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Bringing the Reformation to the World

ILC gears up for World Conference in September

by | Jun 24, 2015

Email-Branding-for-feedburnerThe Executive Committee of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) is finalizing plans for its next triennial World Conference, set for September 24-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The gathering will meet under the theme Bringing the Reformation to the World, and is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (IELA) and its Concordia Seminary. Keynote speaker for the conference is Rev. Aleksey Streltsov of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Novosibirsk, Siberia.

Interest in the ILC continues to grow. The Executive Committee is recommending that the Conference accept into membership confessional Lutheran churches in Liberia, Nicaragua, Norway, Siberia, and Sudan. In addition, a number of guests from outside the ILC are expected to participate in its upcoming World Conference, some expressly because of the doctrinal commitment and priorities of the Council.

During the most recent conference call of the Executive Committee, ILC Chairman Rev. Dr. Hans-Jörg Voigt (Germany) expressed his joy over the financial support the Council is receiving from its member churches. Noting that the majority of the member churches had paid their commitments to the ILC in full, Bishop Voigt observed, “This is the strongest financial report we have seen so far.” The Executive Committee also expressed its gratitude to the Marvin M. Schwan Charitable Foundation for a special grant that will be used to cover expenses of the Buenos Aires conference.

Executive Committee members represent the ILC’s five world areas. They are President Egon Kopereck of Brazil (Latin America), Chairman Jon Ehlers of England (Europe), President Antonio Reyes of the Philippines (Asia), Archbishop Christian Ekong of Nigeria (Africa), and President Robert Bugbee of Canada (North America). Bishop Voigt of Germany and President Gijsbertus van Hattem of Belgium round out the committee’s membership as Chairman and Secretary, respectively. Since 2012, Rev. Dr. Albert Collver of the USA serves as Executive Secretary of the Council.

Plans were also shared for the next session of theological dialogues between the ILC and the Roman Catholic Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (PCPCU), set for early October in Oberursel, Germany.

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ILC Executive meets in England, plans for 2015 World Conference

by | Jan 21, 2015

Pictured, from left: President Gijsbertus van Hattem (Belgium); President Egon Kopereck (Brazil); Archbishop Christian Ekong (Nigeria); ILC Executive Secretary Dr. Albert Collver (USA); Chairman Jon Ehlers (Great Britain); Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt (Germany); President Antonio Reyes (Philippines).

Pictured, from left: President Gijsbertus van Hattem (Belgium); President Egon Kopereck (Brazil); Archbishop Christian Ekong (Nigeria); ILC Executive Secretary Dr. Albert Collver (USA); Chairman Jon Ehlers (Great Britain); Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt (Germany); President Antonio Reyes (Philippines).

ENGLAND – The Executive Committee of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) met January 15-16, 2015 at the St. Cuthman’s Retreat Centre in Coolham, West Sussex, just south of London, England. ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt, Bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, presided over the sessions.

The committee’s primary task was to make preparations for the ILC’s 25th World Conference, set for September 2015, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bishops and presidents of all 34 full and associate member churches are being invited. The chosen overarching theological theme for the gathering is Bringing the Reformation to the World. In addition, delegates to the conference will choose a chairman and other executive officers for the coming three-year term.

Chairman Voigt expressed his joy over the fact that five Lutheran church bodies from various continents have made inquiries about taking up membership in the ILC. The Executive Committee also spent time examining the financial status of this global organization, which needs to be further developed.

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA), facilitated intensive planning sessions for the Executive Committee as they strategized for the future and analyzed both strengths and weaknesses of the Council’s existing form and function.

Summing up at the close of the meetings, Chairman Voigt commented, “At various times in history, the Church has been especially strong when in the midst of its limitations it focused on the primary thing—that is, the proclamation of the Gospel.” Bringing the Gospel to people is the Church’s main responsibility, he added.

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