ACT Alliance joins with Lutherans around the world in congratulating Rev. Anne Burghardt on her election as the new General Secretary for the Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva.

LWF is a key part of the ecumenical family, and of the ACT Alliance, as it represents 148 Lutheran churches around the world in 99 countries.  LWF’s humanitarian, development and advocacy work is globally recognized and a valued part of ACT’s identity and work.

“I am very pleased at the election of Anne Burghardt,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary of ACT Alliance. “her appointment is a benchmark for the Lutheran Communion and the entire ecumenical world, as she is the first woman to lead a global communion. I am looking forward to working closely with Anne in this time when prophetic theology and diakonia are crucial.”

The new General Secretary will begin her term on November 1, 2021, serving for seven years. 

“I am excited to work in close collaboration with Anne in the coming years,” concluded de Faria. “The success of ACT Alliance is the work of our members, and LWF has a long and successful history of working to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in the world.  We know that work will thrive under Anne’s leadership.”