by Klaus Detlev Schulz
As we move towards the season of Christmas, we are reminded anew how much this fallen world needs a Saviour. This Christmas, people across the globe face hardship and sorrow, war and division, sickness and suffering. And above all this, we face the deeper grief of sin—sin which separates us from God and from one another.
At the first Christmas so many years ago, God stepped forth in the flesh to bear our sins and sorrows. He became a little child for our sake, taking our weakness upon Himself. “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Yes, this little child, born of Mary, came to die for us—and through His death and resurrection rescue us from all sin and sorrow.
Over the past year, the International Lutheran Council has been hard at work encouraging confessional Lutherans across the world in their witness to Jesus Christ. And we’ve been grateful to see confessional Lutherans in more places join us in that work: this year, we welcomed several new church bodies and groups into membership in the ILC, including in Australia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. We also welcomed Corpus Christi, a young adults ministry which serves confessional Lutheran churches across Europe.
This year, the ILC also hosted regional conferences for member churches in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These events bring together ILC member churches to discuss issues of regional importance and to consider new opportunities for cooperation. They are also important in encouraging member churches to stand firm on Scripture in the midst of new challenges. In Africa, for example, the leaders of 22 confessional Lutheran church bodies responded to increasing pressure in that part of the world to approve same-sex marriage. These leaders issued a statement unanimously reaffirming their position that same-sex marriage is contrary to the Word of God.
The ILC has also been busy supporting solid Lutheran education across the globe. Our Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP), for example, continues to equip Lutheran leaders for faithful service in their local church bodies. We also held our triennial World Seminaries Conference this year. The conference brings together leaders from ILC-affiliated seminaries around the world to discuss new challenges and consider how they can better support each other as they train a new generation of church workers.
Through this work—and much, much more—the ILC continues to support confessional Lutheran churches across the globe in giving a faithful witness to Christ. Indeed, this is the very reason for which the International Lutheran Council exists.
Angels greeted the birth of Christ with songs of praise: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests” (Luke 1:14). The proclamation of that Gospel—peace on earth, the good news that Christ was born to save humanity from their sins—remains the great privilege and joy of the Church today, tomorrow, and forever.
May God bless you with a merry Christmas!
Let our gladness have no end, alleluia!
For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!
On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.
– LSB 381 –
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Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz is General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council.
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