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ILC World Seminaries Conference: Identity Politics and the Church

by | Jun 13, 2024

Participants listen to a livestreamed lecture but Rev. Dr. Boris Gunjevic of Westfield House, Cambridge.

ARGENTINA – The World Seminaries Conference continued during the afternoon of June 12 with a presentation on issues surrounding identity and identity politics.

Rev. Dr. Boris Gunjevic of Westfield House, Cambridge (United Kingdom) gave a lecture entitled “Crucifixion of Identity: Resurrection of +”. Dr. Gunjevic gave his talk via livestream.

“Once we were persons,” Dr. Gunjevic began. “Now we are reduced to identities. How did this happen?” Dr. Gunjevic went on to explain the development of the concept of personhood—tracing it from the classical period, through the patristic era, and into the middle ages—vis-à-vis the concept of identity (which was originally just “one aspect of a person”). “Person and identity are intertwined,” Dr. Gunjevic explained, “since person is a metaphysical category and not only a psychological category as we are used to think in late modernity.”

Over time, persons became reduced to “subjects” and then “legal entities simply called ‘corpi’—bodies,” Dr. Gunjevic noted. “Subjects became ‘disciplined bodies’ under authority of the state.” Eventually, we become also the “self.” “The process of transformation of person into subject and subject into self,” Dr. Gunjevic said, “and the process of individual becoming identity… is one process observed from different points of view.”

Dr. Gunjevic is introduced by Dr. Cynthia Lumley.

Contemporary culture diminishes people into identities—both those self-chosen by the individual but also by wider society. “It’s not just how I identify,” he continued, “but also how I am identified by others.”

But the Christian understanding of “identity” is dramatically different, as articulated in Galatians 3:25-29. “The resurrection of Jesus [is] the beginning of a new creation, which is the birth of a new humanity—something that has not been seen before.”

“Paul claims that uniquely distinctive properties”—that is, our “identities”—of being a member of a certain class, sex, race, or social status should be questioned” as a result of “the new creation that is on the eschatological horizon,” Dr. Gunjevic explained. “These identifies are simply deactivated, and we say together with Paul that they should be crucified to be resurrected.”

“There is something very undignified about labeling a human being as an identity, to put him in a box… and then tell them how to perform this identity in life,” Dr. Gunjevic argued. Christians ought not reduce themselves—nor allow themselves to be reduced—to anything less than Paul’s vision in Galatians. “To be crucified with Christ… represents what it means to live from faith to faith,” he said. “It is a slow process of becoming a new unknown identity that is neither more nor less than the refusal of any identity and all forms of identification.”

“In Christ as a new creation, we received the dignity of true uniqueness, of someone who is singular,” Dr. Gunjevic continued. “If I am crucified with Christ and I live in the power of His resurrection this means that I crucify my identity with everything that I called mine.”

In a world which desires to reduce people to identity politics, Dr. Gunjevic encouraged Christians to reject all such identities—and to do so subversively by reclaiming the “+” (or plus) from the initialism “LGBTQ+”. “Instead of being one or other identity, we should choose the +,” he said, “since Jesus was crucified on the +.”

“This + is the cross with which we must identify ourselves,” he continued. “As a Church faithful to preach Law and Gospel, we should reject any form of identity politics, any form of identity. We should accept the position that human sexuality, or any form of social, economic, and political relations should be embraced by the cross and crucifixion.”

“In times when people are possessed with the problem of identity, refusal of any identity is perhaps the only identity that we as Christians can claim,” Dr. Gunjevic concluded.

Plenary discussion touching on Christian anthropology followed.

Regional Reports

Reports from the Africa region.

The afternoon concluded with regional reports from Africa, North America, and Latin America.

Rev. Dr. John Miruka, Deputy Principal of Neema Lutheran College in Kenya, presented a summary on behalf of the African region, noting similar challenges among many members: challenges with accreditation; limited resources; and growing church bodies, requiring increased need for training pastors and deacons. Other participants gave a brief report focusing on their individual institutions: Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Boafo of Ghana’s Lutheran Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. Heinz Hiestermann, Rector of South Africa’s Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane; Azouma Djougue Yembore, Administrator of the Centre Luthérien d’Études Théologiques in Togo; Rev. Dr. Daniel Mono reporting on plans to open a seminary in his diocese in Tanzania; Rev. Volmir da Rocha, Principal of the Lutheran Theological College Uganda; and Dr. Miruka on Neema Lutheran College in Kenya, along with its Principle, Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo.

Reports from North American seminaries.

North American representatives reported next, with each speaker highlighting challenges and opportunities in their current situation. Commonalities between some of the seminaries included changes in seminary leadership, faculty changeover, and some positive news about student recruitment. Representatives from the United States spoke first: Rev. Dr. Ronald Mudge, Provost of Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri); Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Professor of Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana); and Rev. Dr. Chris Caughey of the American Lutheran Theological Seminary. Representatives of Canadian seminaries spoke next, including Rev. Dr. James Kellerman of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) and Rev. Dr. Joel Heck, Interim President of Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton, Alberta).

Reports from the Latin American region.

The Latin American region presented last, with Rev. Dr. Sergio Schelske, Director of Seminario Concordia in Argentina introducing their region. A written report from Chile was read, with apologies about not being able to attend in person due to another event in their church body. Brazil’s seminary also sent its regrets, as their church body and seminary are still dealing with the effects of devastating flooding in Brazil. The rest of the members reported on their own situations individually: Rev. Rev. Eliezer Mendoza, Director of Instituto Teológico Juan de Frías in Venezuela; Rev. Eugenio Wentzel, Director of the Instituto Biblico Adolfo Dilley in Paraguay; and Rev. Prof Antonio Schimpf of Seminario Concordia in Argentina.

A service of vespers followed, with Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Boafo, Principle of the Lutheran Theological Seminary – Ghana, preaching.

Alternatives to the Classical Seminary

Rev. Dr. Alexei Streltsov.

After supper, participants enjoyed a sectional by Rev. Dr. Alexei Streltsov of the Theological Seminary of Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia. Dr. Streltsov spoke on “Training Pastors in a Post-Christian World: Are there any Alternatives to the Classical Seminary?”

With seminaries in some places in the world becoming less and less viable, Dr. Streltsov suggested it would be wise for Lutheran churches to prepare a “Plan B” to ensure the continued training of pastors in the event traditional residential seminary education becomes impossible. “What do we do when seminaries no longer promote correct doctrine and practice, or if seminaries are no longer viable and have major sustainability issues?” Dr. Streltsov asked. He suggested the answer lies in a master-apprentice model—a model derived from Christ and His own disciples—through which the content of a traditional seminary education might be safeguarded even as the method of delivery changes. In such a system, bishops and pastors could direct the studies of individual students in a “decidedly personal character of preparation for the ministry.”

Such a plan has many positives, he explained, but should be regarded as a secondary option. “Solid and prosperous seminaries doing their work should continue their operations,” Dr. Streltsov said. “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” But for churches in difficult circumstances—in the midst of persecution or in places where residential seminary programs become impossible—the master-apprentice model should be seriously considered.

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Find more news on the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference here.

ILC World Seminaries Conference: Government Interference in Seminary Education

by | Jun 12, 2024

Rev. Dr. James A. Kellerman speaks during the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference.

ARGENTINA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2024 World Seminaries Conference continued during the morning of June 12, addressing the issue of government interference in seminary education.

The morning began with a service of Matins, with Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim preaching. A lecture followed, with Rev. Dr. James A. Kellerman of Canada’s Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) speaking. Dr. Kellerman discussed the challenges which face seminaries in terms of government interference. “Yes, seminaries are attacked and closed by governments,” he said. “But such events usually occur under regimes hostile to the idea of freedom of religion.” And even then, it is more common for pastor and members of local congregations to face anti-Christian persecution, not “a seminary located five hundred kilometres away.”

Still, the decline of religiosity and increase in secularization in places like Canada raise concerns for seminary education. Immigration holds back that secularization in part, since many immigrants “are more religious than native-born Canadians,” Dr. Kellerman noted. But their children are generally expected to adopt “secular values and become as indifferent to religion as native-born Canadians are.” With the decline in religion, then, seminaries and religious colleges in Canada continue to decline. “Canada is a perfect storm of secularism,” Dr. Kellerman explained. “Actual practice of religion (and especially Christianity) has sharply declined. Religion plays a small role in post-secondary education and none in politics. And everywhere you turn, you find virulent anti-Christian propaganda.”

Canadian law recognizes religion as a fundamental freedom, including its communal, public, and educational aspects, among others. But the existence of Canada’s notwithstanding clause means governments can theoretically suspend these rights—something notably done in Quebec with its Act Respecting the Laicity of the People, which bans government employees (including teachers) from wearing religious items of clothing, headgear, or jewelry. “The law underscores Quebec’s hostility to religion in the public sphere,” Dr. Kellerman noted, “but it does not directly interfere with church or seminary operations.”

There have also been worrying changes in prominent court cases touching on religious education. In 2001, for example, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that graduates from a teaching education program at Trinity Western University (an Evangelical college) could not be banned by the province. But in 2018, however, the Supreme Court ruled against the same university when it attempted to open a law school, permitting provincial law societies from banning graduates from the program.

Delegates discuss the topic of government interference in seminary education.

A different case ruled that religious schools could not be forced to teach its own faith in an “objective”—which is to say, secular—manner. “Seminaries can take heart,” Dr. Kellerman said. “If even [religious elementary and secondary] schools have the right to teach their faith in a non-neutral manner, how much more seminaries have that right.” Nevertheless, the cases against Trinity Western University in 2018 are a symptom of the religious atmosphere in Canada. Seminaries may not be called “to train students to serve in the public sphere,” he noted, but the rulings “underscore the secularization that the North Atlantic world is experiencing.”

“Seminaries in strongly secular countries do not necessarily face a great threat from direct government interference,” Dr. Kellerman says. But there is danger from other groups that “may have no legal authority but can muster great power.” For example, academic unions protest the right of religious institutions to require faculty to teach in accordance with the institution’s religious beliefs. A prominent union has expressly called on public universities to reject partnerships with any academic institution which requires its faculty to teach in conformity with a religious creed—a real concern for the numerous Christian seminaries in Canada which are housed on the grounds of public universities. So even when government is not actively interfering in seminary education, there may be other forces in the wider culture that threaten them.

“Part of our task as seminaries is to train pastors to guide their flock in a world increasingly hostile to the Christian faith,” Dr. Kellerman concluded.  “But, at the same time, we can rejoice and thank God that extreme secularization has not yet meant the government prevents seminaries from fulfilling their calling.”

Plenary discussion followed, during which seminary representatives discussed other aspects of potential government interference in seminary education around the world.

Asia and Europe report

Rev. Dr. P. R. Selvaraj.
Rev. Dr. Tom Park.

The morning also featured regional reports from representatives in the ILC’s Asia and Europe world regions.

The Asia region went first, with representatives speaking on the state of Lutheran theological education in India, Taiwan, and South Korea. Rev. Dr. P. R. Selvaraj, Principal of India’s Concordia Theological Seminary, Nagercoil, discussed the history and current status of their institution, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Rev. Dr. Tom Park, a theological educator from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, discussed the situation in Taiwan, where confessional Lutherans are exploring establishing their own seminary. And Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim discussed the growth of the South Korean church’s Luther University.

Dr. Cynthia Lumley, Rev. Dr. Alexey Streltsov, Rt. Rev. Rinald Grants; Rev. Dr. Gilberto da Silva; Rev. Sakarias Ingolfsson; and Rev. Constantin Subbotin.

The Europe region reported next, with Dr. Cynthia Lumley of Westfield House, Cambridge in England providing a summary report outlining common challenges and opportunities seminaries in Europe are facing. Representatives of each of the six seminaries present then provided additional comment on their own institution’s current status: Rev. Dr. Alexey Streltsov, Rector of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Russia; Rt. Rev. Rinald Grants of Luther Academy in Latvia; Rev. Dr. Gilberto da Silva of Lutherische Theologische Hochschule in Germany; Rev. Sakarias Ingolfsson of AdFontes in Norway and Iceland; Rev. Constantin Subbotin of the Ingrian church’s Theological Institute in Russia; and Dr. Lumley for Westfield House in England.

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Find more news on the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference here.

ILC World Seminaries Conference: The Impact of Church and State on Theological Education

by | Jun 12, 2024

Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim and Rev. Prof. Clécio Schadech (both seated) answer questions during plenary discussion following their presentations.

ARGENTINA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2024 World Seminaries Conference continued in the afternoon of June 11, with two presentations providing historical perspectives on the relationship between church and state and what it means for theological education.

Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim spoke first. His presentation, “The Korean Situation and Christian Education,” explored the afternoon’s topic from the perspective of countries—like his own—which have never had a majority Christian population. Dr. Kim is Interim President of Luther Theological University in South Korea, and serves as the Asia Representative on the ILC Seminary Relations Committee.

Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim presents at the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference.

Dr. Kim discussed the early history of Christianity in Korea, noting how it was Christian churches that brought modern education to the region and highlighting the role Christian schools played in fostering an environment for Korea’s independence movement during Japanese rule. He noted how “Japan’s enforcement of shrine worship was a serious challenge” to Christians, and that many schools chose to close rather than commit idolatry. But “because Christian missionaries played a very important role in Korea’s independence,” he noted, the new authorities after Korean independence permitted the establishment of Christian educational institutions.

In recent years, however, some Korean churches have begun to focus on social issues, and “as a result, churches began to be viewed as political gatherings,” he said. In this new context, governing authorities have begun to view Christian education more as a hindrance than a help, and have enacted new legislation which strips certain freedoms—namely, the ability to choose their own employees—from educational institutions founded by churches.

“It is true that the church must strive for social development,” Dr. Kim said. “However, these are secondary things compared to the primary goal of the church: praising and serving God. Therefore, the church should continue to have a humble and steady attitude and practice of being loyal to the small tasks entrusted to it first rather than leading the development of the world.” If we focus too much on social issues, he cautioned, we risk leaving ourselves exposed to unnecessary temptation and attacks from the outside world.

Rev. Prof. Clécio Schadech spoke next, addressing the theme from the perspective of countries that at one point had a majority Christian population but now no longer do. Prof. Schadech is a professor with Seminario Concordia in Argentina.

Prof. Schadech began his presentation by exploring the fortunes of the early Church in its Eastern context. For some time, he noted Christians lived in significant numbers in places like modern day Iran and Iraq. Even in what was “slowly becoming a Muslim world,” Prof. Schadech noted, “Eastern Christians played a critical role in politics and culture.” But toleration eventually changed to hostility, and the number of Christians in these regions diminished dramatically—from an overwhelming majority in some areas (and a large minority in others) to a tiny minority throughout the East.

Rev. Prof. Clécio Schadech presents at the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference.

Elsewhere in the world, Christians would themselves consolidate political power in response to political upheaval and predatory warlords. “A popular lay movement joined by reform-minded bishops called for a change,” Prof. Schadech explained, ultimately leading to a “renewal of the papacy as the supreme authority” in opposition to predatory earthly rulers. “As a consequence of the strength of the papal authority,” Prof. Schadech said, even the “supreme authority of the emperor over Christendom came to be questioned.” In time, the church would become synonymous with “Christendom” and the state would come to be viewed “as an instrument for the church.”

This was of course challenged in the Reformation, Prof. Schadech continued, with its understanding of the distinct roles of church and state. But in the centuries since, the concept of distinct roles has been supplanted instead by a complete separation between church and state, with spirituality increasingly relegated out of public and into the inner-life of the mind. “We are now living in a ‘post-secular’ context of ‘devaluated values,’ Prof. Schadech argued, “where everyone is invited to voluntarily construct his own spirituality, while in the public arena the ‘norms’ of society must prevail.”

In such a world, Prof. Schadech cautioned, Christians should not think of themselves as God’s “advocate.” Instead, he said, Christians should simply “proclaim God’s Word, faithfully distinguishing Law and Gospel, believing that the Word of God creates what it promises.”  The goal of theological education, therefore, must be to “train people to proclaim faithfully the Word for and in the world, without being too much concerned with the temporal structure of the church.”

Due to scheduling conflicts, the conference held Vespers after the plenary discussion which followed Dr. Kim and Prof. Schadech’s presentations. Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo, Principal of Neema Lutheran College in Kenya and Africa Region representative on the ILC’s Seminary Relations Committee, preached for the service.

The day concluded with a presentation by Rev. Dr. David InyangImuk on “The Challenge of Islam.” Because of problems with his flights, Dr. Imuk—who is Rector of Jonathan Ekong Memorial Lutheran Seminary in Nigeria—was unable to be present at the conference in person and spoke instead via livestream. The plenary discussion that followed explored the importance of understanding Islam better but also the challenges that it poses for Christians today.

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Find more news on the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference here.

ILC World Seminaries Conference opens in Argentina

by | Jun 11, 2024

ARGENTINA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 8th World Seminaries Conference is taking place from June 11-14 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The theme for the conference is “Church and State: Challenges and Opportunities for Seminary Education.”

Participating in this year’s conference are representatives from the seminaries and theological programs of 21 church bodies in 19 different countries, as well as a number of other guests. Nations represented at the conference include Argentina, Canada, England, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, the United States of America, and Venezuela.

Theological Perspectives on Church and State

ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola speaks at the 2024 World Seminaries Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The morning of the first day of the conference featured a presentation by Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF). Bishop Pohjola, who also serves as Chairman of the International Lutheran Council, presented on “Theological Perspectives on Church and State.”

“The question of spiritual and earthy authority and how they relate to each other has been an issue for every Christian generation,” Bishop Pohjola noted. Different periods of history have seen different approaches to the question: sometimes the state has been elevated over the Church; sometimes the Church has exercised authority over the state; and sometimes they have been treated as entirely different entities that are unrelated to each other.

Lutherans take a different view, Bishop Pohjola continued. “The three estates—Church, marriage, and the civil state—are instituted by God and are His good gifts,” he explained. For that reason, Christians are called to actively participate in all these areas, “always recognizing that the civil state power is not absolute but limited.”

Christians must recognize therefore “not a separation but a distinction between civil authority and the Church” without confusing them, Bishop Pohjola said. “The civil power may not interfere with the holy calling of the Church to preach the salvific Gospel of Christ,” he explained, “and the Church must not use sword and coercion in her mission or focus on civic and mundane matters in a way that overshadows her true calling.” The state is based on the Law, and is “guided by reason and justice grounded on man’s moral nature written in one’s heart.” It looks to the things of this world. But the Church is based on the Gospel: it has, “with its Word and Sacrament ministry, different methods and ends than the secular authorities.” It must speak prophetically to wider society; but it must remain “vigilant that her message… remains always Christ-, cross-, and salvation-centered.”

Bishop Pohjola went on to explain Luther’s conception of two kinds of righteousness in relation to Church and state; to explain how God’s good gifts of church and state can be corrupted to persecute the true Church; the Church’s call to obey conscience and God’s Word in the face of outward pressure; and the importance of the Church in a post-Constantinian age to learn anew how to live like the Pre-Constantine church.

Plenary discussion on the topic followed the presentation.

Worship and Greetings

The ILC Seminaries Relation Committee: Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim (Asia), Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz (ILC General Secretary), Rev. Dr. Sergio Schelske (Latin America), Rev. Dr. Roland Ziegler (North America & Committee Chairman), Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo (Africa), and Dr. Cynthia Lumley (Europe).

Prior to Bishop Pohjola’s talk, the conference formally opened with a service of Matins. Serving as liturgist was Rev. Prof. Clécio Leocir Schadech of Argentina, who is conference chaplain, and accompanying on piano was Rev. Claudio Hennig, also of Argentina. Rev. Dr. Roland Ziegler, professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, preached for the first service of Matins. Dr. Ziegler is also chairman of the ILC Seminary Relations Committee as well as its North America representative.

IELA President Arturo Truenow speaks at the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference.

Following worship, participants were welcomed to Argentina by President Arturo Truenow of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Argentina – IELA). “It is a joy to have you here,” President Truenow said. “May God give us a pleasant time for reflection,” he said, “and nurture us with the Gospel.” President Truenow also discussed the context in which the Argentinian church operates, noting also several milestones in the life of the IELA, including the 80th anniversary of its seminary in 2022 and the upcoming 120th anniversary of the IELA in 2025.

Dr. Sergio Schelske shows some of the books given to the seminary in Argentina by the ILC.

Rev. Dr. Roland Ziegler then brought greetings from the ILC Seminary Relations Committee, which organizes the triennial World Seminaries Conference. He also expressed thanks to those who have helped organize the event, especially the ILC’s Business Manager, Alison Blodgett; and Rev. Dr. Sergio Schelske, Latin America representative on the Seminary Relations Committee and Director of the IELP’s Seminario Concordia, which is hosting the conference. In thanks for the seminary’s hospitality, the ILC presented it with a series of Concordia Commentary volumes, published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH).

Later in the morning, the conference received video greetings from Concordia Publishing House. CPH is a valued partner of the International Lutheran Council, especially in theological education through the ILC’s Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP). All delegates to the World Seminaries Conference received a gift subscription from CPH for their new digital app of The Lutheran Study Bible. The ILC also gave each participant a copy of the book, Lutheran Preaching? Law and Gospel Proclamation, which was also published by CPH.

ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz greets the conference.

The morning ended with greetings from Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the ILC. “The value of this conference is crucial,” Dr. Schulz said, given the increasing challenges to confessional Lutheran faith and practice in the world today. “I believe that we as Lutheran pastors, instructors, and teachers have a duty to promote our faith in such a way that students understand it, take it on, and promote it among their churches and elsewhere.”

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Find more news on the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference here.

Lutherans in Turkey and Bulgaria join the ILC

by | Jun 3, 2024

The ILK congregation in Istanbul, Turkey.

TURKEY – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has welcomed the Istanbul Lutheran Church (İstanbul Luteryen Kilisesi – ILK)/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria (Евангелиска Лутеранска Църква в България – ELCB) as an observer member in the ILC. The decision came at a meeting of the ILC’s board of directors earlier this year.

“It is a joy to welcome the Istanbul Lutheran Church/Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria into the International Lutheran Council,” said ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz. “We thank God for this new partnership, and we pray that God will bless our work together on behalf of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The ILK/ELCB has applied also for full membership in the International Lutheran Council, but decisions on full membership can take place only at a World Conference. The ILC’s next World Conference will take place in 2025.

“We are very glad that the ILC has granted us observer status, and we are grateful that God provides His people with opportunities for fellowship, cooperation, and solidarity,” said Rev. Bahadir Argönül of the Istanbul Lutheran Church. In fact, this connection with other faithful Lutherans was the impetus behind the church’s decision to apply in the first place. “We want to join the ILC in order to get to know other churches with whom we share a common confessional Lutheran faith,” explained Leading Pastor Feymi Madjirov of Peshtera, “and to work together with them for the proclamation of the Gospel and the Lutheran doctrine.”

The ELCB congregation in Peshtera, Bulgaria.

The ILK/ELCB is one church body serving Turkish-speaking Lutherans in two nations: Turkey and Bulgaria. Lutheranism was first established in Turkey in 1709, when Sweden sent a Lutheran pastor to serve in Constantinople. A chapel built on the grounds of the Swedish Embassy followed in 1748. That Lutheran ministry came to a hiatus near the end of the 19th century, but late in the 20th century, Finnish Lutherans living in Turkey came together to form a new congregation out of the original chapel. The congregation called Rev. Risto Soramies—who would later become Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF)—to serve as their first pastor, as he had previously served a Turkish-speaking Lutheran congregation in Germany.

The Istanbul Lutheran Church was formally established in 2003, with its Bulgarian branch—the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bulgaria—following in 2005. Today the church has about 200 members, with two congregations in Turkey (Istanbul and Ismir) and two congregations in Bulgaria (Peshtera and Krushevo).

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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Brazil’s Lutherans reach out amidst catastrophic flooding

by | May 24, 2024

Devastating flooding in Brazil. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert. CC BY-SA 2.0.

BRAZIL – Lutherans in Brazil are reaching out with the love of Christ as they struggle in the aftermath of devastating floods—the worst the country has experienced in 80 years.

Beginning at the end of April and continuing through May, the state of Rio Grande do Sul has experienced massive flooding. More than 160 people are confirmed dead, others are still missing, and hundreds more are injured. Nearly 600,000 people have been displaced, with close to 70,000 people currently living in emergency shelters.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Igreja Evangelica Luterana do Brasil – IELB) is experiencing the devastation firsthand; more than half of the church’s members live in the affected state. “In Rio Grande do Sul, heavy rains are causing destruction like never before,” explains IELB President Geraldo Schüler. “There are hundreds of municipalities partially or completely destroyed. Many people have died because of the floods and landslides, thousands of homes have been destroyed, and many people are missing.”

Congregação Concórdia, a 120 year old IELB church in São Leopoldo, under water. Photo: IELB.

The IELB reports that 14 of their churches are known to have suffered damage in the flooding; some, like the Congregação São João in Novo Hamburgo, still remain submerged. A number of Lutheran schools have also been affected. Seven pastors have completely lost their homes and everything inside them. Other pastors managed to save a few belongings and escape by car, while others lost even their cars. The full impact on church members remains impossible to assess at this point, but many of them have lost their homes and been displaced.

Flooding at Editora Concórdia. Photo: IELB.

The church’s publishing house, Editora Concórdia, also remains underwater. “We still don’t have a real understanding of how things are there,” the IELB reports, “and we confess, we are afraid of what we will find.”

“This catastrophe is unprecedented,” says IELB Vice President Airton Schroeder, who oversees social ministry in the church body. But while the creation may have been devastated, he says, “the Creator remains the same yesterday, today and forever. The Creator has shown His mercy through Christians and non-Christians alike, caring for one another. But He has especially demonstrated His mercy through those who, in the midst of tragedy, look to the cross and realize that human life on Earth is temporary and testify to the love of Jesus Christ in words and actions, working to minimize the suffering of their neighbour.”

Lutherans reach out

Relief efforts at the Lutheran University of Brazil. Photo: IELB.

Even as Rio Grande do Sul is facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation, Brazil’s Lutherans are reaching out with critical care and support. The Lutheran University of Brazil in Canoas, for example, is hosting more than 8,000 people who have been displaced—the largest such shelter in the country. In São Leopoldo, meanwhile, the church’s seminary, Seminário Concórdia, is likewise hosting displaced people who have been referred to them by the city, primarily elderly people and those with special needs. Faculty, students, and family are all involved in caring and feeding those on campus, as well as distributing food to people in other locations.

Faculty, students, and families at Seminário Concórdia prepare food for those affected by the floods. Photo: IELB.

“We are facing many difficulties because of this huge flooding,” said President Schüler. “But this is also an important opportunity for the church to share God’s great love, and this is being done in a wonderful way through the congregations and institutions linked to the IELB.” IELB congregations have provided assistance in numerous ways, ranging from rescuing people caught in the flooding; providing shelter in unaffected buildings; collecting and distributing necessities like food, water, blankets, clothing, and hygiene goods; raising emergency funds; and of course providing pastoral care to people in the midst of great suffering.

As of May 22, the IELB has raised more than R$1,850,000 for relief work, and already distributed R$500,000 for emergency food, life-protecting supplies, and other needs. You can find out more about the IELB’s ongoing response to the crisis and its Disaster Response Fund on the IELB’s website here (in Portuguese).

Chances are the work will continue for some time. Authorities have suggested it will be months—perhaps even years—before life in in the affected areas returns to normal.

“I encourage all Christians around the world to remember Brazil in prayer,” said General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “The people are facing great sorrow and loss in this time. May God strengthen the work of authorities as they seek to preserve life and property in Brazil. And may He bless the work of our friends in the IELB, as they offer practical care and comfort in the name of Jesus Christ to all those who have been affected by this tragedy.”

The ILC, of which the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil is a member, is a global association of confessional Lutheran churches grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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Consecration and installation of Bishops for Sudan/South Sudan

by | May 7, 2024

LCN Archbishop Christian Ekong presents the newly installed ELCSS/S Presiding Bishop Peter Anibati Abia (centre).

SOUTH SUDAN – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan (ELCSS/S) held the consecration and installation of its first Presiding Bishop and four diocesan bishops on May 5, 2024, at St. Paul Cathedral in Yambio, South Sudan.

Installed as Presiding Bishop is Rev. Peter Anibati Abia, who was first elected to lead the ELCSS/S as Bishop in December 2016. He was subsequently elected to serve as Presiding Bishop at the ELCSS/S’ General Convention in December 2023.

The change in title from “Bishop” to “Presiding Bishop” reflects developments in the structure of the ELCSS/S, with the church establishing the office of diocesan bishops at its 2023 General Convention. Presiding Bishop Abia serves the Western Equatoria diocese; elected to serve the four other dioceses as bishop are Rev. Ogiki Benjamin (Central and Eastern Equatoria), Rev. Peter Chuol (Jonglei), Rev. Simon Gatluak (Upper Nile), and Rev. Musa Alabina (Sudan). All four diocesan bishops were consecrated and installed into office alongside Presiding Bishop Abia at the May 2024 service. Other officers installed during the service included the church’s General Secretary and the Assistant to the Bishop for the Western Equatoria diocese.

The ELCSS/S’ diocesan bishops are consecrated and installed.

International guests present for the consecration and installation service were Archbishop Christian Ekong of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN); Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya (ELCK); Bishop David Tswaedi of the Confessional Lutheran Church of South Africa; Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU); and Bishop Yohana Nzelu of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD).

The procession to the consecration and installation service.

The ELCSS/S was founded in 1993 and has approximately 150,000 members. In 2022, the church was accepted as an observer member in the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of confessional Lutheran churches.

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Finnish Bible Trial: Supreme Court will hear appeal against MP and Bishop

by | Apr 22, 2024

Bishop Juhana Pohjola (left) and Dr. Päivi Räsänen (right) at the appeal hearings in Helsinki. Photo: ELMDF.

FINLAND – The Supreme Court of Finland has announced it will allow prosecutors to appeal the exoneration of Finnish Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen, and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. A date for the trial has not yet been set.

Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were first charged with hate speech in 2021 for their articulation of historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. They stood trial at the Helsinki District Court in 2022 but were unanimously acquitted by a panel of three judges, declaring: “It is not the role of the district court to interpret biblical concepts.” That decision was appealed to the Helsinki Court of Appeals, where the two were again unanimously acquitted on all charges in 2023.

“I’m not surprised but I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to grant leave to appeal,” Bishop Pohjola said in response to the latest developments. “I am confident that the Supreme Court will also deliver an acquittal which, as a precedent, may in the future help to ensure that no one else in a state under the rule of law has to endure such an incomprehensible and tiresome process—a situation which we have been facing now for nearly five years.”

The charges against Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola focus on a 2004 booklet by Dr. Räsänen, as well as comments made by her during a radio interview and in a tweet (which included a picture of a Bible verse). Bishop Pohjola was charged for his role as the publisher of the 2004 booklet. Following the ruling of the Helsinki Court of Appeals, the prosecution has appealed only two of the three acquittals to the Supreme Court: those related to the booklet and the tweet.

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow another appeal, Dr. Räsänen said that she is “ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court and, if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.” She continued: “I have considered it a privilege and an honour to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.”

In the face of state-sanctioned persecution, Bishop Pohjola continues to encourage Christians to speak openly about their faith. “Although I’m accused of hate speech incitement against a group of people, we continue boldly to teach the intrinsic value of every human being and also God’s will and design for human sexuality and family,” he said. “This is not the time to step back and be silent but in love and truth to confess the good created order and God’s institution of marriage between a man and a woman, and to share from the empty tomb Christ’s wonderful gift of forgiveness of sins for all people.”

The ongoing prosecution of Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola has drawn global expressions of dismay and concern over the state of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Finland. “The news of the Finnish Supreme Court to hear the case against Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen is disturbing to all who have followed the situation closely for some time now,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “The trial process seems endless and tiring. Our thoughts and prayers are with both Dr Rasanen and Bishop Pohjola in hope of a ruling that finally exonerates them of all prosecution.”

The ILC has drawn repeated attention to the situation in Finland, encouraging prayer, organizing a speaking tour, and issuing a public letter signed by the heads of 45 Lutheran church bodies worldwide. In another show of support, church leaders gathered in Kenya for the ILC’s 2022 World Conference elected Bishop Pohjola to serve as Chairman of the ILC. As he and Dr. Räsänen face the prospect of another trial, Bishop Pohjola is expressing gratitude for all those who have supported and prayed for them: “I am thankful for all the support, encouragement, and intercession among ILC churches and beyond.”

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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A “Fabulous” LLDP session in Wittenberg

by | Apr 19, 2024

Participants stand in front of the Church of St. Anne with Eisleben in the background. From the left: Rev. Johanesa Andriamanarinjato, Bishop of Fisakana Synod, Malagasy Lutheran Church (FLM); Rev. Dr. Yohana Nzelu, Bishop of South East of Lake Victoria Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (SELVD-ELCT); Rev. Ambele Mwaipopo, Bishop of Lake Tanganyika Diocese (LTD-ELCT); Rev. Fredirick Flores, Secretary of North Luzon Highland District, Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP); Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS); Rev. Peter Abia, Presiding Bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan (ELCSS/S); Rev. Dr. Yacob Godebo, Director of PhD Program at Mekane Yesus Seminary (MYS), Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY); Rev. Martin Paul, Third Pastor in the Synodical Council, Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA); Rev. Jackson Mushendwa, Bishop of Western Diocese (WD-ELCT); Rev. Dr. David Imuk, Rector of Jonathan Ekong Memorial Lutheran Seminary (JEMLS), Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN); Rev. Boss Sebeelo, Deputy Bishop of Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA); and Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Director of the Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP) and Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW).

GERMANY – Church leaders from eight countries in Africa and Asia gathered in Wittenberg in late February for a session of the Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP). This two-year program holds one of its six sessions in Wittenberg so participants can experience the birthplace of the Reformation.

Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki teaches “Theology of the Lutheran Confessions.”

During the first week, LLDP Director, Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, taught “Theology of the Lutheran Confessions.” President Matthew Harrison of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) joined for the second week to lead “History of the Lutheran Church.” As an important component of their studies, participants visited many sites significant in the unfolding of the Reformation.

In Wittenberg, the participants explored Luther House, Melanchthon House, Cranach House, Luther’s Oak, Leucorea (University of Wittenberg), City Church (St. Mary’s), Castle Church, Luther and Melanchthon’s Monuments, City Hall, and of course the Old Latin School where the managing director, Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Weber, welcomed LLDP to use its chapel for daily Matins. Outside Wittenberg, the group travelled to Eisleben to visit Luther’s birth and death houses, the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul where Luther was baptized, the Church of St. Andrew where he preached his last sermon, the Church of St. Anne—perhaps the first Lutheran Church ever built—and Luther’s parents’ house in nearby Mansfeld.

Participants pose outside Luther’s Room at the Wartburg, where Luther began his translation of the Bible during his ten month stay at the castle.

The participants also visited Torgau Castle and its church, the house in which the Torgau Articles (later incorporated into the Augsburg Confession) were drafted, the Church of St. Mary’s where Katharina Luther is buried, and Georg Spalatin’s house. On their way to Torgau, they visited a field in Falkenberg near Mühlberg where Elector John Frederick was captured during the Smalcald League war. The group journeyed to Wartburg Castle as well, and the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt and the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Weimar. In each of the places they visited outside Wittenberg during their second week, President Harrison gave helpful commentary, capturing the significance of each location at the time of the Reformation.

In terms of classroom learning, Dr. Masaki was very pleased with the result of his week-long class on the “Theology of the Lutheran Confessions,” particularly because each participant, without exception, expressed his quia subscription to the Book of Concord. This included those who had come from Lutheran Church bodies associated with an ecumenical communion where Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions are doubted or even denied as norma normans and norma normata. One of the participants observed: “I came to understand not only that each article of doctrine relates to each other, with Christ at the centre as the Saviour and justifier of all sinners, but also that pure doctrine and confessional fellowship is what our brothers, even those who came from the liberal ecumenical communion, are also hungry and thirsty for.” Another participant commented: “Through this wonderful class, the importance of the Book of Concord was not only highlighted but also brought to life by working with its content. It was tremendous to have Dr. Masaki as lecturer, as he is passionate about the Lutheran Confessions, and has given a very positive impact upon all of us. Whenever we had questions, he was always ready to answer them.”

Participants stand on the bridge between the two bell towers of St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg, with the Castle Church visible in the back right—a rare opportunity not often given to visitors.

As a concluding exercise of for the first week’s class, all participants made concrete plans as to how they will continue studies of the Book of Concord themselves, as well as how they will encourage their ecclesial leadership to teach and promote the Lutheran Confessions among the pastors and people in their church bodies back home. They are all convinced how important the Scriptures and the Book of Concord are because the confessional fidelity separates true Lutheranism from the Lutheran Church in name only. After all, they said, the Lutheran Confessions—as the sound exposition of Scripture—comfort them as Christians and give them enormous encouragement for pastoral ministry. 

LCMS President Harrison was one of the four signatories who initiated the LLDP back in 2017. Director Masaki was grateful to have him as an instructor this time. Participants commented on President Harrison’s class: “Through his course, it became absolutely clear that the Reformation was not a myth but a historical fact, having Luther and other Reformers sacrificing their very lives.” “It was absolutely different to hear about it or read about it in books and to visit the historic places.” The impact of hearing the stories of the Reformation gave each participant a lasting impact. Another participant mentioned: “What an excellent opportunity! I will ever remain grateful for this occasion. It was a special privilege to have President Harrison as our instructor for this course. Since he has a special interest in Lutheran history, he conveyed it to us students by simply speaking about it with much joy and deep confidence.”

President Harrison teaches “History of the Lutheran Church.”

During his class, President Harrison related to the participants not only as an instructor of a course but also as a fellow and senior churchman—a colleague as a leader of a Lutheran church body. He particularly focused his attention to the duties of visitation as bishop, superintendent, and president of the church body, exploring the historic documents which discuss this, and elaborating significant points both theologically and practically. His evangelical instruction on church leadership with passion and joy left a great impression on participants.

A few days after his session, President Harrison reflected on his days in Wittenberg, saying: “Fabulous memories. It was terrific! I had just a deepest joy to be among such faithful Lutheran leaders as our LLDP participants. I can’t thank the Lord enough for the tremendous work that the LLDP has been rendering. I am so glad to be a part of it. What a joy and privilege! Glory be to God!”

The next session of the LLDP will be held at Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) in June and July.

You can support the work of the Lutheran Leadership Development Program by making a donation online. You can also mail a donation by cheque to:

International Lutheran Council
P.O. Box 10149
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46850 USA

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Inaugural meeting of the Concordia Lutheran-Catholic Augustana Working Group

by | Apr 15, 2024

The Augustana Working Group holds its inaugural meeting in Rome on March 1, 2024.

On March 1, 2024, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) hosted the inaugural meeting of the Concordia Lutheran–Catholic Augustana Working Group, which met in Rome until March 2, 2024.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the DPCU, welcomed the members of the working group and encouraged them to explore the pre-confessional/ecumenical potential of the Augsburg Confession in more detail in view of the 500th anniversary of the Confessio Augustana in 2030.

The Augustana Working Group includes representatives of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and the Catholic Church. Following the conclusion of the theological conversations between the ILC, an association of Concordia Lutheran churches, and the Catholic Church (2014–2019), both sides suggested the establishment of a working group as a distinct ecumenical-theological format.

The working group is not an official dialogue commission. The aim is not to produce a document of churchly consensus. However, the publication of the results of the joint research is intended to enrich the ecumenical discussion in an indirect way.

The working group is headed by two episcopal chairmen: on the Lutheran side by Bishop Dr. Juhana Pohjola, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland / Chairman of the ILC; and on the Catholic side by Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Peter Birkhofer, Freiburg im Breisgau.

The working topic 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 Augsburg Confession in a pre-confessional and ecumenical perspective.”

A total period of four years is planned for working on the topic. The next meeting will take place in Wittenberg on December 9 and 10, 2024.

Participants from the International Lutheran Council (ILC)

  • Bishop Dr. Juhana Pohjola, Helsinki, Finland (Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, ILC Chairman)
  • Prof. Dr. Joel Elowsky, St. Louis, Mo., USA
  • Prof. em. Dr. Werner Klän, D.Litt., Lübeck, Germany
  • Asst. Prof. Dr. Jonathan Mumme, Hillsdale, Mich., USA
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Winger, St. Catharines, Ont., Canada
    ***
    Prof. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, Fort Wayne, Ind., USA (ILC General Secretary) – part-time participant, but not a member

Catholic Participants

  • Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Peter Birkhofer, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Markus Lersch, Siegen, Germany
  • Dr. Tim Lindfeld, Aachen, Germany
  • Asst. Prof. Dr. James Prothro, Greenwood Village, Color., USA
  • Father Dr. Augustinus Sander OSB, Vatican (Permanent Representative of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity)

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