BRAZIL – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Igreja Evangelica Luterana do Brasil—IELB) is holding its 61st National Convention from May 1-4 in the city of Aracruz in the province of Espírito Santo. More than 1,100 people are registered to take part in the convention, with more than 7,000 people expected to attend the convention’s closing worship service.
The convention begins the morning of May 1 with an opening worship service. President Egon Kopereck of the IELB will preach that day. The convention will include a presidential election, with President Kopereck having indicated his willingness to stand for a second term. He first came to office in 2010.
On May 2, Brazilian pastor Rev. Mario R. Yude Fukue will take the stage as the convention’s first lecturer, speaking on “The Challenge of Being a Confessional Church in Missions Today.” The day following, Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison (President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) will lecture on “The Challenge of Preserving Confessional Identity.”
A number of dignitaries will be present for the event in addition to President Harrison. Partner churches from various countries are sending representatives, including International Lutheran Council (ILC) Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt (Bishop of Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church), ILC Vice-Chairman Robert Bugbee (President of Lutheran Church–Canada), President Gijsbertus van Hattem (Belgium), Chairman Jon Ehlers (United Kingdom), Archbishop Christian Ekong (Nigeria), and President James Cerdeñola (Philippines). Local Brazilian government officials, including Espírito Santo’s Governor, José Renato Casagrande, and Deputy Governor, Givaldo Vieira, have also confirmed their attendance at the convention’s closing service.
Among other business, the convention will see the signing of a cooperation protocol document between the IELB and St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation (Congregacion Evangélica Luterana San Pablo) in Montevideo, Uruguay.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil grew out of missionary work by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the early 1900s. It became self-governing in 1980. Today, the IELB has approximately 240,000 baptized members.
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