PHILIPPINES – Representatives of the Lutheran Church in Korea (LCK) and the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) gathered from February 23-26 at the LCP’s Lutheran Center in Manila for a historic meeting that culminated in the signing of a Declaration of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship between the two churches. The gathering marked a significant step toward strengthening confessional Lutheran unity and deepening cooperation in mission and ministry in Asia.
The delegation from the Lutheran Church in Korea was led by its President, Rev. Jong Ho Won, while the delegation from the Lutheran Church in the Philippines was led by its President, Rev. Antonio del Rio Reyes. Over the course of the four-day meeting, representatives of both churches engaged in theological dialogue, prayer, and fraternal fellowship.
The meeting opened with Matins led by LCP President Antonio del Rio Reyes. Serving as interpreter and translator throughout the gathering was Rev. Dr. Jun Hyun Kim, Professor of Luther University of the Lutheran Church in Korea. The time of worship set a fitting tone for the discussions that followed, grounding the deliberations in prayer and in the Word of God.
Throughout the discussions, participants affirmed that the Holy Bible, the Old and New Testaments, is the inerrant and inspired Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and life. The two church bodies likewise confessed their unity in the Lutheran Confessions, as contained in the Book of Concord, as a true and faithful exposition of the Word of God. This shared commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions formed the foundation for the declaration signed during the meeting.
The signing of the declaration represents a formal commitment by the LCK and the LCP to recognize each other as faithful Lutheran church bodies with whom full altar and pulpit fellowship may be established. The agreement must still be ratified by each church’s governing conventions. Both churches are scheduled to hold their next conventions in October 2026.
Upon ratification, the declaration will formally establish altar and pulpit fellowship between the two church bodies. Such fellowship affirms that pastors of one church may preach in the congregations of the other, and that members may commune together at the Lord’s Table, in keeping with their shared confession and ecclesiastical practice.
Leaders from both churches expressed gratitude for the spirit of unity and mutual trust that characterized the discussions. The meeting provided an opportunity not only to finalize the text of the declaration but also to strengthen relationships between the two church bodies, which share a commitment to faithful Lutheran witness in their respective contexts.
The agreement represents an important milestone in the relationship between the Lutheran Church in Korea and the Lutheran Church in the Philippines and will advance confessional Lutheran cooperation in Asia. Participants in the Manila meeting noted that the declaration reflects a shared desire to strengthen cooperation in theological education, pastoral formation, and missionary outreach throughout the region, and will enable the two churches to present a stronger and more unified witness to the Gospel.
The Lutheran Church in the Philippines and the Lutheran Church in Korea are both member churches of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), 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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President Antonio del Rio Reyes
Lutheran Church in the Philippines
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