Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia Archives

Posts tagged:

Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia

2022 World Conference: ILC Welcomes New Members

by Mathew Block | Sep 13, 2022

ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt and General Secretary Timothy Quill welcome the newest members of the ILC. Left to right: Chairman Voigt, LELB Archbishop Jānis Vanags of Latvia, ICEL President Limberth Fernandez Coronado of Bolivia, IELPA Pastor Patricio Mora Reyes of Panama, and General Secretary Quill.

KENYA – On the afternoon of September 13, 2022, the International Lutheran Council unanimously voted to accept two church bodies as full members and one as an associate member. The ILC also formally welcomed ten church bodies which have been accepted as observer members since the last world conference.

The Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia (Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana de Bolivia – ICEL) was welcomed as a full member. The ICEL’s history dates back to 1978 when Norwegian missions to the country began. The church was officially founded in 1997. The ICEL was previously accepted into the ILC as an associate member at the 2001 World Conference in South Africa. It announced at its 2022 national assembly its decision to seek full membership in the ILC. The ICEL is led by President Limberth Fernandez Coronado.

Also accepted as a full member was the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā Baznīca – LELB). Lutheranism in Latvia traces its history back five hundred years to when the capital of Riga adopted Lutheranism in 1522. The Latvian church faced severe persecution during the 20^th century under the Communist regime but has enjoyed religious freedom again since 1988. The LELB voted in 2021 to seek full membership in the ILC. The ILC’s Board of Directors accepted the LELB as an Observer Member in early 2022, with plans to bring its request for full membership to the 2022 World Conference in Kenya (votes on full membership and associate membership in the ILC must take place during a World Conference). The LELB is led by Archbishop Jānis Vanags.

During its afternoon session, the ILC also voted to accept the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Panama (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Panamá – IELPA) as a new associate member. The IELPA arose out of mission work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to Panama which began in 1941. It has previously attended other ILC events in the past as a guest. The church in Panama is led by Pastor Patricio Mora Reyes.

Observer Members Welcomed

*Some of the leaders of new observer member churches accepted into the ILC since the last world conference.*

During the afternoon, delegates also offered a formal welcome to churches that have become observers in the International Lutheran Council since the last world conference. Observer membership in the ILC can be granted by the Board of Directors without needing to wait until a world conference. In total, the board has accepted ten new observer members—all from Africa—since the last World Conference in 2018.

These new observer members include:

BURUNDI: Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi (HELCB)
BURUNDI: Lutheran Church in Africa – Burundi Synod (ELA-SBU)
EAST CONGO: Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Congo (CELCE)
EASTERN KENYA: Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium of Kenya (ELCMK)
CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Lutheran Church in Africa – Côte d’Ivoire (ELA-SCI)
MALAWI: Confessional Lutheran Church – Malawi Synod (CLCMS)
RWANDA: Independent Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Rwanda (IELCR)
SUDAN/SOUTH SUDAN: Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan (ELCSS/S)

The remaining two observer members welcomed since 2018—in the category of “recognized organizations”—are the Lake Tanganyika Diocese (ELCT-LTD) and the South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT):

Reports and Regional Meetings

*Regional meetings at the ILC’s 2022 World Conference.*

The afternoon session also saw reports given by ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt and ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill. Following other business, the conference broke into regional meetings to consider nominations for world region representatives on the ILC’s Board of Directors, as well as to discuss other regional issues.

The conference further heard a regional report from the ILC’s outgoing Africa World Region representative, Bishop Dieter Reinstorf of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (FELSISA). Among other comments, Bishop Reinstorf noted that, over the past few years, the African World Region has grown to be the largest region in the ILC.

The day ended with a service of vespers. ILC Chairman Quill served as liturgist while Bishop Reinstorf preached a sermon on the presentation of Jesus in the Temple from Luke 2.

———————

Bolivian Lutherans reelect president

by Mathew Block | Jul 25, 2022

*Participants in the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia’s 2022 national assembly.*

BOLVIA – The Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia (Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana – ICEL) held its 12^th national assembly March 26-27, 2022, during which time the church elected Rev. Limberth Fernandez Coronado to another four-year term as president. Hugo Hinojosa was elected vice president.

The assembly, which drew 44 delegates from across the country, also saw discussion centered on bolstering the doctrinal commitments in the church’s statutes. To that end, the church adopted a new statement on the office of the ministry, expressing the necessity of a full subscription to the Book of Concord. This change was followed with the ordination of eight pastors during the assembly’s closing service, presided over by Vice President Airton Schroeder of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brazil (Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil – IELB). The ICEL and the IELB entered into fellowship in 2002.

The ICEL has submitted additional changes to its congregations for study, as it contemplates becoming a full member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC).

*The Bolivian church receives copies of Luther’s Small Catechism in Quechua, presented by representatives of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.*

The Bolivian church’s assembly also celebrated the release of a new translation of Luther’s Small Catechism into Quechua. Approximately 40 percent of the ICEL’s members speak Quechua, so the launch of the new translation—the printing of which was sponsored by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation—was an emotional event. Reflecting the catechism’s importance, the assembly saw several sessions on it led by President Fernandez in both Spanish and Quechua.

The Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia is an associate member of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

———————

ILC Latin America regional conference meets in Mexico

by Mathew Block | Jan 31, 2022

Participants in the ILC’s 2021 Latin America regional conference.

MEXICO – The conference of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) Latin America Region met in Mexico City from December 2-5, 2021, following delays due to the pandemic.

ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill addresses the Latin America regional conference.

The conference brought together representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina; the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia; the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil; the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile; the Lutheran Church of Guatemala; the Lutheran Synod of Mexico; the Lutheran Church of Panama; the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay; the Evangelical Lutheran Church-Peru; the Lutheran Church of Uruguay; and the Lutheran Church of Venezuela. The ILC’s General Secretary Timothy Quill and Assistant to the General Secretary Roger James were also present, as were a number of other guests.

Theological presentations were given on two themes: 1) “The Confessional Orthodox Lutheran Role in a Heterodox and Subjective Context” (Prof. Dr. Clóvis Prunzel of Concordia Seminary in Sao Leopoldo, Brazil); and 2) “Pastoral Vocation: Lack, Stimuli, and Contextual Factors” (Prof. Dr. Sergio Schelske of Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina). Discussion centered on two areas: 1) the need to recruit a larger number of pastoral candidates; and 2) unique challenges related to opening new missions in each country.

IELA President Arturo Truenow and ILC-Chile President Juan Pablo Lanterna sign a protocol agreement between their two church bodies.

During the conference, the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia officially announced its intention to seek full membership in the ILC after more than a decade as an Associate Member. Other noteworthy events included the signing of a mutual cooperation protocol between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (IELA) and the Confessional Church of Chile (ILC-Chile).

The gathering also celebrated the forthcoming publication of a new Lutheran hymnal in Spanish after fifteen years of work. The hymnal will be welcomed into use throughout Spanish-speaking countries in the region, as well as in other parts of the world.

“It was a great meeting, since it was finally possible to overcome the challenges that have delayed celebrating this moment due to the current pandemic,” noted President Juan Pablo Lanterna of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile. “It should be counted as a historic moment.”

———————

From a report by ILC-Chile President Juan Pablo Lanterna

News