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International Lutheran Council

2022 ILC World Conference opens in Kenya

by Mathew Block | Sep 13, 2022

*Participants gather for the opening worship service of the ILC’s 2022 World Conference.*

*ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt preaches.*

KENYA – The International Lutheran Council’s 27^th (12^th) World Conference opened September 13, 2022, in Kisumu, Kenya. The conference is gathering under the theme: “Liturgy and Culture: How Worship Shapes Our Life Together and Why We Do What We Do.” The leaders of 55 confessional Lutheran church bodies around the world have gathered for the conference, the first to be held since the pandemic.

The conference began with an opening service of Matins. Rev. Charles Froh, who is serving as conference chaplain, led the liturgy while ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt preached on John 7:53-8:11. “Jesus writes on this suffering, scarred earth, withered by human guilt and burdens, with the ink of His blood—the Word of His infinite forgiveness and love,” Chairman Voigt said. And just as Jesus showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery, so too He is merciful to us: “I speak to you on behalf of Jesus,” Chairman Voigt concluded: “your sins are forgiven.”

Following the opening service, Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) brought greetings. The ELCK, which has more than 350,000 members, is hosting this year’s world conference. “It is with exceeding joy and gratitude that we as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya welcome you to Kenya for the 27^th International Lutheran Conference,” said Archbishop Omolo. “We appreciate our fellowship with the ILC a lot. It has given us a forum to stand and walk with our fellow confessional sister churches…. May the Lord grant both increase and strength to the ILC.”

Left: ELCK Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo welcomes participants to Kenya. Right: Bishop Fidèle Mbunde (left) brings greetings from the African Union of Francophone Confessional Lutheran Churches, with translation provided by Bishop Ilunga Kendi Evariste (right).

The conference also received greetings from the African Union of Francophone Confessional Lutheran Churches. Bishop Fidèle Mbunde of the Lutheran Church in Africa – Burundi Synod expressed thanks on behalf of the union for the invitation to participate in this world conference. The union, which was founded in 2001, currently has ten member church bodies, with several others seeking membership. Two of these churches currently hold full membership in the ILC, Bishop Mbunde noted, and several others hold observer membership. One other is present at this conference as a guest. Bishop Mbunde expressed his hope that, in time, the union and all its churches would eventually enjoy membership in the ILC.

Keynote Address

The morning session continued with a keynote address from Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF). His address was entitled “Church and Culture: The Devastating Effects of Progressive Socio-Political Ideology and Cultural Trends on the Church, with Special Attention to Recent Events in Finland.” In his talk, Bishop Pohjola used his own experiences as a jumping off point to discuss the ideological challenges which Christians increasingly face today. In 2021, the Prosecutor General of Finland charged Bishop Pohjola with hate crimes for his role in publishing a 2004 booklet which articulates historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. A panel of judges acquitted him earlier this year, but the Prosecutor General has appealed that decision.

The issue is not merely about sexuality either, Bishop Pohjola explained. “The real problem goes much deeper than the sexual revolution,” he said. “Ideological tectonic plates have shifted during the past 200 years, and have brought to the surface the question: ‘What does it mean to be human?’ This is what we are facing in western societies, churches, and in the court room.”

*ILC Chairman Voigt thanks Bishop Pohjola for his presentation while ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill looks on.*

In a world which has lost its understanding of what it means to be human and denies the goodness of physical creation, the Church must continue to reject this neo-Gnostic cultural shift. “Our faith is an embodied faith, located in Christ Jesus, in His Words and gifts,” Bishop Pohjola said. “The order of creation is material and good.” And God uses that good creation as part of His work to accomplish salvation. “The order of redemption is incarnational,” Bishop Pohjola explained. “We proclaim that salvation has been brought to us by the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and His divine blood cleanses us of all our iniquities.”

“We have not chosen the time and place in which we live,” Bishop Pohjola continued, “but we have been given all the answers we need for our cultural challenges: the Embodied God; Embodied humanity. Embodied grace. Embodied community. Embodied witness…. I want to summarize our common joy and challenge, gift and mission into one sentence: Embodied Church in a disembodied culture!”

The morning concluded with a Bible study led by Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE). Chairman Samiec, who also serves on the ILC’s Board of Directors as its European Region representative, discussed 1 Timothy 2:7-15.

Participants from around the world

The 2022 World Conference continues through September 16, 2022. Among the members and guests in attendance are the leaders of 55 churches, including:

ARGENTINA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (IELA)
AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND: Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ)
BELGIUM: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium (ELKB)
BENIN: Lutheran Church in Africa – Benin Synod (ELA-SBE)
BOLIVIA: Christian Evangelical Church of Bolivia (ICEL)
BRAZIL: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB)
BURUNDI: Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi (HELCB)
BURUNDI: Lutheran Church in Africa – Burundi Synod (ELA-SBU)
CANADA: Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)
CHILE: Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (ILC-Chile)
CONGO: Church of the Faithful Confessing Lutherans in Congo (CFCLCO)
COTE D’IVOIRE: Lutheran Church in Africa – Synod of Cote d’Ivoire (ELA-SCI)
DENMARK: Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Denmark (ELFCD)
FINLAND: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF)
FRANCE: Evangelical Lutheran Church – Synod of France (EELSF)
GERMANY: Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK)
GHANA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG)
GUATEMALA: Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILG)
INDIA: India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC)
ISRAEL: Concordia Israel
JAPAN: Japan Lutheran Church (JLC)
KAZAKHSTAN: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Almaty (ELC-RK)
KENYA: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK)
KENYA: Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium of Kenya (ELCMK)
KOREA: Lutheran Church in Korea (LCK)
LATVIA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB)
LIBERIA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia (ELCL)
LITHUANIA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania (ELCL)
MADAGASCAR: Malagasy Lutheran Church (FLM)
MEXICO: Lutheran Synod of Mexico (SLM)
NIGERIA: Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN)
NORWAY: Evangelical Lutheran Church Community (ELCC)
NORWAY: Evangelical-Lutheran Diocese in Norway (DELSIN)
NORWAY and ICELAND: Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland (LKNI)
PANAMA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Panama (IELPA)
PARAGUAY: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (IELPA)
PERU: Evangelical Lutheran Church – Peru (IEL-P)
PHILIPPINES: Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP)
PORTUGAL: Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELP)
RUSSIA: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR)
RUSSIA: Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC)
RWANDA: Independent Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Rwanda (IELCR)
RWANDA: The Lutheran Mission in Africa – Synod of Thousand Hills (LMASTH)
SOUTH AFRICA: Confessional Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (CLCSA)
SOUTH AFRICA: Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA)
SOUTH AFRICA: Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA)
SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church (SSELC)
SUDAN and SOUTH SUDAN: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan/South Sudan (ELCSS/S)
SWEDEN: The Mission Province in Sweden (MPS)
TOGO: Lutheran Church of Togo (ELT)
UGANDA: Lutheran Church of Uganda(LCU)
UNITED KINGDOM: Evangelical Lutheran Church in England (ELCE)
URUGUAY: Lutheran Church of Uruguay (ILU)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
VENEZUELA: Lutheran Church of Venezuela (ILV)

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ILC Prepares for 2022 World Conference

by Mathew Block | Aug 18, 2022

KENYA -The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is preparing for its forthcoming 27^th World Conference, which will take place in Kisumu, Kenya from September 13-16, 2022. During that time, leaders of confessional Lutheran church bodies across the globe will gather to worship together, to study Scripture, and to consider their mutual proclamation to the world of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Liturgy and Culture: How Worship Shapes Our Life Together and Why We Do What We Do.”

The Liturgy serves and shapes the missionary task of the Church,” conference material explains. “It is in its very nature mission work in which people are brought out of one culture and integrated into another. The Liturgy teaches within the context of prayer. It shapes faith and life. It serves the common confession and fosters unity.”

“The ‘worship wars’ of recent generations continue,” the workbook explains, “while the Church is also experiencing an escalation in the more lethal ‘cultural wars.’ Churches are denied freedom of speech and access to the public square. Conference speakers will address a variety of topics in which liturgical theology and practice and church life are being challenged by external influences.”

Serving as keynote speaker for the 2022 World Conference is Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF). Bishop Pohjola’s address is entitled: “Church and Culture: The Devastating Effects of the Progressive Socio-Political Ideology and Cultural Trends on the Church, with Special Attention to Recent Events in Finland.”

The conference will feature three other presentations on the subject of liturgy and culture given by: Rev. Dr. Alexey Streltsov, Rector of Lutheran Theological Seminary in Novosibirsk, Russia; Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo, Principal of Neema Lutheran College in Matongo, Kenya; and Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA).

During the conference, the ILC will hold elections, hear reports, and conduct other business. Participants will also visit sites affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), the host church for this year’s conference, where they will learn about the ELCK’s works of mercy and human care as well as theological education, among other activities.

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New presiding pastor for the AALC

by Mathew Block | Aug 12, 2022

The AALC’s new presiding pastor, Rev. Dr. Cary Larson (third from right), poses with three of his predecessors in office. Pictured (l-r) are: Rev. Dr. Curtis Leins, Rev. Dr. Duane R. Lindberg, Dr. Larson, and Rev. Dr. Thomas Aadland.

USA – The American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC) held its 28^th General Convention from June 21-24, 2022 in Plymouth, Minnesota, during which time the church elected Rev. Dr. Cary Larson to serve as its new presiding pastor. The convention gathered under the theme “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of Jesus Christ,” drawn from Colossians 3:12-17.

“I am blessed beyond measure and extremely humbled to have received the call to be the fifth presiding pastor of the American Association of Lutheran Churches,” Dr. Larson wrote on social media following his installation.

*Dr. Cary Larson is installed as presiding pastor of the AALC.*

Dr. Larson succeeds Rev. Dr. Curtis Leins, who was first elected to the role in 2004. Dr. Leins installed Dr. Larson as presiding pastor during an evening service on June 23, assisted by Rev. Dr. Duane R. Lindberg, who led the AALC from its founding in 1987 until 1999.

Dr. Larson previously served the AALC as Assistant Presiding Pastor. Until his election as Presiding Pastor, he also served as pastor of Christ Lutheran in Waseca, Minnesota, a call he held for 12 years. Dr. Larson also serves as an Adjunct Professor with the AALC’s seminary, the American Lutheran Theological Seminary. He holds a doctorate of ministry from the Institute of Lutheran Theology.

The American Association of Lutheran Churches is a member of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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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.

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Lutherans in Brazil reelect President Schüler

by Mathew Block | Jun 29, 2022

*President Geraldo Walmir Schüler preaches during the opening worship service of the IELB’s 63^rd National Convention.*

BRAZIL – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil – IELB) held its 63^rd National Convention from June 16-19, 2022 in Guarapari, Espírito Santo, during which time the church reelected Rev. Geraldo Walmir Schüler to a second term as president. The convention met under the theme “Living in Christ,” drawn from Colossians 2:6-7.

*Rev. Schuler receives a pectoral cross as president of the IELB.*

President Schüler was first elected to lead the IELB in 2019. Prior to that, he served the church as vice president of missionary expansion (2014-2019) and second vice president with responsibilities for missionary expansion and social action (2010-2014).

Also elected during the Brazilian church’s 2022 convention were: Vice President of Teaching, Joel Müller; Vice President of Missionary Expansion, Heder Frederico Pieper Gumz; Vice President of Christian Education, Fernando Ellwanger Garske; Vice President of Social Action, Airton Scheunemann Schroeder; Vice President of Communication, Éderson Wasem; and Vice President of Administration, Gustavo Becker da Silveira.

Among other business, the IELB’s national convention approved three opinions from the church’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations addressing the issues of homosexual relations, the ordination of women, and the involvement of pastors in political parties. The church also commemorated the 118^th anniversary of the IELB.

*Participants in the IELB’s 2022 national convention.*

International guests in attendance included representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay; the Lutheran Church of Uruguay; and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, with which the IELB signed new protocol agreements. Ecumenical representatives from the Evangelical Reformed Churches in Brazil and the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil were also in attendance.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil is a member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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Korean Lutherans reelect president

by Mathew Block | Jun 28, 2022

*LCK President Eunseop Kim preaches during the installation service.*

SOUTH KOREA – In late 2021, the Lutheran Church in Korea (LCK) reelected Rev. Eunseop Kim to serve as its president for another term.

The decision came during the church’s 51^st General Assembly, which was a hybrid online/in-person event held in Seoul from October 7-8, 2021. Rev. Kim is the LCK’s eighth president. He was reelected to a four-year term.

An installation service for President Kim took place on November 1. In his address, he called on the church not to be distracted from its primary mission and wander off on other paths. “The church must travel the right path,” he said, “not the wrong path, under any circumstances.”

“The church must follow God’s Word,” he continued. “The road that Christians are to go is not a wide road that can be travelled comfortably but instead a narrow road.” We must follow Christ where He leads us in His Word—like Abraham who left his homeland to follow God’s call, like Peter who left his boat to follow Christ, like Paul who left his place of comfort in Jewish society to go where Jesus led.

“[Paul] didn’t look to what was behind,” the president explained, “but instead to what was in front, and he ran. He ran solely toward the reward which God had given him.” President Kim explained that he wished to follow the same path. “And this is not only the way a church president should travel,” he said. “It is the way for all Christians, and we will go together.”

*LCK President Eunseop Kim with some of those present for his installation service.*

He pledged to work alongside the church as together they follow the road. “I hope that you will encourage and support me so that I do not fall as we walk together,” he said. “Let us travel together the road where the light is visible and life comes alive.”

The Lutheran Church in Korea is a member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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South Sudan celebrates bishop’s consecration

by Mathew Block | May 17, 2022

*Bishop Nathaniel Bol (centre left) is invested as bishop of SSELC.*

*Bishop Nathaniel Bol (front right) following his consecration.*

KENYA – On April 24, 2022, Rev. Nathaniel Bol Nyok Apar was consecrated as Bishop of the South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church (SSELC).

The consecration took place at Kakuma in northwestern Kenya. Kakuma is the site of a United Nations refugee camp which hosts refugees from Sudan. The church has four congregations in the camp (three South Sudanese and one Sudanese).

Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) presided over the consecration service, and Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU) preached for the event. Also participating in the consecration were Bishop Emmanuel Makala of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania – South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD), Bishop Robert Kaumba of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Africa—Zambia Diocese (LECA), and diocesan Bishops William Lopeta and Titus Okoda of the ELCK.

“I want to congratulate Bishop Bol on his formal consecration,” said General Secretary Timothy Quill of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “He has served the South Sudanese church for many years already, and I pray that God will continue to bless him in his ministry.”

*Rev. Nathaniel Bol is consecrated as bishop of the South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church.*

Bishop Bol was elected in December 2011 but attempts to hold a formal consecration service in South Sudan were complicated by civil war which raged in the country from 2013-2020. The conflict led approximately 2.5 million people to flee the country as refugees, primarily to Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan.

An earlier attempt to hold a consecration service in Kenya in 2021 was also delayed.

The South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church is an observer member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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New President for Paraguayan Lutherans

by Mathew Block | May 12, 2022

*Members of the IELP’s governing board are installed during the church’s 40th Ordinary General Assembly.*

PARAGUAY – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Paraguay – IELP) has elected a new president. Rev. Alceu Alton Figur was elected to a three-year term during the church’s 40th Ordinary General Assembly, held March 12-13, 2022 in Santa Rita.

“It is a joy to congratulate you on your election to serve the church in Paraguay,” said General Secretary Timothy Quill of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) upon President Figur’s election. “May God bless you with His love and patience as you undertake this important work on behalf of His church.”

President Figur is originally from Brazil and studied for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in São Leopoldo. He spent the first three years of his ministry serving in Brazil. Since then, he has spent thirty years serving in Paraguay. He currently serves as pastor of Cristo Rey Lutheran Church in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital city.

*Participants in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay’s 40th Ordinary General Secretary.*

President Figur succeeds Rev. Eugenio Wentzel, who served five terms as President of the IELP: from 1992-1998, from 2007-2010, and from 2016-2022. President Emeritus Wentzel had earlier announced he would not be seeking reelection.

In addition to serving as president of the IELP, Rev. Wentzel served the International Lutheran Council as a member of its Board of Directors. Rev. Wentzel served as the representative for the ILC’s Latin America World Region from 2016 to 2018, and again from 2019 to 2022.

“I am very grateful to God for the opportunity to have served Him, recognizing my limitations, as one of the ILC’s regional directors,” President Emeritus Wentzel said. “I have learned a lot during these years. I thank God for this rewarding experience. May God continue to bless the work of the International Lutheran Council.”

“I want to thank Eugenio Wentzel for his service on the International Lutheran Council’s Board of Directors,” said ILC General Secretary Quill. “And we look forward to working together with President Figur moving forward.”

Because the International Lutheran Council elects church bodies and not specific individuals to serve as representatives for World Regions, this means that Rev. Figur automatically succeeds Rev. Wentzel on the ILC’s Board of Directors as representative for the Latin America World Region.

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Russian Lutheran laments “sinfulness of this war” during European ILC meetings

by Mathew Block | Apr 10, 2022

*Destroyed buildings on the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 3, 2022. Photo: YuriiKochubey.*

ONLINE – On March 21, 2022, the European World Region of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) held meetings online. The meetings were led by Chairman George Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE), who serves as the European representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors. Among other topics, participants discussed how churches might help people in Ukraine during the current crisis, as well as aid those who have fled.

ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt, Bishop of Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK), attended the meeting as a representative of his church body. “What was particularly moving at this meeting was not only the great helpfulness of the ILC member churches,” Bishop Voigt noted, “but also a statement that a participant from a church in Russia made to the participants and which he also made available in writing after the meeting.”

What follows are the words of the Russian representative. For security reasons, neither his name nor the name of his church is given here.

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The Russian participant reported: “The shock of what has happened is so grave that we will probably be able to realize it only years after. I think that at the moment we are going through the first four stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. ‘It can’t be! We can’t have started a war!’ ‘Damn this war!’ ‘There must be some way out!’ ‘It’s all hopeless…’ The world we lived in has been shattered and there is no way to undo it.

One can hardly imagine the multiple layers of crisis that Russia and its people are now facing. It is not only political and economical, but foremost existential: the war has divided society. It has left honest, thinking people helpless and feeling fear and shame.

The current situation facing media is unprecedented. The censorship is monstrous. A new law allows people to be sentenced to 15 years in prison for sharing “fake” news about the war. That even includes just calling the “special military operation” in Ukraine a war at all.

People have to use VPN services to avoid bans of social networks. Most opposition media sources have closed down and journalists have left Russia. Those very few that remain are not able to cover the war.

People do protest. But all meetings are forbidden and people are immediately detained and fined. Those who are detained for a third time are imprisoned. Some of our congregation members went on anti-war strikes and have been detained. One Russian-Orthodox priest faces a charge because of a sermon where he urged people to pray for peace and sign a petition to stop the war. (By the way the petition was signed by 1.2 million Russian citizens. It could be even more popular but, as it requires personal information, people are reluctant to sign it—and the organizer of the petition has already been detained.

As I preach about peace and the sinfulness of this war in every sermon—and we live-stream it too—I wonder: when will my turn come?

As I preach about peace and the sinfulness of this war in every sermon, I wonder: when will my turn come?

I would say that the main feeling people in Russia have now is fear. Firstly, it is the fear to speak up. People are afraid not only to publicly share their opinion but even to “like” or repost the opinions of others. Secondly, people feel a paralyzing fear for their future. With the rise in inflation and the consequences of sanctions, people are afraid it will cut down not only supplies to foreign goods and luxuries but also to necessities, and even lead to famine.

But the church has immunity against both of these types of fear. Firstly, we have been confessing our faith boldly for more than 2,000 years now. We have learned to preach the truth no matter how unpopular it is or how dangerous it is. “So every one who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Secondly, we have learned to trust God and not to worry for He Himself will provide: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day” (Matthew 6:33-34). “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).

So we continue to do what we are called to do: preach the Law in all its strictness and the Gospel in all its sweetness. As we preach the Law, we also point to the sin of the war and admonish all those responsible for bloodshed to repent. As we preach the Gospel, we remind people of God’s love for us sinners and His continual care.

In these days, we again think a lot about the Confessing Church (“Bekennende Kirche”) from the Nazi-era in Germany. But the main conclusion that I make is that the church should have preached the Law and the Gospel diligently and boldly before it came to the point when it was impossible. This is the only way to prevent society from turning to fascism.”

Bishop Voigt has expressed his admiration for the frank assessment of this Russian participant at the meetings of the ILC European World Region. “I am deeply impressed by the courageous and unflinching statement of our brother from Russia,” he said. “When I asked if we could publish his words, he answered ‘yes’ without hesitation.”

“In these days, with the horrific images from the Kiev suburbs circulating in the media, this Lutheran minister’s words show a different Russia,” Bishop Voigt continued. “Let us not tire of praying for the people of Ukraine, as well as for this ‘other Russia’

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The International Lutheran Council is supporting relief efforts in Ukraine and refugee assistance. For information on how you can help, click here.

Mercy in Mission – Aid for Ukraine

by Mathew Block | Mar 25, 2022

UKRAINE – As the crisis in Ukraine continues to deepen, the International Lutheran Council (ILC) is soliciting support for emergency relief.

The United Nations reports that more than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since its invasion by Russian forces. An additional 6.6 million people in the country are internally displaced. Reliable counts of civilian deaths are not available at this time, but thousands are believed to have been killed in the conflict so far—with the number expected to continue to rise.

Lutheran churches in Ukraine continue to offer emergency and pastoral care to Ukrainians still in the country, while Lutheran churches in other European nations are offering physical and spiritual support to newly arrived refugees.

You can support Mercy in Mission work in Ukraine with a gift through the International Lutheran Council. Financial aid for Ukraine is being directed to Lutheran churches in Ukraine and ILC member churches with a history of direct work alongside Ukrainian Lutheran leadership. Aid is also being directed to neighbouring ILC churches who are assisting Ukrainian refugees with housing and other emergency needs.

Donate to emergency relief and aid for Ukraine online here. You can also mail donations to the address listed below (please make cheques out to “International Lutheran Council” and note the donation is for “Mercy in Mission – Ukraine”).

International Lutheran Council
PO Box 10149
Fort Wayne, IN 46850 USA

ILC member churches with an established history of work in Ukraine continue to provide direct support for relief efforts in the country. Lutheran Church–Canada, Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, for example, are supporting ongoing mission and mercy aid efforts inside Ukraine as well as refugee resettlement in neighbouring European nations. Check with these churches for further information on additional ways in which you can support their relief efforts.

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