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2025 World Conference: Membership Votes and Board Elections

by | Sep 19, 2025

ELCE Chairman George Samiec preaches.

PHILIPPINES – The final day of the International Lutheran Council’s 2025 World Conference saw six observer member churches accepted as full members in the ILC and the election of board members for a new triennium.

The day began with a service of matins led by Rev. Michael Blodgett, with the ILC’s Europe Regional Representative, Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE), preaching a sermon on Luke 8:1-3 and 1 Timothy 6:2-12.

“The New Testament is not a how-to-book for running an organization,” Chairman Samiec noted. “Sure, we hear about financial issues and organizational issues… [but] the Church has never wanted to impose burdens.” Organizational details like constitutions and bylaws vary depending on “your churches, your countries, finances, relationships, and the fine print each of us work under,” he said. What matters is that “the heart, attitude, and desires are right—godliness with contentment,” he continued—and consequently we find St. Paul talking “big picture things” about living relationally “first with Jesus and then with those around you.”

African members sing in Swahili.

“Our goal is not empire building for ourselves,” Chairman Samiec continued. “If we have food and clothing—today we might say ‘basic necessities’—and Christ, then we can live in His Kingdom and do Kingdom work as we have means, as we are able.” We do not need to be “supermen;” we are called simply to daily patterns and rituals of faithfulness: “[moving] away from what causes us to sin towards absolution, towards Holy Communion,” and [striving] and [confessing] the hope we have in Christ Jesus.” He concluded: “Coming close to Jesus, the God who serves, and realizing that He is the one who comes to us gives us our daily identity… and so we flee from sin and pursue righteousness because Jesus is our loving Lord who has saved us, declared us righteous already—and we want this for our church—and we want this for the world.”

The matins service also featured a special musical performance by members of the ILC’s African region, singing the hymn “Mfurahini, Haleluya” (“Christ has Arisen, Alleluia”) in Swahili.

Acceptance of Full Members and ILC Elections

Representatives of church bodies received as full members during the ILC’s 2025 World Conference. Pictured are ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola, FLM Bishop Denis Rakotozafy, CLCMS President Davis Robert Wowa, LM-A President Matt Anker, ELCK Bishop Alexander Burtsev, ILK/ELCB representative Rev. Mikko Tiira, and ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz.

Following worship, the conference turned to a discussion of ILC business. Among other business, six observer members were received as full voting members: the Confessional Lutheran Church – Malawi Synod (CLCMS); Lutheran Mission – Australia (LM-A); the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kazakhstan (ELCK); the Istanbul Lutheran Church (ILK)/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria (ELCB); the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH); and the Malagasy Lutheran Church (FLM).

ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz and the new board of directors: LCC President Timothy Teuscher (North America), SLM President Omar Garza Martínez (Secretary), IELP President Alceu Alton Figur (Latin America), ELMDF Bishop Juhana Pohjola (Chairman), LCU Bishop Charles Bameka (Africa), and LM-A President Matt Anker. Archbishop Rinalds Grants was unable to attend in person.

The ILC also held elections for members of the board of directors for the new triennium. Bishop Juhana Pohola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF) was reelected to another term as ILC Chairman. Other elections and reelection include:

  • Africa – Bishop Charles Bameka (Lutheran Church of Uganda)
  • Asia – President Matt Anker (Lutheran Mission – Australia)
  • Europe – Archbishop Rinalds Grants (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia)
  • Latin America – President Alceu Alton Figur (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay)
  • North America – President Timothy Teuscher (Lutheran Church–Canada)
  • Secretary: President Omar Garza Martinez (Lutheran Synod of Mexico)

ILC Chairman Pohjola took the opportunity to thank ELCE Chairman George Samiec (Europe) and LCP President Antonio Del Rio Reyes (Asia) for their faithful service to the board. Neither stood for reelection at this year’s conference. Chairman Pohjola also acknowledged the service of other board members who completed their service on the board during the past triennium or in the lead up to this year’s conference, including LCU Bishop John Donkoh, LCK Archbishop Joseph Omolo, and LCC Past President Robert Bugbee. He further noted with thanks the blessing of ELKB President Gisjbertus van Hattem, whose service with the ILC lasted until his death in 2024.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: ILC Regional Representatives Panel

by | Sep 19, 2025

ELCE Chairman George Samiec, LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes, LCU Bishop Charles Bameka, IELP President Aceu Alton Figur, and LCC President Timothy Teuscher.

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

LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes preaching.

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 famous Chocolate Hills—currently green—in Bohol.

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.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: Affirming Constants in an Everchanging World

by | Sep 19, 2025

LCU Bishop Charles Bameka preaches during the conference.

PHILIPPINES – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) World Conference continued on Wednesday, beginning with a service of Matins. The Lutheran Church in the Philippines’ (LCP) Vice President Felipe Ehican served as liturgist, and the ILC’s Secretary, Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU), serving as preacher.

Bishop Bameka said that our world is increasingly confused and fragmented—including, sadly, within some historic Christian denominations. “So what is the role” of God’s faithful people, the Church, “in this confusion and chaos?” he asked. The answer is found in 1 Timothy 3:15. “We are called upon to be the ‘Pillar and Foundation of Truth,’” he explained, “proclaiming Christ to the fragmented world around us.”

That message is not welcomed by the outside world, he noted, but that only points to our need for God’s mercy in living out the calling He has given us. “The only way the Church can move forward as a ‘Pillar and Foundation of Truth’… is by calling out to the Almighty God to do what only God can do in and through us by His Holy Spirit: proclaim and teach the Word as we preach the resurrected Christ… to the sin-sick fragmented world we live in today.”

Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking delegates sing during Matins.

Wednesday’s service of matins also featured a special performance by Spanish and Portuguese-speaking delegates to the conference, with the group singing the hymn “Da Igreja o fundamento” (“The Church’s One Foundation”). The musical arrangement for the rendition was newly prepared for this conference by Rev. Dr. Raul Blum of Brazil’s Seminário Concórdia. The group sang three verses in Spanish and two in Portuguese.

Affirming Constants in an Everchanging World

ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz presents at the 2025 World Conference.

Following matins, the convention heard an address from the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz. Dr. Schulz began by noting that the Church has two directional focuses—one looking first towards its grounding in Christ and one also looking outward as it represents Christ to others. “The church cannot divorce her second activity from the first,” Dr. Schulz said. “That means that while they saw themselves as blessed possessors of the saving faith in Christ, they also embraced an outward expansion in the form of this faith being proclaimed and confessed to others. To have faith without its confession, or a church without a mission, is like a dove flying with one wing only, not able to get off the ground.”

And yet, Dr. Schulz, continued, there have been diverging views of missions in world Christianity since the 20th century. Since the 1970s, he noted, a number of theological institutions have seen the replacement of missiology with “intercultural theology, claiming theologies around the world exist parallel to each other, without being one singular, uniting theology.”

While “it is true that theology is never done in a vacuum,” Dr. Schulz said, “the crucial question becomes what theological system is available to us by which we can affirm the eternal Word and its constants in a changing world around us.” He drew participants’ attention to a 1952 work of George Vicedom on missiology. Vicedom “bemoans a drift away from the central article to a more inclusivistic inner-worldly understanding of salvation and a pursuit of missions that no longer sees the need for the church’s proclamation as central in God’s mission to people outside of Christ,” Dr. Schulz explained.

That drift is what resulted in the anemic understanding of missiology which prevailed in the 1970s. But what is the state of missiology today? Dr. Schulz examined two recent international statements: 2011’s Cape Town Commitment (CTC), a product of the Lausanne Movement, and 2012’s Together Towards Life (TTL) from the World Council of Churches. In TTL, “the radical missiology of the 1970s… has been tempered and the church’s role in mission has been reaffirmed,” Dr. Schulz said. But the statement still represents “a shift away from Christology and the redemptive nature of mission by the Holy Spirit through the church to an inclusion of all creation.” He continued: “There is thus a hesitation in TTL to admit an exclusive understanding of salvation in Jesus Christ, making concessions to people of other religions.” CTC, meanwhile, certainly “affirms the Christocentric approach with the church as the instrument.”

“As confessing Lutherans, we need to be reminded of the current discussions on missions and missiology,” Dr. Schulz continued. “For missions is, as Vicedom states, ‘the seismograph in the life of the church, where catastrophes that threaten the church are most apparent.’”

“As Confessional Lutherans, we know that we do not exist in a vacuum but in specific contexts with specific issues and challenges,” Dr. Schulz concluded. “At the same time, we are also aware of what joins us together regardless of situation and location. It is the mission of the proclamation of the Gospel that justifies the sinner extending forgiveness through Word and Sacraments.”

To accompany Dr. Schulz’ presentation, convention participants each received a copy of Vicedom’s Justification as the Formative Power of Mission, translated by Dr. Schulz, as a gift from Concordia Publishing House.

Missions in Europe

ELCE Chairman George Samiec; ELCE Chairman-Elect Tapani Simojoki; ELCIR Bishop Ivan Laptev and translator Rev. Evgenii Raskatov; and LKNI Bishop Torkild Masvie.

Dr. Schulz’ presentation was followed by the conference’s final Regional Focus, this time discussing the challenge of church-planting in secular Europe. Europe’s Regional Representative, Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE) served as the moderator, with presentations by Bishop Torkild Masvie of the Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland (LKNI), Bishop Ivan Laptev of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (ELCIR), and Chairman-Elect Tapani Simojoki of the ELCE.

LNKI Bishop Torkild Masvie presents.

Bishop Masvie spoke about the work of the LKNI in its West-Nordic context, highlighting the history of the church and its church planting efforts. Their church is small, he said, and “if you’re small, you’re forced to work smart.” For the LKNI, that has meant strategic outreach following this general pattern: A mature pastor identifies a city with a university and issues invitations there to attend worship services. Once a small group is identified–“We usually start with three, four, or five people,” Bishop Masvie noted, although they’ve sometimes started “even with just one”—they begin holding services, something possible thanks to the scalability of liturgical worship. As the congregation becomes settled, the mature pastor moves on to identify another mission site while care of the congregation is handed over to one of the church’s young pastors.

Bishop Masvie noted that what works in their context may not work for others, but that this strategy has had encouraging results for their own church. “We are small but we are growing,” he noted, “with a 20 percent growth in attendance every year.”

ELCIR Bishop Ivan Laptev speaks.

Next to speak was Bishop Laptev, who outlined the work pursued by the Ingrian church. He noted that the Reformation sought to bring Christ to people by preaching the Gospel in the language of the people. In the same way, he said, the church’s challenge is to ask today: “What is the language of preaching for our post-Christian society?”

He went on to highlight stories of outreach in the Ingrian church. In one example, he noted that the church had been given the opportunity to use a historic church building no longer in use. In an attempt to speak through “the language of images” to unchurched people in the region, they used that space to set up elaborate biblical exhibits—on creation, on the Passion, and more—which drew great interest in the community, bringing people into the church. While an investment, these same exhibits have also been able to be used in other community with similar results. This has led naturally to offering introductory classes on the faith, with 80 percent of those participating between the ages of 18-35. “The language of images has been very helpful to us in preaching the Gospel,” Bishop Laptev concluded.

ELCE Chairman Elect Tapani Simojoki presents.

Chairman Elect Simojoki then discussed challenges related to their missions in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. “Our experience of church planting in recent years is this: essentially, we’ve had this ‘Man of Macedonia’ approach,” he explained. “We go when we are called, either when members move or when outsiders contact us.”

Not that this is easy. He noted that Lutheran outreach in the region faces many challenges: the church is quite small, and its congregations are separated by large geographic spaces. “We have fewer pastors than congregations,” he noted, “and so our personnel resources are thinly spread.” He also noted the challenge of limited funds, and the cost to rent premises for mission sites—as well as the challenges of member commitment. And sometimes they make mistakes. But “one of the most important assets that a church worker, a missionary, a church planter can have is to recognize when we mistakes,” Chairman Elect Simojoki said, “and learn from them.”

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: Focus on Latin America and Africa

by | Sep 17, 2025

PHILIPPINES – The afternoon of the third day of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2025 World Conference featured two panels of presenters speaking on issues arising in the Latin American and African contexts.

Migration in Latin America

Speakers for the Latin America Regional Focus included Rev. Dr. Sergio Schelske, Director of Seminario Concordia in Argentina; President Eduardo Flores of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela (ILV); President Omar Martinez Garza of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico (SLM); and President Gerardo Omar Kinas of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (ILC-Chile).

Rev. Dr. Sergio Schelske presents. (Photo: T. Winger).

Dr. Schelske introduced the region’s topic, which was immigration and migration in Latin America. He noted that the theme arose out of the ILC’s Latin America Regional Conference which was held in Bolivia in 2024. Migration is a major issue in Latin America, Dr. Schelske said, as the region “accounts for some 14.8 million migrants, both internally (between countries in the region) and externally (beyond the region)”—a situation that has created “a challenge for our churches in terms of pastoral care.”

Dr. Schelske explored the causes of migration in the region, the toll it takes on migrants themselves, the theme of migration in Scripture, and the image of the Church as “a community on the move.” This set the stage for a theological response to issues like xenophobia (“a negative and fearful reaction to the strange”) and oikophobia (“a rejection of social integration” by immigrants). “To both, the church has a message to share,” Dr. Schelske said: “Confront and forgive (Law and Gospel).” The church is called to minister to both extremes, he said, because “her message is one of reconciliation… because the Lord Jesus is mediator and reconciler.”

After Dr. Schelske established the scale of the challenge, the other three presenters described the effects of migration and immigration on their own countries and church bodies.

ILV President Eduardo Flores. (Photo: T. Winger).

President Flores outlined the serious problems facing the nation of Venezuela, including “shortages of food, medicine, and basic services, along with insecurity and political repression.” These issues have led millions of Venezuelans to leave the country, resulting in “profound social, economic, and cultural implications,” including for the Lutheran church. There has been a “significant decrease in the number of members in Lutheran congregations,” mostly among young people and their families, President Flores noted. This not only impacts the spiritual life of those who leave, but it also causes serious issues with paying pastors and the financial sustainability of congregations.

The migration of Venezuelans out of the country has created challenges for other Latin American countries as the Venezuelans arrive. “We thank God for the open arms of all the churches in our region and outside, because in these hard times they have been the Good Samaritan of our history,” President Flores said, “even though we know that the reception of Venezuelan migrants presents a change to the dynamics of the churches that receive them.”

SLM President Omar Martinez Garza. (Photo: T. Winger).

President Garza addressed the situation in Mexico, noting that the country’s location makes it is both a source and transit point for migrants trying to enter to the United States. Many of those who wish to enter the United States never will, meaning they must either leave for elsewhere or stay in Mexico. “In the last six years alone, 16 million people have entered Mexico, of which only ten million have crossed into the United States,” President Garza noted, “while at least six million have remained in Mexico.”

The sheer number of migrants in Mexico means they face many hardships, including a lack of food, lack of shelter, lack of guidance, threats from organized crime, and discrimination. In the face of these needs, the church in Mexico tries to assist those who are suffering. In Matamoros, for example, the church has a community kitchen to feed the hungry, with some who attend being migrants. Once a week, the church shares food with those in need alongside prayer and God’s Word. The Mexican church might “not have the resources to make a great impact on everyone,” President Garza says. “But we can make a difference in the life of the migrant that God places in our path at the church.” Some of these migrants go on to other places, but while they are present, the church shares the love of Jesus Christ with them.

ILC-Chile President President Gerardo Omar Kinas. (Photo: T. Winger).

President Kinas discussed the situation in Chile, which has seen a great deal of immigration. This is because, he explained, Chile “does not consider any immigrant to be illegal,” instead just distinguishing between regular and irregular migration. As a result, “the country has been chosen as a focus for migration,” he said, especially from Haiti and Venezuela. The first waves of immigrants were welcomed, but as irregular migration continued “it created a crisis in the educational, health, judicial, and retirement systems.”

In this midst of these challenges, the Chilean church “has made different efforts to assist children and families involved in voluntary displacement from their home country.” This has included, for example, such activities as offering housing with onsite pastoral care; the provision of food to those in need; a migrant reception centre; and a legal clinic. The church has also provided assistance to people in Venezuela, where many migrants have come from. To date, the church has provided medicine for nearly 9,150 people in Venezuela.

As for the church in Chile, migration has resulted in a significant change in the makeup of its churches. “We estimate that 60 percent of our membership is Venezuelan,” President Kinas noted, and the church today has several Venezuelan pastors. “Currently we have programs that help migrants to be in the country regularly,” President Kinas said, “teaching obedience to the authorities and developing programs of mercy accompaniment.” The crisis is not yet abating, he noted, and the church does not have all the answers to the challenges of migration. “Yet God loves those who cannot give Him anything in return.”

Africa and the Challenge of Pentecostalism

ELCG Bishop John Donkoh. (Photo: T. Winger).

The afternoon continued with an Africa Regional Focus led by Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ghana (ELCG) and Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo, Principal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya’s (ELCK) Neema Lutheran College.

Bishop Donkoh introduced the topic: “Pentecostalism’s Influence: What Can Be Done Liturgically?” Dr. Omolo then gave his presentation, outlining the history of the modern charismatic movement, before examining the movement’s spiritual forbears in Montanism and mysticism. Despite the incompatibility with Lutheran theology, Dr. Omolo noted, “many Lutherans—especially in Africa—unknowingly adopt Pentecostal worship styles.” The result is the replacement of “the external, objective means of grace with inward emotional experiences and charismatic gifts,” he noted. “This trend runs counter to biblical Christianity and Lutheran spirituality, which are rooted in the preached Word and the sacraments as the true means by which God nurtures faith.”

Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo. (Photo: T. Winger).

“To guard against these Pentecostal tendencies,” Dr. Omolo said, “it is crucial to reaffirm the true nature of Lutheran worship. Worship is not primarily about human action but God’s action: Gottesdienst—His service to us through Word and Sacrament.”

Bishop Donkoh carried the conversation forward, giving examples of specific challenges related to Pentecostal influence in the Ghanian context. In some congregations, he said, there is a temptation to copy the worship practices of charismatic churches. He noted, for example, a recent church building project where some members—without authorization—tried to convince the builders to incorporate a platform for drums in the front of the church.

The rise of such “liturgical inconsistencies” can lead to a “gradual dilution—and, in some cases, loss—of our distinctly Lutheran identity,” he argued. “But the true marks of the Church are the Word of God and the Sacraments,” he continued. “Anything short of that is not the Church.”

ILC Chairman Pohjola and General Secretary Schulz thank Arlene Reyes and LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes. (Photo: T. Winger).

The afternoon closed with a service of Responsive Prayer, led by Concordia Publishing House’s (CPH) Rev. Dr. Jacob Corzine.

At supper, members enjoyed a “Filipino Fiesta Night Reception” by members of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP), complete with songs and dance. The LCP also presented delegates with a gift from the Philippines.

During the event, ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola and General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz formally expressed the ILC’s thanks to President Antonio del Rio Reyes and Arlene Reyes for their work hosting the conference.

Delegates also received complementary access to the Lutheran Study Bible app as a gift from Concordia Publishing House.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: Unity in the Spiritual Temple

by | Sep 16, 2025

Participants in the International Lutheran Council’s 2025 World Conference in the Philippines. (Photo: T. Winger).

PHILIPPINES – The third day of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2025 World Conference began with a service of Matins, with Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) Vice President Felipe Ehican serving as liturgist and Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) President Timothy Teuscher serving as preacher.

LCP Vice President Ehican looks on as LCC President Teuscher preaches during the 2025 World Conference. (Photo: T. Winger).

In his sermon, President Teuscher reflected on the “noble task” of the office of the holy ministry (1 Timothy 3:1) in light of the day’s Gospel reading: Luke 7:11-17. In this story of Christ raising the widow of Nain’s dead son to life again, President Teuscher said, “we are given a wonderful picture of what He has done for the entire world of unclean, dying people—what He has done for each and every one of us who by nature are dead in our trespasses and sins.”

“But do you know what?” he continued. “Even here and now Jesus this very thing for people who by nature are dead in their trespasses and sins…. And how does He do this? Why, through those who have been placed into the office of the holy ministry—the ministry of reconciliation.” And just as the people who saw Jesus’ miracle spread the report throughout Judea, so too “overseers, pastors, bishops” are called “to spread this report about Jesus who are still walking in that procession of death.”

The Spiritual Temple

The morning continued with the third and final presentation on the “Spiritual Temple” by keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger. On the first day, Dr. Winger spoke about the “Pagan Temple.” On the second day, he compared the Spiritual Temple to the Old Testament Temple. This final day he devoted to an exploration of the Spiritual Temple itself and the unity we enjoy through it as Christians, focusing especially on Ephesians 2:14.

In Ephesians, Dr. Winger said, Paul is “deeply concerned with the relationship between God’s chosen people, Israel, and the rest of the world, that is the Gentiles.” And “Paul’s chief response to this disunity”—which has been exacerbated by the news that Paul had been arrested for his mission to the Gentiles—“is to point them to their common Baptism.”

Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger presents the final section of his keynote address.

“One might distil the letter’s major theme,” Dr. Winger said, in this way: “all those who have been joined to Christ by Baptism into His death and resurrection have not only been reconciled to God the Father, but have also been united with one another in His Body, the Church.” This leads ultimately to “the heart of the letter” and its “urgent appeal to Christian unity.”

“This imperative—to maintain the unity of the Spirit—is an appeal to what later Lutheran dogmaticians will call the concordia of the church, the outward harmony towards which we strive,” Dr. Winger continued. “But the foundation of that appeal, in Paul’s thinking, is the unitas, the true essential unity, that the church already possesses on the basis of a common Baptism and a sharing of the same spiritual gift of grace.” The true unity of the church, then, is the work of God, not something we create.

Paul points “to the cross itself as the location of reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles,” Dr. Winger explained. “He ‘has made both one.’ He has ‘created the two into one man’ because in His flesh Christ includes both all Israel and all the Gentiles…. Because Christ took both parts of the human race to the cross, both are equally redeemed. He carried both peoples in His own body on the cross, killing the hostility between them by reconciling them both to God and drawing them both into Gods presence.”

“They have been built into a new Temple,” Dr. Winger said, “and incorporated as members of Christ’s own body. They are one Church.”

ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola thanks Dr. Winger for his presentations at the ILC 2025 World Conference.

Paul’s decision to describe the Church as a new Spiritual Temple has implications for us today, Dr. Winger said, and our demonstration of the unity we enjoy through Christ. This is particularly true of worship in the church. Dr. Winger noted that, while Martin Luther encouraged “freedom from the legalistic use of worship practices in the mediaeval church,” he also encouraged uniformity in worship practice among churches within the same territory. Today, however, “territories are no longer the limit of travel for modern people,” Dr. Winger noted, “who easily and often move from end of the country to another, or even to another country.” In a world like this, he continued, “can the commonality of our liturgy foster a unity, a concordia, among churches with a common confession?”

Dr. Winger further asked the conference “to consider how Paul’s appeal to a common Baptism and a common worship to unite Jews and Gentiles throughout the ancient world might be instructive for our Lutheran church scattered across lands and languages.” “Is the Christian faith anchored to culture,” he asked, “or does it transcend it?” And how then can the “divine service reflect the heavenly nature of the Christian Church?”

The Treasure of History

The morning continued with two presentations on the value of history. Rev. Dr. Jonathan E. Shaw, the Director of Church Relationsfor The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, presented on “The Purpose and Meaning of History.”

Rev. Dr. Jonathan E. Shaw speaks during plenary discussion at the ILC’s 2025 World Conference.

“Understanding the purpose and meaning of history is essential for us as Christians,” Dr. Shaw said. “We must honour history, remember history, and understand its purpose and meaning in the incarnation and atonement of the Son of God. But up front, we have to realize that this view of history runs against western, liberal culture.”

Dr. Shaw went on to trace changing views of history through the ages of Rationalism and Modernism into our present age of Post-Modernism and its “eroded” understanding of history. But “the true importance of history can only be realized in Christ,” Dr. Shaw said. “He is the eternal Son of God, the Lord of history, the purpose and meaning of history. All history is from Him, points to Him, and is fulfilled in Him.”

“Christianity is true not because it has a coherent theology—you can create coherent ideologies—but because the eternal Son of God has created history, poured Himself into history, and reconciled sinners to the Father in history,” Dr. Shaw continued. “This means that history matters. Christ is the Lord of history—yesterday, today, and forever.”

Following Dr. Shaw’s presentation, Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Harmelink presented on the importance of “being faithful keepers of the Lord’s redeeming work among us.” Dr. Harmelink is Executive Director of Concordia Historical Institute (CHI).

The church today faces “the constant temptation to forget our redeemed history,” Dr. Harmelink said. “Our old, unbelieving nature can do nothing but neglect and forget and discount the unexpected, abundant blessings of redemption God showers on his pitiful, hopeless people.” But if we neglect God’s blessings, if we neglect His Word and Sacraments, then—as Luther says—the rain-shower of God’s grace will pass to other lands.

Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Harmelink speaks during the 2025 World Conference. (Photo: T. Winger).

For this reason, Dr. Harmelink said, the Scriptures tell us that “blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” And ‘keep’ does not mean ‘obey,’ he continued. It means to “to honour and treasure it.” Dr. Harmelink traced the chronicling work of people like Adam, Moses, Joshua, and others as they were called to keep God’s Word “before the eyes and in the ears of both young and the elderly… so that true faith would be strengthened, and hope and joy and thanksgiving would flourish.”

“In gratitude and thanksgiving” then for God’s great mercies, “we cannot but set up our own” memorials “as witnesses to the coming generations of Christ’s unmerited deliverance among us,” Dr. Harmelink said. To that end, he noted, CHI works to “preserve and proclaim Christ’s redeeming work among ‘Book of Concord’ Lutherans.”

“We would love to partner with you in responsibly retrieving, preserving, organizing, and sharing the redeemed history of which we have been made stewards,” he told the convention. CHI can share resources to help churches establish archival guidelines; handbooks for the preservation and digitization of historical resources; and give access to CHI’s own holdings from around the world.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: Asia Regional Focus on Shamanism and Syncretism

by | Sep 16, 2025

Presenters in the Regional Focus on Syncretism in Asia: Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim, Rev. Henry Paul D. Roa, and Rev. Michael Hauser. (Photo: T. Winger).

PHILIPPINES – The afternoon of the second day of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2025 World Conference saw attendees turn to regional issues, with a panel of presentations from Asia.

The theme for the Asia Regional Focus was “Syncretistic Blends Affecting Lutheran Churches in Asia: The Examples of Shamanism, Sorcery, and Albularyo.” The presenters included Rev. Michael Hauser, an Australian missionary to Papua New Guinea; Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim, Interim President of Luther Theological University in South Korea; and Rev. Henry Paul D. Roa, President of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines’ South Luzon District.

After defining shamanism and sorcery, Rev. Hauser provided insight into the situation in Papua New Guinea, with special focus on the issue of “Sanguma.” “False accusations of ‘sanguma’ or sorcery for selfish reasons” have become a serious problem within Papua New Guinea, he noted, leading to horrific violence: in the past 20 years, according to a study by the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, more than 600 people have been reported killed and another 340 wounded in mob-violence. But the real numbers are expected to be much higher, with “attacks often involving whole communities and involving gruesome torture and humiliation,” Rev. Hauser said.

“One wonders, quite rightly, how Christians could be involved in such attacks,” Rev. Hauser noted. The irony is that the attempt to rout out such alleged sorcerers is itself riddled with syncretistic tendencies. Christians rely on “self-professed seers who operate under the guise of ‘prayer warriors’” to identify these supposed sorcerers, Rev. Hauser said. While the government has attempted to criminalize this practice, more must be done by churches themselves, Rev. Hauser noted, to treat the root causes of the issue. Christians mission must be more willing to say, “This is idolatry, and is not Christian,” Rev. Hauser said, and bring to bear its own rites like excommunication—perhaps even of entire communities for a time—to lead those responsible to repentance.

Dr. Kim, meanwhile, spoke on the “enduring influence of Korean shamanism within the life and practice of Korean Christianity.” This has led Korean Christians to adopt several shamanistic attitudes, he noted. As a result of this syncretism, he said, “many believers treat worship as a ritual performance for receiving blessings rather than as an act of obedience and communion with God.” Everyday believers neglect “personal responsibility for faith,” entrusting their destiny instead to church leaders who are treated more like “quasi-magical figures,” replacing the shamans of old. This results in an “undue reliance” on external rituals or works like “church attendance, offerings, or revival meetings as an automatic means of receiving blessing.” Likewise, “shamanism’s emphasis on fate has influenced many Christians to view life events as predetermined, leading to passivity and resignation rather than active discipleship.” This focus on achieving blessings for oneself has led to reduced missionary zeal.

“While Christianity once opposed such folk beliefs, many believers have unconsciously absorbed shamanistic ideas into their faith,” Dr. Kim concluded. “This syncretism manifests in transactional prayer, dependence on church leaders, and fatalistic resignation. Today, “the challenge for Korea Christianity is to resist this distortion by preserving the Gospel’s purity—emphasizing salvation, covenantal blessing, and ethical discipleship”—and by “rooting itself firmly in the message of Jesus Christ.”

Rev. Roa then spoke on the situation in the Philippines. “Syncretism is common in the Philippines,” he noted, with the blending of Christianity and pagan practices becoming “a normal and acceptable spiritual practice” for many. He noted, for example, the common practice of seeking assistance from an “albularyo” or medicine man. Modern medical care can be expensive, he noted, so many—including Christians—seek out these traditional healers. But for the albularyo, “every disease is connected with sin” and “offending the spirits.”  The offered cure, then, “is all about appeasing an angry god/spirit.” Yet Christians are put at ease because the albularyo will often incorporate a Christian prayer as well.

There are numerous other instances of syncretism present in the Philippines, Rev. Roa noted, with many focused on seeking prosperity—for example, by superstitious customs at weddings like pinning money to the married couple while they dance and the placing of coins near doors and windows. Other rituals are secretly done to ward off death. For example, church members will sometimes secretly break a glass when the body of a dead person is removed from the church following a funeral. “The effect of this blended spirituality—Christianity and paganism—is a false sense of Christianity and a false faith,” Rev. Road concluded. “The church has the great responsibility to proclaim the Word of God in its purity, and to be clear and brutally honest that Christianity mixed with pagan practice is not Christianity.

Following the presentations, attendees participated in an open question and answer period with the panel, with members noting that while the specifics may differ, the issue of cultural and religious syncretism is one that many countries face.

Translating the Word of God

Lutheran Bible Translators presents during the ILC’s 2025 World Conference. (Photo: T. Winger).

The afternoon continued with a presentation by Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT), a Recognized Organization of the International Lutheran Council. LBT’s Director of Partnerships and Scripture Engagement highlighted how, over the history of LBT, the organization has work to make God’s Word accessible in 223 languages, including 135 currently—work which it accomplishes in partnership with local church leaders. That total includes 48 milestone projects (translations of the New Testament and full Bibles), as well as lectionaries, liturgies, Bible apps, audio Bibles, and more.

Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG) then joined LBT’s representative for a discussion about the work of the organization. In the course of that discussion, Bishop Donkoh was presented with the first copy of the full Komba Bible—a project that the church in Ghana has been working with LBT on for 22 years. The two noted that a translation project like this one is a huge undertaking. The Komba language, for example, had never been written down before; before translation could begin, the language had to be studied, a writing system developed, and literacy taught so the Komba people could read and write their own language.

The day concluded with participants breaking into regional groups for continued conversation.

The ILC is grateful to Lutheran Bible Translators for providing today’s translation equipment.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: The Old Temple and the New

by | Sep 15, 2025

IELPA President Alton Alceu Figur preaches during the ILC’s 2025 World Conference. (Photo: T. Winger).

PHILIPPINES – The second day of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2025 World Conference began with a service of Matins, with Rev. Michael Blodgett serving as liturgist and President Alton Alceu Figur of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (IELPA) serving as preacher.

President Figur’s text was John 19:25-27, reflecting on Mary’s sorrow as she looked upon the death of her Son on a cross. In this account, President Figur said, “we are given the scene—the portrait—of the human misery that sin has brought into the world.” And sin continues to bring misery to our world today.

But Jesus’ death brings us hope, President Figur continued, because He assumed our flesh “and all the guilt it carries.” His suffering for the sins of humanity brings hope for this fallen world. “We are sent into this sin-broken world to cooperate in its restoration—restoration that is possible only by looking to the cross of the Saviour,” he said. “And there we see Christ as Mary saw Him—suffering out of love—teaching us that we too, in love for others, must take up our cross and follow Him as we “testify to this great and wonderful gift: salvation in Christ.”

Keynote address: The Old Temple and the New

The conference continued with the second of Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger’s keynote lectures, this time on “The Old Temple and the New,” drawing on Ephesians 2:22. Dr. Winger highlighted the connections between the worship of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament, in contrast to that of the “Pagan Temple” he had discussed in his first lecture.

Dr. Winger began by detailing the various rites which were part of the daily service in the Old Testament. “We have a tendency to think of Old Testament worship as a man-made attempt to appease God,” he noted, “but this is not a correct way to think of it.”

“These acts were not something that the Israelites were doing for the benefit of God,” he continued. “On the contrary, God served His people through all of the rites of the liturgy that He instituted for their benefit.”

Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger presents on “The Old Temple and the New Temple.”

Dr. Winger explained that the Old Testament rites ultimately point to Christ and to the new worship of the Christian Church. Such rites had several purposes, including “to teach God’s people the serious consequences of sin… to provide cleansing sanctification and forgiveness… to separate God’s people from the pagan world… to foretell the coming Messiah (the most important purpose)…  to prefigure the pattern of New Testament worship… [and] to prepare for the fellowship of heaven.”

Old Testament worship points, then, to New Testament worship—that period when the Gentiles would be incorporated into the worship life of God’s people. “In the history of Israel, the Gentiles had become isolated from this divine gift by their exclusion from Temple worship,” Dr. Winger noted. Later tradition had developed barriers to keep Gentiles from entering into the Temple. But “the Old Testament prophesied that in the Messianic age the Gentiles would again be brought close to God and into the precincts of His Temple” and that “the Lord’s presence [would] no longer be confined to Jerusalem, but [would] be wherever the Lord’s name is proclaimed.”

“Thus, we ought to understand Paul’s proclamation of a new spiritual Temple in Christ as more than just a figurative description of the unity of God’s people,” Dr. Winger suggested. “It is a picture of God’s people gathered in worship. The Church is a new Temple, but spiritually constructed.” This new Temple of Christian worship is marked by the “equal inclusion of all people… Trinitarian in pattern… spiritual sacrifices… where Christ is found with His Name and Word… and Word and Sacraments.”

ILC Membership and and a Presentation by CPH

General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz presents on the ILC.

The morning continued with a presentation by the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz. Dr. Schulz highlighted the nature of the International Lutheran Council and its work. He further discussed what it means to be a member of the ILC, as well as how the membership application works.

The morning ended with a presentation by Concordia Publishing House (CPH) President/CEO Jonathan D. Schultz and Vice President of Publishing, Rev. Dr. Jacob Corzine. The two highlighted the history of CPH as well as its present work today, ranging from major publications like The Lutheran Study Bible, Lutheran Service Book, and The Book of Concord to major series like Luther’s Works and the Concordia Commentary series to new resources for children and new digital apps.

CPH President/CEO Jonathan D. Schultz. (Photo: T. Winger).
CPH Vice President of Publishing, Rev. Dr. Jacob Corzine. (Photo: T. Winger).

The representatives of CPH invited participants in the conference to connect with CPH and discuss possibilities in which their church bodies might be able to benefit from CPH’s extensive Lutheran resources.

An example of that support was shared by Alison Blodgett, the ILC’s Business Manager and Treasurer. She noted that CPH had recently provided grants to assist the ILC in building up pastors’ libraries around the world through the Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP). To date, CPH has worked with the ILC to distribute books in Ghana, the Philippines, South Africa, South Sudan, and Tanzania.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

2025 World Conference: Dr. Winger begins keynote address

by | Sep 15, 2025

Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger speaks during the 2025 World Conference.

PHILIPPINES –The opening day of the ILC’s 2025 World Conference continued with the first session of this year’s three-part Keynote Address by Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger. Dr. Winger, who is President of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) and author of the Concordia Commentary volume on Ephesians, is speaking on Ephesians 2:11-22 in a series of talks entitled “The Spiritual Temple.”

Dr. Winger’s first presentation focused on “The Pagan Temple,” drawing on Ephesians 2:2. He began by discussing the pagan religious context which prevailed in Ephesus at the time of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, focusing especially on the religious observances which centered on the Temple of the Lady of Ephesus (Artemis).

The relationship between ancient pagans and their gods were very different than the Christian’s relationship with the true God, Dr. Winger noted. “Ancient pagans had no personal and loving relationship with their gods,” he explained. “The gods described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey are not holy, good, and merciful, but rather self-centered, cruel, vengeful, easily angered, and possessing all the character flaws found in fallen human beings.”

Consequently, Paul’s characterization of Gentiles as “people without hope,” makes sense, Dr. Winger explained, as human beings could not count on the pagan gods to have their best interest at heart—and this was especially true when it came to the issue of death. “The Pagan gods offer no solution to death,” Dr. Winger said. In this sense, then, “even though the pagans had many gods, they were truly ‘godless,’ because those gods were not there to help them.”

Indeed, these ‘gods’ were not really gods at all; they were actually “masks or disguises worn by the devil and his host of demons,” Dr. Winger said. But “Paul’s comforting message is that Christ has triumphed over the demons,” he continued. Paul wanted his audience to understand that spiritual enemies are real but Christians need not be afraid of them.

“Our goal in the battle is not to attack or defeat the enemy,” Dr. Winger explained, “but to stand in the victory Christ has already won…. We are to hold onto the gifts, cling to the Gospel. We don’t run outside the churchly fortress to engage the enemy on his turf, but we stand within the protection Christ has given us. We keep the good confession and thereby fight the good fight.”

What does that look today? Dr. Winger encouraged attendees to ground themselves in the victory of Christ by invoking “the name of God in private prayer and public worship.” This can be done in many ways, he noted: through the invocation and marking oneself with the sign of the cross, as per the Small Catechism, for example. We can also adorn our homes with the crucifix and Christian art. It includes speaking the Creed and the Our Father, “which are expositions of God’s name,” he noted. It can include praying Luther’s morning and evening prayers “that the evil foe may have no power over me.” It includes singing hymns; participating in the historic liturgy of the Divine Service; receiving God’s gifts in Word and Sacrament; forgiving one another; and consecrating the world and every aspect of daily life “with the Word of God and prayer.” In all these things, we invoke the name of God and “defeat the devil with God’s Word.”

Following a break, participants took part in small group discussions, discussing what issues of spiritual conflict look like in their own national contexts, and then sharing those conversations with the wider assembly in plenary discussion.

Greetings from LCEF and LHF

LCEF Assistant Vice President Blake Brown. (Photo: T. Winger)
LHF’s Philippines coordinator Arlene Reyes. (Photo: T. Winger)
LHF’s Coordinator for South East Asia, Rev. Dr. Ted NaThalang.

The first day of the conference also saw participants receive greetings and presentations by Lutheran parachurch organizations. Assistant Vice President Blake Brown of Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) highlighted the mission of the LCEF, explaining how it supports the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and further noting their work partnering with international partners.

Greetings were also received from Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF). First to speak was Arlene Reyes, who coordinates LHF work in the Philippines. Reyes noted the recent translation of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories into Tagalog. Rev. Dr. Ted NaThalang—President of the Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church and LHF’s Coordinator for Southeast Asia—spoke next, highlighting the history and ongoing work of LHF in translating Lutheran resources into other languages. Since its inception in 1992, he noted, LHF has operated in more than 100 countries and worked on projects in more than 180 languages.

The first session of the conference ended with a service of Responsive Prayer (Suffrages) led by Rev. Michael Blodgett, who is serving as a conference chaplain.

The Loboc Children’s Choir performs at the ILC’s 2025 World Conference.

Dinner that night featured a Welcome Reception graciously sponsored by Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Participants received greetings from local dignitaries, including from the Mayor of Panglao and from the Governor of Bohol’s office, and enjoyed a concert by the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir.

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For more news from the ILC’s 2025 World Conference, click here.

ILC’s 2025 World Conference begins

by | Sep 14, 2025

ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola preaches during the opening service of the ILC’s 2025 World Conference in the Philippines. Photo: T. Winger.

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

LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes and ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz address the convention. Photo: T. Winger.

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.

Convention participants take part in the convention’s opening worship service. Photo: T. Winger.

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.

ILC welcomes Lutheran Bible Translators as a Recognized Organization

by | Sep 9, 2025

USA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has welcomed Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) into the ILC as a Recognized Organization.

The decision to accept Lutheran Bible Translators into membership was made by the ILC’s Board of Directors earlier this year. LBT is an independent American-based mission organization which focuses on Bible translation and engagement. Founded in 1964, LBT partners with local church leaders in Africa, the Middle East, Papua New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and the United States to increase access to God’s Word in peoples’ heart languages.

“For over 60 years, LBT has been dedicated to making God’s Word accessible to all people in the languages they understand best,” noted Rev. Dr. Richard C. Rudowske Jr., Executive Director/CEO of LBT, in LBT’s application to the ILC. “We believe that a formal partnership with the ILC would strengthen our shared mission of proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world.”

Lutheran Bible Translators highlighted several reasons for seeking membership in the ILC, including LBT’s and the ILC’s shared confessional commitment and the opportunity for global Lutheran collaboration, among others. “Our current and planned initiatives align closely with the ILC’s mission to ‘encourage, strengthen, and promote confessional Lutheran theology and practice around the world,’” Dr. Rudowske said. “By ensuring that God’s Word is accessible in the heart languages of people worldwide, we contribute to the spiritual growth of existing Lutheran communities and support the proclamation of the Gospel in unreached areas.”

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies and organizations 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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