Former LWF President, Archbishop emer. Dr Mikko Juva dies at the age of 85
Juva laid ground work for present understanding of the LWF as a communion of churches
GENEVA, 14 January 2004 (LWI) - It is with deep regret and a sense of loss that the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has received the sad news of the death of its former president, Archbishop emer. Dr Mikko Juva of Finland. He died on January 1 aged 85.
Juva's life was marked by a long-term and dedicated involvement in the life of the LWF and the ecumenical movement. It was during his 1970-1977 term as president that the LWF took a major step forward from the status of a Federation into a world communion. One of his leading themes was "the church for the world."
Mikko Einar Juva was born on 22 November 1918, in Kaarlela, Finland. He studied history and theology at the universities of Turku and Helsinki (1936-1944), and later (1946-1947) at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg in the United States of America. After his ordination he served as general secretary of the Student Christian Federation of Finland from 1944 to 1946 and as a student pastor from 1948 to 1950.
In 1950 he earned a doctorate in history, and one in church history in 1955. From 1957 to 1962 he was professor of Finnish history in Turku, and from 1962 to 1978 professor of Finnish and Scandinavian church history in Helsinki.
In the mid-sixties Juva made a detour from his academic and church responsibilities into national politics. He became the chairperson of the Liberal Party (1965-1968) and was a member of the Finnish parliament from 1964 to 1966. This experience and his knowledge of national politics contributed to his alertness and realism concerning issues of Christian political and social responsibility and to his preparation for leadership in the LWF and later on in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
In 1970 Juva was elected LWF president for a period of seven years at the LWF Fifth Assembly at Evian, France. Juva had previously become known in the LWF as the local coordinator of the Helsinki Assembly (1963) and as an active and influential chairperson of the LWF Commission on Theology (1963-1970).
In 1978 Juva was elected archbishop of Turku and primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. He went into early retirement in 1982.
"During his presidency, Juva underlined strongly the character of the LWF as an organization of the Lutheran churches and thus laid the ground work for the present understanding of the LWF as a communion of churches," said LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko in his tribute.
Many within the LWF will remember Mikko Juva not just because of his theological, historical and political insights, but also for his passion as a botanist; when he, at suitable moments during LWF meetings, took brief breaks to fields, mountains, and forests to add rare species to his collection.
The LWF cherishes his memory in gratitude for his major contribution to the worldwide Lutheran communion in an important period of transition.
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