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Latin American Lutherans gather for regional ILC conference

by | Nov 5, 2024

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

BOLIVIA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) held its 2024 Latin America regional conference from September 24-27 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The theme of the conference, which was hosted by the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia (Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana de Bolivia – ICEL), was “The Church Moving in a Secularized World.”

The conference brings together Confessional Lutheran leaders from across Latin America to pray and worship together; to discuss issues of regional importance; to report on events in each of their countries; and to build stronger relationships between their churches. The opportunity to spend time together was made all the more poignant this year because one of the participants, President Isaac Guadalupe Garcia of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico (Sínodo Luterano de México – SLM), recently underwent a harrowing kidnapping experience.

Rev. Dr. Maximiliano Wolfgramm Silva served as guest speaker for the event. Dr. Silva is a professorat the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), an educational institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil – IELB). Dr. Silva explored the convention theme over several lectures, discussing the meaning of the term secularization, reflecting on the relationship between faith and culture, and remarking on the gift of a life transformed by Jesus in the Spirit, submitted to God and committed to the good of the world.

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

In addition to ICEL President Limberth Fernandez and several other pastors from Bolivia, in-person participants included: President Arturo Truenow of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina – IELA) and Prof. Sergio Schelske, director of the IELA’s Concordia Seminary and member of the ILC’s Seminaries Relations Committee); IELB President Geraldo Schuller of Brazil; President Ignacio Chan of the Lutheran Church in Guatemala (Iglesia Luterana en Guatemala – ILG); SLM President Garcia of Mexico; President Alceu Figur of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Paraguay – IELPA); Vice President Alejandrino Lopez Quispe of the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Peru (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana-Perú – IEL-P); President André Müller of the Lutheran Church of Uruguay (Iglesia Luterana del Uruguay – ILU); and President Eduardo Flores of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela (Iglesia Luterana de Venezuela – ILV); and Rev. Dr. Nilo Figur, Director for Latin America of Lutheran Hour Ministries. Three other participants and presenters took part online: the ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz; the LCMS Regional Director for Latin America, Rev. Dr. Ted Krey; and President Juan Pablo Lanterna of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (Iglesia Luterana Confesional de Chile – ILC-Chile).

In addition to other business, the 2024 conference engaged in theological discussion of church fellowship, with IELPA President Figur leading the conversations. President Figur also serves on the ILC’s Board of Directors as the regional representative for Latin America.

Meetings of the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference.

The ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, addressed the convention via the internet. “We know that we live in a world that is confused and in need of help,” Dr. Schulz noted in his remarks. “You belong to the International Lutheran Council, and as participants you share the message of our faith in Christ: that we are justified by Him and that the Gospel is to be shared with others so that people come to believe and be saved.” He went on to say that it is this “common mission with a common message on who Christ is, what a human being is, and what a good life looks like under God” that binds the various members of the ILC together.

“May the Lord bless you all in your service to the church,” he continued, “and may He strengthen you to remain wise and steadfast in the Word, always taking your church out of a path of errors to a path of light and joy.”

The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran churches which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Latin America Regional Conference enjoyed an excursion to Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the word.

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ILC Latin America regional conference meets in Mexico

by | 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.”

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From a report by ILC-Chile President Juan Pablo Lanterna

ILC World Representatives for Latin America and Europe announced

by | Jan 15, 2020

WORLD – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has announced updates to the representatives for the Latin American and European World Regions.

Appointed to serve as the World Region Representative for Latin America is President Eugenio Wentzel of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Paraguay – IELP). President Wentzel had previously served as the Latin American representative until the spring of 2018, but was ineligible for reappointment because he had announced he wouldn’t seek reelection as President of the Paraguayan church. In the end, he consented to stand for reelection of the IELP and was elected, making him eligible for reappointment to as the ILC’s regional representative.

Appointed to serve as the World Region Representative for Europe is Chairman Georg Samiec of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE). This seat was previously held by the ELCE’s Chairman Jon Ehlers, but Chairman Ehlers had announced he would not seek reelection. Chairman Samiec was subsequently elected, and consented to serve as the ILC’s regional representative for Europe.

In total, five World Regional Representatives serve on the ILC’s Board of Directors (formerly known as the Executive Committee), along with the ILC Chairman, Secretary, two appointed members, and the ILC’s General Secretary (as a non-voting, ex-officio member).

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Reflections on the ILC Latin America regional conference

by | 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.

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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