PHILIPPINES – On Wednesday afternoon, the regional representatives on the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) board of directors held a question-and-answer panel during the 2025 World Conference.
The ILC’s Europe Representative, Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE), chaired the discussion, in which he was joined by Asia representative, President Antonio del Rio Reyes (Lutheran Church in the Philippines); Latin America representative, President Alceu Alton Figur (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Paraguay); and North America representative President Timothy Teuscher (Lutheran Church–Canada). Bishop Charles Bameka (Lutheran Church of Uganda), Secretary of the ILC board, participated in place of the Africa Representative.
The panelists answered a number of questions, including questions about ILC member churches holding membership in other international organizations; what communication is like between churches in each region; regional challenges; and the joys each region experiences.
The day concluded with regional meetings.
Thursday Events
The conference continued on Thursday, beginning with a service of matins led by LCP Vice President Felipe Ehican. LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes was the preacher, speaking on Luke 7:36-50.
The story under discussion, President Reyes said, involves two sinners: a woman who knew she was a sinner, and a Pharisee who did not. “The woman’s sin was a public scandal,” he noted, “while Simon’s was hidden beneath a layer of self-righteousness. But in God’s eyes, both had a massive debt.”
“We are all tempted to be like Simon, comparing ourselves to others, thinking we are good enough and judging others as ‘worse’ than us,” President Reyes continued. “But the truth is, we are all sinners. We are all like the woman—with a debt we can never repay. But the good news is that Jesus has already paid it…. He came to declare to you, just as He did to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’”
This “forgiveness of God in Christ” serves as a “powerful unifying force,” President Reyes concluded, and it, “with the help of the Holy Spirit, moves and compels us to be united—to proclaim this forgiveness and to cooperate with one another as we live out our redeemed Christian life in this fragmented world.”
The rest of Thursday saw participants get a chance to stretch their legs and learn more about Bohol’s history, culture, and natural beauty, including by: visiting historic churches in the region; enjoying live music and traditional dances during lunch; a visit to a tarsier conservation site; and an excursion to the famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol.
———————
For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.
RSS Feed