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The ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference in brief

by Mathew Block | Jun 20, 2024

*Participants in the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.*

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

*The ILC’s Seminaries Relations Committee.*

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina – IELA) served as host for the event, which brought together representatives from the seminaries and theological programs of 21 church bodies in 19 countries, as well as other guests.

The conference featured multiple presentations which engaged the conference theme in different ways. The ILC’s Chairman, Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, presented on “Theological Perspectives on Church and State.” Rev. Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim (South Korea) and Rev. Prof. Clécio Schadech (Argentina) gave back-to-back presentations providing historical perspectives on the relationship between church and state and what it means for theological education. Rev. Dr. James A. Kellerman (Canada) addressed the issue of government interference in seminary education. Rev. Dr. Boris Gunjevic (United Kingdom) discussed the challenges surrounding identity and identity politics. Finally, Rev. Dr. P. R. (India) Selvaraj presented on church and state in times of persecution.

The conference also featured a series of shorter sectionals addressing subjects like alternatives to the classical seminary model; training pastors in a small church; teaching the Small Catechism to seminarians; the use of C.S. Lewis’ works in pastoral ministry; and models of online education.

That last topic—online education—was also the subject of a panel discussion during the conference. Rev. Dr. Alexei Streltsov (Russia) first gave a paper on the subject, followed by shorter presentations by Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Boafu (Ghana), Rev. Ted Kray (LCMS – Latin America), Rev. Dr. Tom Park (LCMS – Taiwan), and Rev. Dr. Chris Caughey (United States).

The topic of accreditation was also addressed during the conference, with Dr. Cynthia Lumley (United Kingdom) and ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz each presenting. Small group discussion of the issue followed.

*A visit to Seminario Concordia, the seminary of the IELA.*

The final day of the conference saw discussion of core competencies for pastoral and diaconal education. Rev. Dr. Ron Mudge (USA) presented on the subject, taking participants through an analysis of the curricula and competencies required at Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri) and Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana).

The conference concluded with a visit to the IELA’s Seminario Concordia, where participants worshipped with the seminary community and joined them for a closing barbeque and entertainment.

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

2024 World Seminaries Conference draws to a close

by Mathew Block | Jun 19, 2024

*Attendees of the ILC’s 2024 World Seminaries Conference visit Seminario Concordia.*

*A visit to Congregación San Pedro in Buenos Aires.*

ARGENTINA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) World Seminaries Conference drew to a close on June 14 with a visit to Seminario Concordia.

The afternoon saw participants go on a tour of historic sites in Buenos Aires, before traveling on to Congregación San Pedro, a member church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina – IELA). In addition to visiting the building and receiving information on the history of the church, participants also enjoyed refreshments in the church’s hall after the visit.

The final stop of the day was Seminario Concordia, the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina. There conference participants joined the seminary community for a final service of vespers. IELA President Arturo Truenow preached for this service, and attendees enjoyed two performances by the seminary’s choir.

*IELA President Arturo Truenow (right) preaches.*

After worship, conference participants toured the seminary, followed by a barbeque banquet featuring live music and a performance by tango dancers.

*ILC General Secretary Schulz (right) thanks President Truenow and his wife for their church’s hospitality.*

The conference formally concluded with a few words from Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council, expressing thanks on behalf of the entire conference to IELA President Truenow and his wife, as well as to their church body and seminary for their hospitality over the week.

A final summary report on the World Seminaries Conference will be published in the next few days.

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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 Mathew Block | 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 Mathew Block | Jun 11, 2024

ARGENTINA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 8^th 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 80^th anniversary of its seminary in 2022 and the upcoming 120^th 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.

COVID-19 and ILC churches in Argentina, Belgium, and South Sudan

by Mathew Block | Apr 17, 2020

Choir members of Santa Cruz Lutheran Church in Bahía Blanca (Buenos Aires, Argentina) sing “Yo sé que vive el Salvador” (I know that my Redeemer Lives) for online Easter celebrations in this YouTube video.

WORLD – Member churches of the International Lutheran Council continue to reach out with the good news of the Gospel in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this article, we highlight the situation facing ILC member churches in Argentina, Belgium, and South Sudan.

Argentina

Argentina has reported 2,669 cases of COVID-19 so far, with 123 deaths. The country has been in lockdown since March 20, with the general public allowed to leave their homes only to buy food or medicine.

As church services are currently prohibited, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina – IELA) has responded by equipping members for home devotions. Pastors are offering resources ranging from written liturgy and sermon, to audio, to video. Many churches are livestreaming services for members, or uploading them to YouTube. During the week, several churches are also hosting Bible studies on Facebook or other platforms.

“We emphasize communication among our members as a way to care for and sustain ourselves in this difficult time,” explains IELA Pastor President Arturo E. Truenow. Pastors are using phone and video calls to provide spiritual support. In cases of dire need, pastors are currently allowed to visit a member’s home.

The IELA is providing various resources for members through its website. There members can find brief devotionals, Bible studies, and free access to the church’s national magazine El Nuevo Luterano. The church has also issued an internal document to pastors and parishes reporting IELA board decisions regarding the COVID-19 crisis

The church’s seminary has moved education online, as have the IELA’s ten schools. The church schools, however, are facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic and are struggling to pay wages for teachers and administrative staff.

The many challenges in this situation should lead us back to God in prayer, says Pastor President Truenow. “We continue to pray that God will soon free us from this pandemic, and, in the meantime, keep us firm in the faith, take care of us, and assist us in caring for others.”

Belgium

Belgium has been particularly hit hard with COVID-19, with one of the highest reported death rates for the disease in the world. More than 36,138 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country, with 5,163 deaths. Belgium has been in lockdown since March 18, and containment measures are scheduled to last at least until the beginning of May.

ELKB President van Hattem brings Easter greetings to members of the church online.

In the midst of the crisis, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium (Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in België – ELKB) continues to reach out with the good news of the Gospel, making devotions, liturgy, and video of worship services available online.

In a letter to the church, ELKB President Gijsbertus van Hattem reflected on the meaning of the word “quarantine.” The word, he explains, originally refered to a 40-day period of isolation following the arrival of ships in Venice around the 15^th century. “The number forty plays a major role in the Bible” too, President van Hattem notes: forty days and nights of rain during the Flood; forty years in the desert for the Israelites on the way to the Promised Land; forty days of temptation for Jesus in the garden; forty days of post-resurrection appearances by Jesus before His ascension into heaven. And Lent, drawn from these biblical examples, is likewise a season forty days in length.

“In the Bible, the number forty represents a change, a preparation time for something else or something new, something better,” President van Hattem writes. “In the current quarantine, we naturally hope that afterwards the COVID-19 virus will be manageable.” But there may be other changes too, he says: challenges like economic stagnation, yes, but also environmental healing, air-quality improvements, and reduced crime.

President van Hattem encourages the members of the ELKB to also use the figurative “forty days” of the COVID-19 quarantine for spiritual change as well. “In these forty days of Lent, an additional time to reflect is given to us,” he writes, “to reflect on the future of our earth, on our relationship with God and with those around us. By spending more time at home, we all of a sudden have more time to read God’s Word.”

“The churches are still closed for the time being—we are in the desert,” he says. “But the churches will open again—the promised land lays ahead. And then we will thank and praise God with renewed courage and faith, and again receive His Word and Sacrament.”

South Sudan

The country of South Sudan currently reports four cases of COVID-19. But the nation has limited medical resources, and so there are concerns that an outbreak in the region could be particularly deadly. To curb the spread of disease, South Sudan enacted containment measures even before confirmation of the virus in the country.

SSELC Bishop Nathaniel Bol Nyok

The South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church (SSELC) is facing substantial difficulties in ministering to its members as a result of the crisis. “Technology is still a nightmare in most areas,” notes SSELC Bishop Nathaniel Bol Nyok. “Lack of technology has made it impossible for the church to provide online worship services as is being done in countries with better internet.”

Pastors continue to minister to parishioners as they are able, while observing social distancing. Those with cellphones are also being ministered to in this way.

“Despite all this, Christ is risen and He is alive, and there is nothing that can separate us from the love and care of the risen Lord Jesus Christ,” encourages Bishop Nyok. “He is a conqueror who, through His death and resurrection, has conquered everything—including COVID-19. Christ has liberated us from fear because we live and die in Him.”

“It is my prayer that the risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by His grace, mercy, and love for His Church and for the whole human race, will bring this pandemic to an end quickly,” he says.

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For more news and information from the International Lutheran Council about the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.

“The ILC is Growing”: Papers from 2015 World Conference published

by Mathew Block | Dec 11, 2015

ONLINE – Presentations from the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 25^th World Conference (held in Buenos Aires, Argentina September 23-26, 2015) have been published in a special issue of the Journal of Lutheran Mission.

In a preface to the issue, ILC Vice Chairman Robert Bugbee reflects on the continuing growth of the ILC. “This is not only true from the perspective of membership numbers and statistics,” he notes. “There is a rising urgency within the Council to become more vigorous in its goal of extending the reach of a truly confessional Lutheran witness to additional places throughout the world. The Council’s leadership is currently grappling with concrete plans to bring that about.”

Such growth has more to do with than just ILC infrastructure of course. “If this growth had only to do with a human agency, its structures, personnel, and funding, it would be of little moment to those who care deeply about the mission of Christ’s church in the world,” Vice Chairman Bugbee explains. “For us, the happiest news flash is the one St. Paul identified long ago when he wrote his friends of ‘the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing’ (Col. 1:5-6).

That emphasis on Gospel-proclamation ties into the ILC’s 25^th World Conference in Buenos Aires, where the theme was “Bringing the Reformation to the World.” Papers presented at that conference focused on proclaiming Reformation truths to a contemporary world, and are now available in this special issue of Journal of Lutheran Mission. In addition to the convention’s Keynote Address on “The Augsburg Confession in the 21^st Century,” the issue includes lectures, reports, and sermons. It also includes a statement adopted by the ILC at its world conference on the document “From Conflict to Communion,” a document published by the Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholics regarding the upcoming 500^th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

To read this special ILC issue of the Journal of Lutheran Mission, see the embedded document below or click one of the links below. You may also download the full issue in pdf format here.

Among other material, the issue includes:

A Sermon for the International Lutheran Council—2015 World Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina by ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt.
The Augsburg Confession in the 21^st Century: Confessing the Faith Once for All Delivered by Rev. Alexey Streltsov.
The Report of the ILC’s Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt.
A Statement from the International Lutheran Council on the Document ‘From Conflict to Communion:’ Lutheran—Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation 2017
A Sermon on St. Michael and All Angels (Luke 10:20; Rev. 12:11) by Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III.
Our Confession in Augustana IV-VI by Rev. Sergio Adrián Fritzler.
A Devotion on Matthew 6:24-34 by Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast.
Augustana VII: The Church and Fellowship by Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III.
Bringing the Reformation to the World: The Means of Grace by Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt.
Faith, Ethnicity, and Social Issues in the Thoughts and Work of Pastor Vladislav Santarius by Rev. Dr. Martin Pię

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ILC World Conference reflects on the relevance of the Augsburg Confession today

by Mathew Block | Oct 1, 2015

Essayists: Rev. Sergio Adrián Fritzler, ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt, and Rev. Dr. Albert Collver.

ARGENTINA – Throughout the 2015 World Conference of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), Lutheran leaders from around the world considered the continuing relevance of the Reformation for today. In doing so, they focused their attention especially on the Augsburg Confession.

The first day of the conference welcomed a keynote address on the subject by Rev. Alexey Streltsov, rector of Lutheran Theological Seminary in the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church. A series of three essays followed over the next days, building on the topics raised in the keynote address.

The first essay focused on Articles 4-6 of the Augsburg Confession and was presented by Rev. Sergio Adrián Fritzler (Director of Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires). His essay examined the relationship between justifying faith and the office of preaching—the means by which justifying faith is granted, through Gospel proclamation and Sacraments. This faith, he continued, brings about the new obedience in which Christians serve their neighbours in love.

The second essay was led by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver (Executive Secretary of the ILC), and focused on the seventh article of the Augsburg Confession. Dr. Collver examined the Confession’s teaching on the doctrine of the church in relation to contemporary questions of ecumenical relations vis-à-vis the approaches taken by other groups.

The final essay, given by ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt, focused on Articles 9 and 10 of the Augsburg Confession and the Means of Grace. In addition to speaking about baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and confession and absolution, Chairman Voigt also discussed the nature of ordination. In all of these subjects, Chairman Voigt suggested that we must take pains to ensure our practice in all these matters corresponds to our beliefs.

All of these essays will be released for download online at a later date.

World Conference participants also benefited from a series of Bible studies intended to complement themes brought up in the major essays. Bible Study leaders included: Bishop Modise Maragelo of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (speaking on Romans 3:21-31); Rev. Dr. Jose Pfaffenzeller, Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires (speaking on Ephesians 4:1-16), and President Robert Bugbee of Lutheran Church–Canada (speaking on 1 Corinthians 11:17-29).

Throughout the conference, Matins and Vespers homilies were presented by ILC Chairman Voigt, Dr. Collver, President Lawrence Rast (Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana), President Matthew C. Harrison of The Lutheran Church—Missouri SYnod, Vice-President Philippe Volff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church—Synod of France, and President Marvin Donaire of the Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua.

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ILC leaders report, delegates discuss ecumenical relations

by Mathew Block | Sep 25, 2015

Discussion at the ILC's 2015 World Conference spill into the coffee break. Bishop Hans Jorg Voigt (ILC Chairman and head of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany) and Chairman Jon Ehlers (Evangelical Church of England) speak with General Secretary Ofga Berhanu (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus).

Discussion at the ILC’s 2015 World Conference spills into the coffee break. Bishop Hans Jorg Voigt (ILC Chairman and head of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany) and Chairman Jon Ehlers (Evangelical Church of England) speak with General Secretary Ofga Berhanu (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus).

ARGENTINA – The 2015 World Conference of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) continued the afternoon of September 24 as delegates heard reports from the Executive Council and discussed ecumenical relations.

ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt gave his report to the conference in the afternoon, highlighting various successes of the past triennium, including joint relief and aid following Typhoon Haiyan, the ILC’s 2013 World Seminaries Conference held in Lithuania, new contacts between ILC churches and other Lutheran churches, and the 2015 Wittenberg Conference on global confessional leadership.

In his report, Chairman Voigt also noted the challenges the Church will face in the years to come. Among these challenges he identified the fact that faith in Christ continues to decrease in Western society; that worldwide persecution of Christians is on the rise; and the rise of the global refugee crisis. We must also learn anew to speak Christian wisdom and insight into the world around us, he suggested, stressing the importance of Christian though to the cultures in which we find ourselves. Finally, he suggested, the ILC must learn to look further forward and consider what form the International Lutheran Council should take going into the future.

That last topic led into the ILC’s Executive Secretary Al Collver’s report. Dr. Collver noted that the ILC has been undertaking in depth Strategic Planning over the past triennium. He indicated that he would be bringing the details of their findings forward to the Conference to discuss in the days to come.

Ecumenical relations

Among other subjects raised by Chairman Voigt in his report was that of ecumenical relations. He noted that planning meetings between the Pontifical Council for Promoting of Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the ILC have finalized the start date for informal theological dialogue between the two bodies. The first official meeting between the two dialogue groups will begin October 7. Representing the ILC are theologians from Germany (Werner Klän), Brazil (Gerson Linden), the United States of America (Roland Ziegler), and Canada (John Stephenson).

Delegates then turned their attention to a discussion of the document “From Conflict to Communion,” a reflection on Lutheran-Catholic dialogue produced by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman Catholic Church. The ILC’s dialogue representatives feel that providing a confessional Lutheran statement on “From Conflict to Communion” may serve as an appropriate first step in the informal dialogues between the PCPCU and the ILC. Such a statement might also be a productive means of engaging the LWF as well, it is hoped. Discussion of the response statement will continue into Friday’s business sessions.

The LWF is represented at the ILC’s World Conference in an observer capacity by Rev. Dr. Gloria Vargas, LWF Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean region. Dr. Vargas will have the opportunity to greet delegates on behalf of the LWF during Friday’s sessions.

World Area meetings

Following these discussions, delegates broke for World Area meetings. After this, the Conference heard World Area reports from Latin America. Each member church had the opportunity to discuss a bit of their church’s history as well as their present work. A recurring theme among many of the Latin America churches was many churches and mission opportunities but too few pastors to fill them—a situation where “the harvest is ready but the workers are few.”

Latin America church leaders report to the ILC.

The day ended with Vespers. President Lawrence Rast of Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) served as liturgist, while ILC Executive Secretary Al Collver gave a homily reflecting on angels and the devil. In the face of the evil in this world—war, sickness, suffering—it can feel as though Christ is not really victorious, Dr. Collver noted. But we must remember that Satan and his armies already stand defeated by the blood of Jesus and the Word of God. This is how St. Michael and his angels prevailed against the devil (Revelation 12:11), Dr. Collver explained. So too, we can trust that the blood of Christ and His Word have defeated Satan on our behalf too. This promise gives us comfort and hope to stand up against the suffering and evil we experience in this world.

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2015 World Conference of the International Lutheran Council begins in Argentina

by Mathew Block | Sep 24, 2015

Delegates at the 2015 ILC World Conference.

ARGENTINA – The 25th (10th) World Conference of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) officially opened the morning of September 24, 2015 as Lutheran leaders from across the globe converged in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt delivers a homily.

The ILC is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as the true and faithful exposition of the Word of God. Every three years ILC member churches and friends gather to conduct business, hold elections, and discuss challenges and opportunities facing the Church at large.

The conference began Thursday morning with a Matins service, with ILC Executive Secretary serving as liturgist. ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt, Bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany, gave the homily, drawing the parallels between the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the plight of Syrian refugees today. Like the Good Samaritan, he said, we too are called to care for the downtrodden—and Jesus, who is our own Good Neighbour, can give us the strength to do so despite our own weaknesses.

Bringing the Reformation to the World

A primary focus of the Thursday morning session was a keynote lecture from Rev. Alexey Streltsov, rector of Lutheran Theological Seminary in the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Rev. Streltsov was invited to speak on the topic of bringing the Reformation to the world in the 21st century.

That task assumes three different but related goals, he said. First, it requires us to “evangelize or re-evangelize the world outside the Church.” Second, we must “testify to the truth of the original Reformation to other Christian traditions.” And third, we must “correct errors in our own midst.”

Delegates listen to Rev. Alexey Streltsov’s keynote lecture.

Rev. Streltsov explored these goals through a close reading of the Augsburg Confession. “We face a markedly different situation than that of the 16th century,” he explained, noting that the Reformers and their opponents all agreed on basic principles like faith in the Triune God. Today that is often not the case, at least in much of Western society. In other places, it is the challenge of Pentecostalism, he suggested, that will shape how Lutherans share their message with the world around them.

But though the challenges we face are not the same as our Lutheran forebears, we have the same mission: to correct error where we must, to maintain true faith where we have it, and to pass on that faith to others. We may face challenges, Rev. Streltsov said, but “Decay will always be followed by regeneration.”

“This is not the end,” he continued. “The end has come at the cross. And this end makes for us a new beginning.”

Churches apply for ILC membership

Also during Thursday morning, the ILC Executive Council introduced three Lutheran church bodies that have applied for membership in the International Lutheran Council. These applicants include two church bodies from Europe (Norway and Siberia) and one from South America (Nicaragua). Leaders of the three churches all addressed the conference, sharing their churches’ backgrounds and desire to join the International Lutheran Council.

Voting to receive the proposed new member churches will take place later in the conference.

The morning session ended with a Bible study on Romans 3:21-31 led by Bishop Modise Maragelo of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa.

The 2015 World Conference of the ILC runs September 24-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Reflections on the ILC Latin America regional conference

by Mathew Block | Sep 30, 2014

by Egon Kopereck

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:3).

President Egon Kopereck.

It was with these words—first uttered by the people of Israel when, in an unexpected, wonderful, and surprising way they received the right, the permission of God to leave their captivity and to return to their own country—it was with these words, that the Latin-American Lutheran churches returned to their homes, having participated in the International Lutheran Council’s Regional Conference (held earlier this month in Caracas, Venezuala).

They were four wonderful days of fellowship, study, reflection, debate, reports, exchange of experiences, and mutual strengthening. Participants highlighted in this conference the importance of reading, meditating, and deepening ever more our study of the word of God. They also stressed the importance of Lutheran Hour ministry outreach, which opens doors for the Church’s mission.

Conference participants stressed the need to provide theological support to smaller Lutheran churches in the region, especially through the theological seminaries of Brazil and Argentina. By helping each other and looking for more opportunities to cooperate, they hope to take Christ’s message, the Gospel of salvation to all people, races, peoples and nations of Latin America and, where possible, to cross the seas with this challenge to go to the “ends of the Earth”—something Brazil is already doing in Africa with Mozambique and Angola.

In Latin America we have many challenges, many opportunities, and much work to do. People are thirsty for the water of life; if we don’t offer it, as Jesus asks us to, then people will turn to contaminated water—waters of death and not life.

People are thirsty for the water of life; if we don’t offer it, as Jesus asks us to, then people will turn to contaminated water—waters of death and not life.

Many of us today cannot imagine living in a house where you don’t have water: water to drink, water for washing, water for cooking, well-water. So too we cannot imagine a Christian home without the Bible, God’s Word, the water of life. Christian homes, satiated in their own spiritual thirst for truth, cannot look to others without extending to them the same blessing, without offering them that treasure of eternal life. They share it with their compatriots of all peoples, races, and nations. They share it with them who are dying of thirst and starvation.

With cheerful and grateful hearts, therefore, we also say: “The LORD has done great things for us” (Psalm 126:3). But on the other hand we also say with Nehemiah, “the work is great and widely spread” (Nehemiah 4:19). As the Israelites did then, so too we also “prayed to our God” (Nehemiah 4:9), that He would bless our lives and attitudes as people of God, and our testimony of what we believe and confess. May God bless the mission of the Christian Church throughout the world.

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Rev. Egon Kopereck is President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil and sits on the International Lutheran Council’s Executive as representative for Latin America.

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