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International Lutheran Council (ILC)

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The ILC is Hiring: Fund Development Professional

by | Nov 22, 2024

USA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is seeking to hire a full-time Mission Advocate.

The ILC Mission Advocate will be an experienced fund development professional, and will lead a fund development plan in order to grow and sustain ILC infrastructure. This position offers a salary based on the candidates experience and includes a full benefits package including health care, retirement, and paid time off (PTO).

A full description of the position, including essential job functions; education and experience required; and knowledge, skills, and abilities required is available online here.

Resumes should be sent to admin@ilcouncil.org.

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LCMS holds International Church Relations Conference in Wittenberg

by | Nov 8, 2024

Group photograph at Town and Parish Church of St. Mary’s on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the International Church Relations Conference organized by LCMS Church Relations in Wittenberg, Germany. Photo: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford.

GERMANY – The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) hosted its International Church Relations Conference (ICRC) in Wittenberg, Germany from October 21-25. This was the second year in a row that the conference was held in Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation.

The LCMS’ ICRC brings together representatives from mission plants and church bodies with which the LCMS enjoys fellowship (as well as churches moving towards fellowship with the LCMS). This year, 97 representatives from 46 countries participated in the ICRCR, which met under the theme “Christ – The Lord of History,” drawing on Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The event began with a service of Vespers at St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg, with Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Director of LCMS Church Relations, preaching. “Christ is the Lord of history—yesterday, today, and forever,” Dr. Shaw said, introducing the convention theme. “He is the Lord of history yesterday—the pattern of all that is. He is the Lord of history today—the peace we have with the Father in His blood. And He is the Lord of history forever—the Presence which perfects us by His Spirit in forgiveness, life, and salvation.”

The theme was further unpacked by nine speakers throughout the conference, with the subthemes of Christ as the Lord of yesterday, today, and forever each being addressed by three speakers. Speaking on Christ as the Lord of yesterday were President Thomas Egger of Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri); Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt Jr., editor in chief of Gottesdienst; and LCMS 5th Vice President Christopher Esget. President Egger spoke on “Christ the Lord of History – In Creation.” Dr. Eckardt presented on “The Lord of History: Yesterday – In the Old Testament Narrative.” Vice President Esget spoke on “Christ – The Lord of History in Re-Ordering the Image of God.”

Speaking on Christ as the Lord of today were Bishop Peter Anibati Abia of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan/Sudan (ELCSS/S); LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison; and Rev. Ted M.R. Krey (LCMS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean). Bishop Abia presented on “Christ – The Lord of History: Today – In Witness.” President Harrison spoke on “Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem.” Rev. Krey presented on “Jesus Christ – The Lord of History Today in Church Planting and the Shaping Force of Justification in Church Planting.”

Speaking on Christ as the Lord of forever were Associate Professor Jon D. Vieker of Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri); Assistant Professor Stephen Pietsch of Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri); and Dr. Shaw. Dr. Vieker spoke on “Christ – The Lord of History – Forever: In Worship.” Dr. Pietsch presented on “Christ – The Lord of History Forever: Luther’s Eschatological Understanding of Creation.” Dr. Shaw spoke on “Christ – The Lord of History Forever: In Sacramental Remembrance.”

Preachers for Matins and Vespers during the conference included President Geraldo Walmir Schüler of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB – Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil); President John Shadrak Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG); Bishop Serge Maschewski of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (ELCU); Rev. Dr. Corey Rajek (Executive Director of the LCMS Office of International Mission); Rev. Michael N. Frese (Deputy Director of LCMS Church Relations); and Archbishop Jānis Vanags of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB – Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca). A Divine Service was also held during the week, for which LCMS President Harrison served as preacher.

In addition to English, services throughout the week featured elements of the liturgy in Swahili, German, and Spanish. Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of LCMS Worship, served as liturgist for the conference.

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Latin American Lutherans gather for regional ILC conference

by | Nov 5, 2024

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

BOLIVIA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) held its 2024 Latin America regional conference from September 24-27 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The theme of the conference, which was hosted by the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia (Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana de Bolivia – ICEL), was “The Church Moving in a Secularized World.”

The conference brings together Confessional Lutheran leaders from across Latin America to pray and worship together; to discuss issues of regional importance; to report on events in each of their countries; and to build stronger relationships between their churches. The opportunity to spend time together was made all the more poignant this year because one of the participants, President Isaac Guadalupe Garcia of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico (Sínodo Luterano de México – SLM), recently underwent a harrowing kidnapping experience.

Rev. Dr. Maximiliano Wolfgramm Silva served as guest speaker for the event. Dr. Silva is a professorat the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), an educational institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil – IELB). Dr. Silva explored the convention theme over several lectures, discussing the meaning of the term secularization, reflecting on the relationship between faith and culture, and remarking on the gift of a life transformed by Jesus in the Spirit, submitted to God and committed to the good of the world.

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

In addition to ICEL President Limberth Fernandez and several other pastors from Bolivia, in-person participants included: President Arturo Truenow of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina – IELA) and Prof. Sergio Schelske, director of the IELA’s Concordia Seminary and member of the ILC’s Seminaries Relations Committee); IELB President Geraldo Schuller of Brazil; President Ignacio Chan of the Lutheran Church in Guatemala (Iglesia Luterana en Guatemala – ILG); SLM President Garcia of Mexico; President Alceu Figur of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Paraguay – IELPA); Vice President Alejandrino Lopez Quispe of the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Peru (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana-Perú – IEL-P); President André Müller of the Lutheran Church of Uruguay (Iglesia Luterana del Uruguay – ILU); and President Eduardo Flores of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela (Iglesia Luterana de Venezuela – ILV); and Rev. Dr. Nilo Figur, Director for Latin America of Lutheran Hour Ministries. Three other participants and presenters took part online: the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz; the LCMS Regional Director for Latin America, Rev. Dr. Ted Krey; and President Juan Pablo Lanterna of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (Iglesia Luterana Confesional de Chile – ILC-Chile).

In addition to other business, the 2024 conference engaged in theological discussion of church fellowship, with IELPA President Figur leading the conversations. President Figur also serves on the ILC’s Board of Directors as the regional representative for Latin America.

Meetings of the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

The ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, addressed the convention via the internet. “We know that we live in a world that is confused and in need of help,” Dr. Schulz noted in his remarks. “You belong to the International Lutheran Council, and as participants you share the message of our faith in Christ: that we are justified by Him and that the Gospel is to be shared with others so that people come to believe and be saved.” He went on to say that it is this “common mission with a common message on who Christ is, what a human being is, and what a good life looks like under God” that binds the various members of the ILC together.

“May the Lord bless you all in your service to the church,” he continued, “and may He strengthen you to remain wise and steadfast in the Word, always taking your church out of a path of errors to a path of light and joy.”

The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran churches which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference enjoyed an excursion to Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the word.

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From Reformation to Transformation

by | Oct 31, 2024

Woodcut of Martin Luther, after Lucas Cranach the Younger.

by Antonio del Rio Reyes

As we gather to celebrate the Reformation, we remember the bold steps Martin Luther took 507 years ago as God’s instrument to bring the church back to the truth of God’s Word. The Reformation was more than just a historical event; it was an undertaking of spiritual renewal that called believers back to the heart of the Gospel: salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Today, as we reflect on Luther’s legacy, we are reminded that the work of reformation continues, not only within the church but also within our own lives. Romans 12:2 urges us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Just as the Reformation sought to transform the church, God calls us to ongoing personal transformation. The Word and the Sacraments, which are the means of grace, strengthen our faith in Jesus and renew our hearts, turning us away from the world’s fleeting values and toward the eternal truth of God’s will.

True transformation begins in our Baptism, when the Holy Spirit reshape our hearts and our thinking, aligning it with the Holy Bible as the infallible and inerrant word of God. Luther’s courage was not simply in challenging external authorities but, with the Spirit’s help, in submitting himself fully to the authority of God’s Word. We too are called and moved by the same Holy Spirit to live our lives in accord with the Bible, moving us to love and serve. We love because Jesus first loved us, and we serve as He first served us. In a world that presses us to conform to its patterns of self-promotion and compromise, we are called to stand apart—transformed by the Gospel of salvation and living in the light of Christ’s love.

As we celebrate the Reformation, let us remember Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Just as Luther trusted in the power of the Gospel of Jesus to change hearts and minds, may we also—moved by the same Holy Spirit—trust in that same Gospel of Jesus. May we trust in Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the grave to give us eternal life.

Reformation is not merely a history, but a living, active, and ongoing work of God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit accomplish their work in us today.

A blessed and joyful Commemoration of the Reformation to us all.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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Rev. Antonio del Rio Reyes is President of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines and the regional representative for Asia on the International Lutheran Council’s Board of Directors.

ILC assembly receives two churches into full membership, reveals plans for 2025 World Conference

by | Oct 29, 2024

Participants in the International Lutheran Council’s 2024 extraordinary assembly in Wittenberg, Germany.

GERMANY – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) held an extraordinary assembly on October 26, 2024, in Wittenberg, Germany, during which time the ILC introduced the Board of Director’s new secretary, heard reports, received two churches into full membership, and made plans for the ILC’s 2025 World Conference.

General Secretary reports, introduces new BOD secretary

ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz reports during the assembly in Wittenberg.

The assembly began with a brief report from the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, outlining the work of the ILC over the past year, focusing especially on Regional Conferences and the 2024 World Seminary Conference. Dr. Schulz also acknowledged some of the new observer member churches in the ILC.

LCU Bishop Charles Bameka, the new Secretary of the ILC’s Board of Directors, takes notes during the 2024 Assembly in Wittenberg.

Dr. Schulz then introduced to the assembly the new Secretary of the ILC’s Board of Directors: Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU). Bishop Bameka has served as the LCU’s national presiding bishop in Uganda for eight years, most recently having been reelected in 2023.

Bishop Bameka succeeds Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG), who was elected Secretary during the ILC’s World Conference in 2022. Bishop Donkoh stepped down from the ILC’s Board of Directors earlier this year as his church body prepares for a change in leadership. The assembly in Wittenberg also acknowledged the long service of President Gijsbertus van Hattem of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium (Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in België – ELCG), who served as Secretary from 2004-2022 and has served as Assistant Secretary since then.

Ecumenical Relations

Rev. Dr. Werner Klän speaks to the ILC assembly in Wittenberg.

The assembly then heard from Rev. Dr. Werner Klän, who gave a report on the current status of the Concordia-Lutheran – Roman Catholic Augustana Working Group. This is the ecumenical-theological working group which was established following the conclusion of the informal conversations between the ILC and the Roman Catholic Church which took place from 2014-2019. Dr. Klän noted encouraging feedback from ILC member churches on the Final Report which arose from those discussions, and invited additional responses from ILC member churches.

The Augustana Working Group, which is not a formal dialogue commission, held its inaugural meetings in Rome in March 2024. The working topic for the group is: “Catholicity and Apostolicity in the Augsburg Confession, Examined in the Areas of Soteriology (Justification) and Ecclesiology (Ministry, Episcopate, and Ordination): A Joint Lutheran-Catholic Review of the Augsburg Confession in a Pre-Confessional and Ecumenical Perspective.” The meetings are scheduled to take place over four years, with the next meetings to take place in Wittenberg, Germany, from December 9-10, 2024, and in Rome from February 23-26, 2025.

Membership

CLCSA Bishop David Tswaedi addresses the assembly while ILC Chairman, Bishop Juhana Pohjola of Finland, looks on.
Bishop Peter Anibati Abia of the ELCSS/S addresses the ILC assembly in Wittenberg.

Other business during the assembly included a unanimous vote to receive two churches into full membership in the ILC: the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Church of South Sudan and Sudan (ELCSS/S) and the Confessional Lutheran Church of South Africa (CLCSA). Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK)—who serves also as the Africa regional representative on the Board of Directors—introduced the two churches prior to the vote and recommended their acceptance into membership.

The two churches were represented at the ILC assembly by their bishops: ELCSS/S Bishop Peter Anibati Abia and CLCSA Bishop David Tswaedi. Both church bodies had previously been observer members in the ILC, with the ELCSS/S having been accepted as an observer in 2022 and the CLCSA in 2018.

The assembly also reinstated membership for a few church bodies whose membership had lapsed.

Discussions on Fellowship and Bylaw Amendments

ELCE Chairman George Samiec speaks during the 2024 ILC assembly in Wittenberg.

Next on the agenda was a discussion of fellowship, led by Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE). Chairman Samiec is the European regional representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors, and further serves on a subcommittee of the board focused on fellowship, alongside the ILC’s General Secretary, Klaus Detlev Schulz, and ILC Communications Manager, Mathew Block.

Chairman Samiec noted that a suggestion had been made by Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) that the ILC explore the topic of fellowship. The subcommittee adapted and condensed the Canadian proposal, before distributing it to ILC member churches for discussion and feedback.

The 2024 assembly in Wittenberg continued discussion of the subject, with members from across the globe providing additional insight into their churches’ understanding of fellowship.

ELCE Chairman Samiec also led the next part of the assembly’s agenda, which introduced unrelated amendments to the ILC’s bylaws.

2025 World Conference

LCP President Antonio Reyes

The final order of business for the assembly in Wittenberg was the announcement of the dates and location of next year’s ILC World Conference. The 2025 World Conference will take place September 17-19, 2025 in Bohol, Philippines. The theme for the conference will be “Unity in Christ: Confession and Cooperation in a Fragmented World.”

President Antonio Reyes of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) made the announcement. “The members of my church are very excited to welcome you to our country,” he said. “It affords us the chance to meet with all of you, my brothers.” President Reyes also serves as the Asia regional representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors.

Additional information on the 2025 World Conference will be revealed in the months to come.

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ILC welcomes Lutheran Mission – Australia into membership

by | Oct 17, 2024

AUSTRALIA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has accepted Lutheran Mission – Australia (LM-A) into membership as a Recognized Organization. The decision came during a meeting of the ILC’s Board of Directors on September 17.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Lutheran Mission – Australia into membership in the ILC,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council. “We appreciate their principled stand on the authority of Scripture, and we look forward to a strong relationship going into the future. May God bless their ministry as they seek to make Christ and His Word known throughout Australia.”

Lutheran Mission – Australia is a newly-formed organization in Australia which seeks to “ensure Confessional Lutheranism has a home in Australia for generations to come.” It arose out of a confessional movement within the Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand (LCANZ) which was concerned that the church was declining from historic Lutheran teaching and practice—visibly on the issue over women’s ordination but even more fundamentally on the nature of the authority of Scripture.

“We believe connection with Confessional Lutherans around the world is vital for the health of an emerging synodical body,” said LM-A President Elect Matthew Anker. “To this end, LM-A is seeking membership in the ILC to provide ecclesial accountability, to foster faithful theological reflection, and to seek the consolation of the brethren.” President Anker formerly served as the LCANZ’s Assistant to the Bishop for International Mission.

Less than a month after Lutheran Mission – Australia was accepted into membership, the Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand voted on October 5 to authorize women’s ordination. As a result, The LCANZ’s status in the ILC was automatically reduced to Observer Member status in keeping with the ILC’s bylaws.

“We join with faithful people the world over in lamenting the recent decision of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) to abandon the clear teaching of the Scriptures and embrace the unbiblical practice of the ordination of women,” LM-A President Anker wrote in response to the vote. “Abandoning God’s Word in such a manner is bound to have a detrimental impact on the faith and life of God’s people…. Our hearts break for the damage this will wreak on people’s faith.”

He continued: “In light of this sad news, Lutheran Mission – Australia is more committed than ever to pursuing the establishment of a thoroughly Confessional Lutheran synod in Australia for the sake of the Gospel and the mission which the Lord has entrusted to His people.”

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies and groups which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Holy Scripture and to the Lutheran Confessions.

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Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand vote to allow women’s ordination

by | Oct 17, 2024

AUSTRALIA – The Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand (LCANZ) has voted to allow women’s ordination, affecting its relationship with confessional Lutherans worldwide.

The decision came during the LCANZ’s Convention of General Synod which met in Adelaide from October 4-7. On October 5, the church voted to accept a proposal altering the LCA’s Theses of Agreement, removing the paragraph which restricted women from serving in pastoral ministry on the basis of the teaching of Scripture. It comes after decades of internal debate and disagreement over the issue. Five previous attempts since 2000 to introduce women’s ordination in the LCA had failed.

As a result of the decision, the LCA’s status in the International Lutheran Council (ILC) has been reduced to Observer Member from its former Associate Member status. Full and Associate membership in the ILC is restricted to churches which maintain the doctrinal positions of the ILC as spelled out in the council’s bylaws; a departure from these positions results in an automatic reduction to Observer Member status.

“We grieve the decision of the LCANZ to depart from the clear teaching of Scripture on ordination and the historic practice of the Church,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the ILC. “We pray for those who have faithfully resisted this change in doctrine for so many years. And we encourage those who have rejected the historic practice of ordination to return to the teaching of Scripture.”

The decision to allow women’s ordination has also strained the LCANZ’s relationship with Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC). In 1994, the Canadian and Australian churches signed a confessional agreement which allowed for fellowship, the shared recognition of each other’s ministry, and other areas of cooperation. The LCA’s decision to approve women’s ordination has undermined the doctrinal unity which serves as the basis of that agreement.

LCC President Teuscher addresses the LCANZ’s 2024 Convention of General Synod.

LCC President Timothy Teuscher was present for the LCANZ’s Convention of General Synod, and addressed the assembly a day after the vote. “While your decision yesterday to implement women’s ordination might bring an end to the constant discussion and debate here among you,” he said, “such is likely to lead to some internal ruptures and a new set of tensions that will not be easily healed.”

“‘Do not two walk together unless they are agreed?’” President Teuscher continued, quoting Amos. “Since LCC and the LCA are no longer in agreement on this matter pertaining to the office of the Holy Ministry, we in Lutheran Church–Canada will have no other option than to recognize that your action yesterday has severed the bond of fellowship between us. At the same time, we will do all in our power to support the faithful remnant here in the Lutheran Church of Australia.

In Lutheran Church–Canada, the formal recognition of dissolution of fellowship must take place during a synodical convention, the next of which is scheduled for 2026.

Many Australian Lutherans have opposed the move by their church body to adopt women’s ordination. That resistance recently led to the formation of the church organization Lutheran Mission – Australia, which was accepted into membership in the ILC in September 2024.

The LCANZ’s resolution authorizing women’s ordination calls on the church to finalize a doctrinal statement on ordination for 2025, to be approved during online meetings of the General Pastors’ Conference and Convention of General Synod.

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Lutheran Synod of Mexico president safe following kidnapping

by | Sep 17, 2024

SLM President Isaac Garcia (second from left) and the other five church workers who were kidnapped after returning safely to Mexico City.

MEXICO – Lutherans in Mexico are thanking God for the safe return of President Isaac Garcia of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico (Sínodo Luterano de México – SLM) and five other church workers after they were recently kidnapped.

On September 5, SLM President Garcia was travelling with another pastor and four deaconesses from Mexico City to Cacahoatán, Chiapas in the south of Mexico. “Our intention was to share a workshop with the brothers and sisters on Lutheran identity, to hold a class with the children, to conduct a medical and service brigade, and to finish with Divine Service,” President Garcia explains. “Unfortunately, about 750 kms from Mexico City and five hours from our destination, we were intercepted by two trucks with armed men. We quickly identified ourselves as pastors and told them the purpose of our trip, but they did not care.”

What followed was a harrowing experience. After stripping President Garcia and the others of their money, phones, and other belongings—including their rented van and items that were intended for distribution in Cacahoatán—they were taken off the road to a place where about 24 other people had also been kidnaped. “We were held there for approximately six hours, kneeling, with our eyes closed and some of us blindfolded,” President Garcia says.

“Despite all this, God was with us,” President Garcia continues, “and we were able to feel peace in the midst of the situation, knowing that our lives were in God’s hands, literally living what St. Paul says: ‘For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.’”

After about six hours, they were finally released. “At that moment, I was able to lead a prayer with all those who had been kidnapped,” President Garcia recalls. “Our intention was to share God’s love in one way” that day, he says, but ultimately “we were able to do so in a different way.” The group eventually made their way safely home to Mexico City.

“After reflecting on the situation, we simply ask God to continue being with us as we know He is,” President Garcia says, “and to keep leading us to those who need to hear, repent, and come to Christ. We pray for all missionaries around the world, that God may watch over and protect them at all times.”

“We are deeply grateful that God safely delivered our brothers and sisters in Mexico from this serious situation,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “May God comfort them with His presence as they recover from this frightening ordeal and encourage them with the knowledge of His love and care for each of them. And may He continue to raise up courageous witnesses for Christ both in Mexico and throughout the entire world.”

The Lutheran Synod in Mexico is a member church of the ILC, a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran churches which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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Lutherans in Australia, New Zealand prepare for another vote on women’s ordination

by | Sep 11, 2024

AUSTRALIA – The Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand (LCANZ) will hold another vote on women’s ordination at its upcoming Convention of General Synod in October.

The LCANZ has debated the issue of women’s ordination repeatedly for more than three decades, holding five votes on the matter since 2000. In each case, resolutions seeking the adoption of women’s ordination have failed to reach the 2/3 majority required to change church teaching.

The most recent vote took place in 2023. Despite that vote failing, the church went on to adopt another resolution calling on the LCANZ to prepare a detailed framework by which the church could become “one church with two ordination practices,” with a proposal to be submitted in anticipation of the LCANZ’s Convention of General Synod in 2024. That resolution also asserted: “It is the expectation of this General Convention of Synod that both women and men will be ordained in a District of the LCANZ during the 2024-2027 synodical period.”

The new proposal—known as the Way Forward Detailed Framework—was released at the end of July. It envisions amending the LCANZ’s Theses of Agreement so that “the Church changes its teaching to allow for the ordination of women and men.” The proposal argues that, while there are “different theological positions on the gender (male and female) of pastors in the Church,” such differences are “non-divisive of church fellowship, enabling the LCA to remain as one Church.”

Lutheran Mission – Australia

Other Lutherans in Australia disagree that the issue of women’s ordination is non-divisive; a group of concerned Lutherans in Australia have recently launched a new organization—Lutheran Mission – Australia (LM-A)—to “ensure Confessional Lutheranism has a home in Australia for generations to come.” Elected to serve as LM-A’s inaugural President is Rev. Matt Anker, who formerly served as the LCANZ’s Assistant to the Bishop for International Mission.

“LM-A was established to support, encourage, and strengthen confessional Lutherans in their faithfulness to God and His Word, and to eventually establish a synod which ensures that people are served through the proclamation of the ‘whole counsel of God,’” LM-A’s website explains. “It is committed to ensuring that people in Australia are served with both the Law and Gospel so that God’s desire to bring peace and forgiveness of sins by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone is realised.”

While women’s ordination is one of the most visible areas of contention among Australian Lutherans, LM-A argues that it is just a symptom of a more fundamental disagreement in the LCANZ over the authority of Scripture. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming vote at the Convention of General Synod, LM-A says, “sooner or later it will be necessary to separate from those who hold to a different confession.”

International Church Relations

In addition to causing internal division in the LCANZ, the adoption of women’s ordination could affect the church’s relations with international partners. For example, the LCANZ is an Associate Member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies. But the Bylaws of the ILC state that any Full or Associate Member which changes its church teaching in a way contrary to the ILC’s Doctrinal Basis will be reduced automatically to Observer Member status.

Lutheran Mission – Australia, for its part, has indicated its intention to also seek membership in the International Lutheran Council.

The Lutheran Church of Australia/New Zealand will formally consider the proposal on women’s ordination at its General Pastors Conference from September 29-October 2 before bringing it before the Convention of General Synod from October 4-7.

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AALC holds General Convention

by | Sep 4, 2024

AALC clergy and guests following the opening service of the church’s 29th General Convention. Photo: AALC/Lisa Cooper.

USA – The American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC) held its 29th biennial General Convention from June 25-28 in Plymouth, Minnesota. The theme for the convention was “Reconciled through Christ,” based on 2 Corinthians 5:27-30.

Serving as keynote speakers for the conference were Rev. Heath R. Curtis and Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador, with the two addressing the subject of stewardship. Rev. Curtis is a pastor of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and coordinator of its national Stewardship Ministry program. Rev. Dr. Meador is likewise a pastor of the LCMS, serving as Mission Executive for the South Wisconsin District. Together, Rev. Curtis and Dr. Meador are authors of a book entitled Stewardship as Pastoral Care.

Among other business, the convention passed budgets for the AALC as well as its seminary, the American Lutheran Theological Seminary (ALTS). It further elected and installed Rev. Dr. Curtis E. Leins to serve as president of the seminary. Dr. Leins previously served as Presiding Pastor of the AALC from 2014-2022. Elections for several other positions in the church were also held during the convention.

The convention received in-person greetings from two fellowship partners: the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church in Norway/Iceland (LKNI), with the latter being represented by its Bishop Torkild Masvie. Greetings were also received from the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (ALFC), whose college campus—the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary—served as the venue for the AALC’s 2024 convention.

The American Association of Lutheran Churches is a member church of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of Lutheran church bodies and organizations grounded on the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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