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Peace on Earth – Between despair and joy “Peace on earth”. These are words we often use in Christian services. They are part of the liturgical Gloria, Glory to God —the hymn that the heavenly angels were singing when Jesus was born. I always sing or listen to these beautiful words with a strange combination of despair and joy. Despair is created by the fact that there is no peace on earth . The clearest sign of that fact are the many refugees seeking peace and safety in Euro

Advent is a time of reflection and preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. The Council of Lutheran Churches in GB is publishing an Advent Reflection for each Sunday that helps to guide our path towards Christmas. The first message is by Very Revd Tom Bruch, Dean Emeritus of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Lutheran Church in Singapore

The LCiGB and the Council of Lutheran Churches asked pastor Paulina Hławiczka—one of our Polish-born priests in the Lutheran Church in GB—what it means to her and her colleagues that the ordination of women to the priesthood is now possible in Polish Lutheran church too. This is a real Revolution! We have been waiting and fighting for it for the last 70 years! Women will now finally be allowed to become priests and even bishops. In Polish language we don’t have enough words f

On 16 th April 1961, representatives of four independent English-speaking Lutheran congregations in England met together in the Latvian Lutheran Church Hall in Corby, Northamptonshire and organised themselves into a church body which took the name of ‘The United Lutheran Synod in Great Britain’. The church later changed its name to the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. We are therefore celebrating our Diamond anniversary this year. The main anniversary celebration will take

The Lutheran Church in Great Britain is turning 60! On Reformation weekend, the LCiGB is planning a celebration in Corby, where the LCiGB was founded in 1961. Much has changed since 1961, both in the world at large and in the Church that became the LCiGB, so we welcome the time to sit back and reflect on our founding and where that leads us in the future. Enclosed is the invitation to our Anniversary Celebration on October 30 in Corby. We have a number of events planned, star

On the 10th of October Bishop Tor B Jørgensen and Bishop Emeritus Walter Jagucki visited the Polish service in Edinburgh – one of the six Polish groups in the LCiGB, and the only one that meets in Scotland. Bishop Walter giving the Lutheran gown to pastor Arkadiusz. Photo: Meelis Süld The Sunday services in Edinburgh are conducted three times a year by Bishop Emeritus Walter, assisted by pastor Arkadiusz Kilanowski. The ministry in Edinburgh is part of St Matthew’s Polish co

The LCiGB had on 8-9 October its first in-person Ministerium meeting after lockdown – 2 year long break since our last gathering at Focolare Centre. The discussions were about the wellbeing of our clergy, spiritual development, virtual Eucharist, and preparations for the 60th anniversary of the LCiGB. The Ministerium consists of all the active licensed ministers of the church and invited guests. The Ministerium is an advisory body of the church, discussing issues that relate

Bishop Tor B attended on Sunday, October 3rd the first London Chinese Lutheran Church’s (LCLC) service with Eucharist after lockdown. It was a great joy also for him to be back after 18 months meeting a congregation with many new faces arriving from Hong Kong. “The Chinese Lutheran Congregation in London has an important role to play for those who shall start a new life in the UK,” Bishop said. The LCLC gathers both online and in-person at American International Church, 79A T

Photo: Paulina Hławiczka Bishop Tor B Jørgensen and his wife Anne visited Nottingham Trinity Lutheran Congregation on Sunday, the 26th of September. The worship was together with the United Reformed Church, LCiGB pastor Paulina Hławiczka was leading and preaching at this service. After the service the members of Trinity Lutheran group were invited to move to a coffee shop nearby, to be together and talk. Bishop Tor said that it was his first visit to Nottingham, “An important

The LCiGB will celebrate its 60th anniversary prior to Reformation Day on Saturday, 30 th of October 2021, where it all began in 1961—in Corby. The full day programme starts at 10am at St John’s Church with welcome and registration, followed by an anniversary service and conference; those wishing can also join Sunday Worship together with local Anglican congregation. Tentative programme Saturday, 30 th of October Welcome 10:00 – 11:00 Service 11:00 – 12:30 Lunch 13:00 – 14

On the 11th of September 2021, Bishop Tor Berger Jørgensen ordained Estonian born Meelis Süld to the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. Rite of ordination and Service of Holy Communion took place at St Anne’s Lutheran Church in St Mary-at-Hill, Lovat Lane, London. It was the first ordination ceremony for Bishop Tor in Great Britain, and he said; “It was a solemn atmosphere in the beautiful, historic Anglican church, St Mary-at-Hill, together with the Lutheran congregation, St

Wednesday, August 4, the Lord called home his faithful servant Róbert Pátkai, he was laid to rest at woodland cemetery near Lilbourne in Northampton next to his dear wife Elizabeth on August 16, at the age of 90. The Very Revd Pátkai served many roles with the Lutherans in Great Britain over the years and will be missed by all. Bishop Tor B. Jørgensen sent a letter of condolence to the family of Dean Róbert Pátkai. Lutheran pastor Róbert Pátkai had to leave Hungary at the age

The LCiGB Bishop Tor Berger Jørgensen sent a summer letter to all our congregations and clergies, “We are certainly living in uncertain times. But now, moving into the second summer of the Corona-era, we are filled with a realistic (?) hope that we are now entering into a more open period, where travelling and congregating will be easier. If so, this fall will be an important and active fall for us all.” Please find enclosed full text of this letter in pdf file below.

St Luke’s Church in Headingley is going on retreat this September. A guest speaker will be reflecting on the Gospel of John and will have plenty of time for prayer and rest with the community of the resurrection in Mirfield. Come and experience their form of monastic life in the place that inspired Bonhoffer to write his book ‘Life Together’. There are around 5 spaces left—all inclusive for £150. Please get in touch with Joseph ( joseph.nelson2016@outlook.com ) if you are in

By the grace of God and the call of the church Meelis Süld Will be ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. Saturday 11 th September 2021 at 2.00pm.Rite of ordination and Service of Holy Communion at St Anne’s Lutheran Church, St Mary-at-Hill, Lovat Lane, London EC3R 8EE. The Right Reverend Tor B Jørgensen, Bishop of the LCiGB, presiding. There will be a reception following the service in the church hall. * Guests should be se

Election marks first woman and first Central and Eastern European pastor to head global communion of churches The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council has elected Estonian theologian Rev. Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary of the global communion of Lutheran churches. The 45-year-old Burghardt is currently serving as Head of Development for the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church’s (EELC) Institute of Theology and advisor to the church for international and ecum

On 16 June 2021, Mansfield hosted a conversation with Bishop Munib Younan and Bishop Tor Jørgensen about the refugee experience and work taking place to support refugees and those seeking sanctuary. The conversation raised issues of empowering refugees as well as challenging the communities in which we live to be open, inclusive and welcoming places of sanctuary. Bishop Munib Younan shared his own experience as a Palestinian refugee alongside his work as former president of t

Join Churches Together in England on 25 May 2021 for #CandleOfJustice: a moment of action – commemorating the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. The #CandleOfJustice will be a moment to light a candle, pray for racial justice and commit to taking personal and institutional action to tackle racial injustice in our society and our churches. “Marking a year since George Floyd’s tragic murder, the #CandleOfJustice initiative provides a timely moment for us to come toge

At Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost we celebrate the birth of the Church; the new human fellowship where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 5:28). The old ethnological, social, and sexual boundaries with its power structures are broken down. The equality of all human beings is the basis for the new fellowship, the new communion. Based on the

«Here I stand» The 31 st October in 1517 is usually considered as the starting point for the reformation. On that day Luther announced his 95 theses on the “Power and Efficacy on Indulgences” as an invitation to a theological debate. It is possible to argue that the 18 th April 1521, 3 ½ years later, is the foundation day of the Reformation. In the afternoon of that day Luther made his famous reply to the Diet of Worms, and the theological discussion inside the Catholic Chu