PHILIPPINES – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 28th (13th) triennial World Conference opened September 14, 2025, in Panglao, Bohol, in the Philippines. The theme for this year’s conference is “Unity in Christ: Confession and Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” drawing on 2 Corinthians 4:13. The conference runs until September 19.
The conference began with a service of Matins, with Vice President Felipe Ehican of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) serving as liturgist. The ILC’s Chairman, Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), preached a sermon entitled “The Beautiful and Life-Giving Cross,” based on John 3:13-17.
Christ bore the ugliness of sin upon the cross for sinners, Bishop Pohjola assured his audience: “Whatever ugliness is in your life—whatever shame, whatever poison of unbelief, bitterness, and ingratitude you have brought to this beautiful island—all was laid upon Christ…. For Christ’s sake, the Cross is a sign of salvation for you.”
That cross—and our universal need for it—becomes then also the source of our unity as Christians. Reflecting on the convention theme, he explained: “When we speak of unity in the Church at this conference, we do not merely mean sharing concerns about human rights and equality issues, or what we all might oppose or support in cultural battles, or even sharing the name ‘Lutheran.’”
“We are not speaking of ideological togetherness but of Christian unity—unity found and given around the Cross,” he continued. “The closer we are to the Crucified, the closer we are to one another.”
From Many Nations
Following the opening service, the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, welcomed participants to the conference. He also expressed thanks to LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes and his wife Arlene for their hard work in preparing for the conference, as well as to all the other members of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines for hosting the event.
President Reyes, who also serves as the Asia Region Representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors, also welcomed participants to the Philippines, saying it was a privilege for the ILC’s Asia World Region to host the event.
In total, more than 130 people representing more than 60 different churches are in attendance at this year’s conference. That includes representatives of ILC member churches as well as guests invited to attend this year’s conference.The full list of nations and churches present at this year’s conference include:
- Argentina – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina
- Australia – Lutheran Mission – Australia
- Belgium – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium
- Benin – Lutheran Church in Africa – Synod of Benin
- Bolivia – Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia
- Brazil – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
- Burundi – Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi
- Cambodia – Cambodia Lutheran Church
- Canada – Lutheran Church–Canada
- Chile – Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile
- Cöte d’Ivoire – Lutheran Church in Africa – Synod of Cöte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo– The Church of the Faithful Confessing Lutherans in Congo
- Ethiopia – Ethiopian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Finland – Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland
- France – Evangelical Lutheran Church – Synod of France
- Germany – Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Ghana – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
- Guatemala – Lutheran Church of Guatemala
- India – India Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Indonesia – Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church
- Japan – Lutheran Brethren – Japan
- Kazakhstan (Almaty) – Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
- Kenya – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
- Latvia – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
- Liberia – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia
- Madagascar – Malagasy Lutheran Church
- Malawi – Confessional Lutheran Church – Malawi Synod
- Mexico – Lutheran Synod of Mexico
- Mongolia – Mongolia Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Myanmar – Myanmar Lutheran Church
- Norway – The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese in Norway
- Norway – Norwegian Lutheran Mission
- Norway and Iceland – The Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland
- Papua New Guinea – Gutnius Lutheran Church
- Panama – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Panama
- Paraguay – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay
- Peru – Evangelical Lutheran Church – Peru
- Philippines – Lutheran Church in the Philippines
- Portugal – Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Russia – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia
- Russia – Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Rwanda – Independent Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Rwanda
- Rwanda – Lutheran Mission in Africa – Synod of Thousand Hills
- South Africa – Confessional Lutheran Synod South Africa
- South Africa – Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa
- South Africa – Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
- South Korea – Lutheran Church in Korea
- South Sudan – South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church
- South Sudan and Sudan – Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan
- Sri Lanka – Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Sweden – Mission Province in Sweden
- Tanzania – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (Lake Tanganyika Diocese)
- Tanzania – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (South East of Lake Victoria Diocese)
- Thailand – Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church
- Turkey and Bulgaria – Istanbul Lutheran Church/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria
- Uganda – Lutheran Church of Uganda
- Uruguay – Lutheran Church of Uruguay
- United Kingdom – Evangelical Lutheran Church of England
- United States of America – American Association of Lutheran Churches
- United States of America – The Lutheran Church –Missouri Synod
- Venezuela – Lutheran Church of Venezuela
In addition to the nations listed above, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are also represented by LCMS missionaries stationed in those countries. Two additional Recognized Organization members (Europe’s Corpus Christi and the United States of America’s Lutheran Bible Translators) are also present, along with representatives of Concordia Historical Institute, Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, and Lutheran Heritage Foundation.
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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.
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