British Lutherans hold 60th annual synod

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England holds it annual synod in Ruislip, England.

ENGLAND – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE) held its 60^th annual synodical convention October 3-4 in Ruislip, England

At that time, the ELCE reelected Rev. George Samiec to another three-year term as Vice Chairman of the church body. Earlier this year, the European Lutheran Council reelected Rev. Samiec as its Secretary. The position of Chairman of the ELCE was not up for election this synod, and Rev. Jon Ehlers continues to serve in that capacity.

Rev. Dr. Boris Gunjević

This year’s synodical theme was “Oratio—Living With God: The School of Prayer,” with Rev. Dr. Boris Gunjević serving as essayist. Dr. Gunjević currently serves as a Tutor at Westfield House in Cambridge. “Oratio is first in a famous Lutheran trilogy of Theology which we will be exploring over the next few years at our synodical gatherings,” explained Chairman Ehlers, “Oratio, Meditatio, and Tentatio (prayer, meditation, and suffering).”

“These theological disciplines may be undertaken individually and privately,” Chairman Ehlers continued, “but according to Luther these three are about how God’s Word proceeds in the Church and in the midst of a hostile world. These three rules are intimately interconnected and they are to be practised together in the life of the baptised believer.” The church will take up Meditatio (meditation) at its 2015 convention, which will be held October 2-3, 2015 in Coventry, England.

Chairman Jon Ehlers installs Rev. Dr. Didzis Stilve as a pastor of the ELCE during the church’s 60th annual synod.

The convention also saw the installation of Rev. Dr. Didzis Stilve to the newly formed dual parish of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Rusilip (the host of this year’s convention) and St. Paul, Borehamwood. Dr. Stilve previously served in Riga, Latvia as a professor at Luther Academy and as a pastor of Bolderāja Lutheran Church.

Greetings to the convention came from a number of sister churches across the world, including those in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, South Africa, and the United States of America.

The ELCE is a member of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England has 14 congregations and 6 missions throughout England, Wales, and Scotland, and also operates a theological house of study in Cambridge.

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With notes from a report in The British Lutheran.