Women in Church and Society
Women Bishops/Presidents with the Ministry of Oversight, with LWF staff |
Women and men are made in the image of God. Both are baptized in Christ, through whom they equally receive the Holy Spirit in faith, equipping them for mission. This commits the churches to make space for the ministry of both women and men at all levels to enhance church life with the gifts that both women and men bring.
The Desk for Women in Church and Society (WICAS), based in Geneva, accompanies the member churches and the LWF Secretariat with two distinct approaches:
- A practical approach that provides opportunities for leadership and addresses the varied needs of women; and
- A strategic approach to promote the formulation of gender-based policies and practices that would make the LWF an inclusive communion that avails the gifts that women bring.
The following topics provide an introduction to the work of the WICAS Desk.
- Gender
- Ordination of Women
- Churches Say ‘NO’ to Violence Against Women
- Action Plan on Water
- Regional Coordination
Please click here for information on available resources.
Gender
Receiving the gift of an inclusive community. © LWF/A. Berthelin |
A gender concept is a tool that would enable churches to become a fellowship of equals and a priesthood of all believers. In order to work towards this inclusive communion, the LWF has made several gender commitments.
Please click for an overview relating to Gender.
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) 
Please click for additional information on:
- Message from the Conference of Women Bishops, Presidents and Leaders,
LWF Council, Lund, March 21, 2007
- Concept of Gender
- Gender and Theology (Engendering Theological Education for Transformation, Some Explorations, Pages 23-28)
- Engendering Theological Education for Transformation, Report of the LWF Global Consultation, Switzerland, 2001
(PDF, 1,945 KB)
- Gender Dimension in Sustainable Development
- LWF Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development
- Positive Masculine Profiles
- LWF Commitments and Resolutions on Women
For additional information on Gender and Power, please click to link to “PositHIVe Church,” an LWI Special Issue, 2005 (challenges women face, pages 16-18).
(All links require Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Ordination of Women
All over the world: Ordination of women is an LWF policy. © LWF/WICAS |
Women’s presence and participation in leadership has significantly impacted the agenda of the LWF Communion. The ordination of women is an LWF policy though there are a few churches in the communion that are yet to ordain women.
The WICAS Desk advocates and accompanies member churches in their efforts to realize this policy.
Ordination of women pastors – The Lutheran Church of Taiwan © LCT |
There has been a significant rise in the number of women bishops and presidents in recent years. A Conference of Women Bishops, Presidents and Leaders with the Ministry of Oversight in 2005 addressed challenges they face in their contexts as leaders, and as women.
(All links require Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Please click for more information on the ordination of women. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Please click for a list of member churches that do not yet ordain women. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Churches Say ‘NO’ to Violence Against Women
We say 'No' to Violence against Women! |
An inclusive communion is one where there is concerted and intentional work towards reducing violence against women. Violence tarnishes the image of God in the victim as well as in the oppressor. Therefore the LWF considers violence as a faith issue and advocates that: “Churches say ‘No’ to Violence against Women.”
On behalf of the LWF, the WICAS Desk published the document “Churches say ‘NO’ to Violence Against Women” in 2002 to support the LWF commitment to challenge all member churches to face the painful issue of violence against women in all its manifestations particular to their context. The publication provides theological reflections and practical encouragement to accompany the churches in their efforts to address this critical issue.
Please click to download the document “Churches say ‘NO’ to Violence Against Women” in English, German, French or Spanish. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
WICAS has encouraged and supported the translation of the document into thirty more languages. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Action Plan on Water
Water - Gift of God and Source of Life |
In preparation for the LWF Tenth Assembly on the theme, “For the Healing of the World,” women asked for an “Action Plan on Water” that would generate global attention. The Assembly asked the LWF to provide theological materials to move member churches, congregations and communities from a human-centered approach to a holistic understanding of creation and to promote involvement in healing creation as an issue of stewardship. It is also a specific and strategic way of reducing violence around the world.
Please click for more information on the Action Plan on Water.
Please click for the messages from regional consultations, “Stirring the Waters,” in Europe (September 2004), Africa (April 2005) and Asia (April 2006). (All links require Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Please click for the weblog for the Asia consultation on “Stirring the Waters.”
Regional Coordinators
Regional coordinators - networking for the federation. © LWF/WICAS |
WICAS has a network of 12 regional coordinators elected in the LWF sub-regions by member church representatives to serve as voluntary workers on behalf of WICAS. This network connects member churches and has become a powerful instrument and advocacy tool for the work of the WICAS Desk.
Please click for more information. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Please click for contact information for WICAS Regional Coordinators. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
For further information please contact:
Secretary for Women in Church and Society
Ms Priscilla Singh
E-mail: prs@lutheranworld.org
Administrative Assistant
Ms Adrienne Berthelin
E-mail: abe@lutheranworld.org
