriootpa and Adelaide, meeting with congregations, ministry leaders and representatives of a range of LCANZ organisations.

Bishop Smith said it had been ‘a joy and privilege’ for the LCANZ to host Dr Burghardt and Dr Siahaan.

‘Dr Burghardt brought encouragement for the work of the gospel in Australia and New Zealand, whether she was speaking to our General Church Board members or to congregational folk in the Barossa Valley,’ he said.

Bishop Smith said the visitors had also emphasised the significance of ministry among Aboriginal Lutherans in Central Australia.

‘Dr Burghardt and Dr Siahaan both confirmed the importance of connecting with the Central Australian Aboriginal Lutherans as their first stop in the itinerary for this visit,’ he said.

He said the visit reinforced the strong relationships between the LCANZ and Lutheran churches throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

‘We aren’t full members of the LWF, but our Asia-Pacific regional Lutherans work with us as if we were full members.

‘It was clear from the visit that our LCANZ has an important role to play in our Asia-Pacific Lutheran region.’

Reflecting on the visit, Dr Burghardt said it had been ‘wonderful to witness the faith and passion of Lutherans in this country, with their rich ethnic and cultural diversity, reflecting with them on what this means in terms of mission in Australia today’.

The LCANZ is an associate member of the LWF, a global communion of 153 member churches representing approximately 78 million Christians worldwide.

Source: lca.org.au