LWF General Secretary Anne Burghardt

General Secretary

Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt

Our General Secretary, Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt, is the first woman and first person from Central Eastern Europe to hold this office.

She was elected by the LWF Council at its 2021 meeting and assumed office on 1 November 2021. 

Rev. Dr Burghardt was previously working as Head of Development for the EELC’s Institute of Theology in Tallinn, as well as advisor to the church for international and ecumenical relations.
Among her previous positions at the LWF Communion Office, Burghardt has served as Study Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, as well as coordinator for the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and content coordinator for the Twelfth LWF Assembly in Namibia in 2017.

New General Secretary, Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt. Photo: LWF/A. Danielsson

About the General Secretary

The General Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Ecumenical Officer for the LWF. Together with the President, the General Secretary is a public representative and chief spokesperson for the LWF. The General Secretary carries out the decisions of the Assembly and Council and report to them on activities of the Communion Office. The Council elects the General Secretary. The term of service is seven years.

Past General Secretaries

Photo: LWF/S. Gallay