USA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) held an Extraordinary Assembly on July 20 in Phoenix, Arizona, during which time the ILC accepted four church bodies as Voting Members. Two of the Voting Member churches are from Africa (Burundi and Rwanda) and two are from Asia (Indonesia and Myanmar).
The Assembly began with an address from Chairman Juhana Pohjola in which he described the state of the ILC today. “To be international, a council, and a legal entity is one thing, but to be and continue to be Lutheran is another story,” he said. “To be Lutheran is to be evangelical: to centre on the Gospel of Christ, His work and gifts. To be evangelical means to be Lutheran, to confess doctrinal and ethical content: Christ in all the Scriptures, in water, in bread and wine, in the keys, in the calling of the apostles, in the womb of Mary, at the wedding of Cana, and so forth, as done in our confessional writings.”
“We all have our different traditions, and sometimes even tensions, among us,” Chairman Pohjola continued, “but what unites us is the will to be faithful students of the Scriptures and the Confessions and the shared mission stated in our bylaws: ‘to further a united witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthen its member churches in preaching that Gospel to the entire world.’”
That fidelity to Christ and His Word continues to attract other churches to the International Lutheran Council. “Since our time together in the Philippines last year, we have received five new churches as Observer members,” Chairman Pohjola highlighted in his speech. “At this moment, we count 58 churches as Voting Members, Associate Members, and Observer Members, plus four Recognized Organizations (two dioceses and two other organizations). We constantly receive requests from other Lutheran church bodies that are seeking a closer relationship with the ILC.”
Chairman Pohjola went on to report on many of the ILC’s activities, including the Lutheran Leadership Development Program; a new Study Week in Wittenberg for ILC pastors launching this year; theological capacity building initiatives in Africa; support for Francophone Lutherans; the provision of Concordia Publishing House resources to ILC seminaries and pastors; ecumenical conversations with Roman Catholics through the Augustana Working Group; and other projects.
Chairman Pohjola also announced that the ILC is planning to hold its 2028 World Conference in Canada.
“May God continue to bless the International Lutheran Council and all its member churches,” Chairman Pohjola concluded. “And may He continue to draw us closer together, as we seek a greater manifestation of the unity our churches already enjoy through Christ our Lord.”
The ILC’s 2026 Extraordinary Assembly was held in conjunction with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Synodical Convention and International Church Relations Conference, taking advantage of the fact that many ILC church leaders were also present for these events. Church leaders not present in person were given the opportunity to attend the ILC Assembly virtually.
Acceptance of Voting Members
The Assembly then turned to a vote on applications for Voting Membership. The first church accepted as a Voting Member was Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi (HELCB). The HELCB has 1,700 members, seven churches, and six pastors. The church in Burundi was first accepted into the ILC as an Observer Member in 2022.
Next accepted as a Voting Member was the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Rwanda (Itorero ry’Umudendezo w’lvugabutumwa Luteriyani mu Rwanda – IELC-Rwanda). The IELC-Rwanda has more than 1,500 members, 14 churches, and 14 pastors. The IELC-Rwanda was first accepted into the ILC as an Observer Member in 2019.
The Myanmar Lutheran Church (Myanmar Lutheran Kamkawm – MLC) was accepted as a Voting Member next. The MLC has more than 3,800 member, 18 churches, and 22 pastors. The MLC was previously accepted as a member during the ILC World Conference in 2018 but suspended its membership shortly afterwards. In 2025, the MLC declared its intention to formalize its relationship with the ILC and applied for membership once again. The Board of Directors accepted the MLC as an Observer Member during their January 2026 meeting.
Finally, the Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (Gereja Kristen Luther Indonesia – GLKI) was also accepted as a Voting Member. The GKLI has more than 20,800 members, 102 churches, and 39 pastors. The GLKI was previously accepted into the International Lutheran Council as an Observer Member at the ILC’s 2018 World Conference, but its membership had lapsed in recent years until it was reaccepted as an Observer Member during the ILC Board of Director’s June 2026 meeting.
Among other activities, the ILC’s 2026 Extraordinary Assembly also recognized outgoing church leaders present at the conference, including Lutheran Church–Canada President Timothy Teuscher (who had also served on the ILC Board of Directors and as Vice Chairman); Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana John Shadrack Donkoh (who had also served on the ILC Board of Directors as Secretary); and Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland Bishop Torkild Masvie.
The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
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