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LLDP celebrate more graduates, welcomes new students

ELCT-SELVD Assistant Bishop Daniel Mono (front, second from left) and LCSA Bishop Modise Maragelo (front, second from right) celebrate their graduation from the LLDP program. Among those pictured are LLDP Director Naomichi Masaki (back left), ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill (front left), and Concordia Theological Seminary President Lawrence Rast (front right).

USA – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP) celebrated its second commencement during its most recent session earlier this year in Fort Wayne, Indiana—and at the same time welcomed new students into the program.

Graduating were Bishop Modise Maragelo of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA) and Assistant Bishop Daniel Mono of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD). Each received a Certificate of Theology in Lutheran Leadership.

The commencement service was conducted by the LLDP’s Director Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, with ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill also addressing the graduates. President Lawrence Rast of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, who sits on the LLDP’s council, brought greetings. Additional greetings by letter were shared from ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola and former ILC General Secretary Albert Collver. The first four graduates of the LLDP, who completed the program in November 2022, also sent brief words of congratulations.

Dr. Masaki described the graduates’ theses as “noteworthy and quite relevant.” Bishop Maragelo wrote on “The Rise, Decline, and Hopeful Future of a Confessional Lutheran Church: The LCSA in Post-Apartheid South Africa.” Assistant Bishop Mono’s thesis was: “The Growing Lay Ministry Movement in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania – South East of Lake Victoria Diocese: Its Theological Evaluation, and Suggestions for the Future.”

The Value of the LLDP

“When this program was introduced to me, I was skeptical,” LCSA Bishop Maragelo admitted. “I did not know what it was, yet I was asked to nominate men to participate in this training. I decided my deputy and I should attend so that we would know what this was all about before sending others.”

“It was heartwarming to be welcomed so warmly by such friendly, humble, and open servant-minded lecturers,” he continued. “Finding oneself among other diverse African Lutheran men of God as fellow students was a blessing from God of its own kind. The program was the manifestation of God Himself at work through dedicated servant leaders. The courses were at a high academic proficiency, yet also comprehensive and practical. The richness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was shared.”

“As a graduate, I now proudly advocate for the LLDP without a shadow of doubt,” Bishop Maragelo concluded. “What we were given will never go to waste for the future of our church—for the LCSA, in particular, as well as for the other churches who have sent participants. The richness of the Gospel will be proclaimed in our pulpits, taught in our seminaries, and shared wherever we get a chance.”

ELCT-SELVD Assistant Bishop Mono, LCSA Bishop Maragelo, and LLDP Director Naomichi Masaki.

ELCT-SELVD Assistant Bishop Mono also had positive words to say about the program. “The LLDP gave me the opportunity to visit Wittenberg and to learn many things about the history of Lutheranism and Martin Luther’s life,” he explained. “I was not deeply rooted in confessional Lutheran theology in my own theological background, because I was raised in liberal Lutheranism and my bachelor and master’s degrees in theology came from a liberal seminary in Tanzania. Only the Doctor of Ministry program at Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, USA) had given me basic confessional Lutheran theology.”

“The LLDP helped me to go deeper into the Book of Concord and confessional theology,” he explained. “Now I have deep confidence in identifying myself as a confessional Lutheran leader. I am able now to distinguish between real Lutheranism and those who call themselves Lutheran but do not hold to the Lutheran confessions.”

Dr. Mono noted that the courses in the LLDP were very helpful for his own service to the church. “The issues of church fellowship; stewardship and accountability; planning and task management; Lutheran liturgy and hymnody; the Office of the Holy Ministry and the means of grace… these were all very important subjects taught by competent instructors,” he said. “Moreover, our time together in the LLDP was very interactive; I was given opportunities to learn from others. Hearing the experiences of other Lutheran church bodies was very educational and has helped me to evaluate my own church body. I will use what I have gained in this program to serve my church. My hope is that more leaders will be given the opportunity to participate in the LLDP. This will help our church bodies to be strong and identify as confessional Lutherans.”

Bishop Maragelo and Assistant Bishop Mono both expressed their heartfelt thanks to the International Lutheran Council, to Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne), and to the LLDP’s Director, Dr. Masaki.

A new class of students

Rev. Dr. Paul Grime teaches a course on Lutheran liturgy and hymnody.

The commencement ceremony took place near the end of the LLDP’s most recent two-week session, which was held May 22 to June 2, 2023 at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne (CTSFW). Rev. Dr. Paul Grime, Dean of Chapel for CTSFW and the project director of the Lutheran Service Book, taught the first week’s course on “Issues in Lutheran Liturgy and Lutheran Hymnody.” LLDP Director Masaki taught on “The Lord’s Supper” during the second week.

“Our May/June sessions brought much joy for me for a variety of reasons,” commented Dr. Masaki. “That two more worthy leaders of the first cohort have completed the program is a tremendous joy. Bishop Maragelo was the leader of our first cohort. Dr. Mono also played an important part in the group, and is now serving as Assistant Bishop in his own church.”

“But on top of it all, I was also delighted in welcoming students for the second cohort,” Dr. Masaki continued. “The fact that the LLDP is continuing in this way is such a blessing and gift from the Lord. I am thankful to the Lord for the leadership of the ILC in supporting this program.”

LLDP Director Naomichi Masaki (right) poses with students during the most recent round of classes.

As a result of visa issues, not all new students were able to attend the most recent session in Fort Wayne. But the students newly enrolled in the LLDP, and those still finishing studies from the first class, hail from twelve church bodies in nine countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, South Sudan/Sudan, and Tanzania.

With the most recent commencement service, six students have now graduated from the program, with another three expected to graduate in 2024.

The Lutheran Leadership Development Program is a graduate-level program of the International Lutheran Council dedicated to equipping confessional Lutheran leaders around the world with the theological and practical knowledge necessary to serve their church bodies effectively.

You can support the work of the Lutheran Leadership Development Program by making a donation online. You can also mail a donation by cheque to:

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

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ILC to celebrate 30th anniversary as a council

GERMANY – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a council this year, and will hold formal events to mark the anniversary in Wittenberg, Germany on October 14, 2023. The ILC adopted its current form on September 9, 1993, when 23 Lutheran church leaders from across the globe gathered in Antigua, Guatemala and unanimously adopted a Constitution and Guiding Principles. Today, the International Lutheran Council has grown to include 59 member churches representing more than 7.2 million Lutherans around the world.

“Wittenberg is of course the historic home of Martin Luther and the Reformation,” noted ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill. “From that epicentre, the Lutheran witness to the Gospel—grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions—has gone out into the whole world. It is fitting then that confessional Lutherans from across the globe should gather again in Wittenberg to mark this important anniversary. The International Lutheran Council has grown to play a vital role in world Lutheranism, strengthening and supporting confessional churches in their witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.”

The anniversary events in Wittenberg will begin in the morning with a festive service of Choral Matins at St. Mary’s Church, the church where Luther regularly preached. ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola (Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland) will serve as liturgist for the event, and General Secretary Timothy Quill will preach. Georg Mogwitz of St. Lukas Church in Leipzig will serve as cantor and organist, and the choir of St. Lukas Church will provide special music.

The service will also see a rite of prayer and blessing for the establishment of the ILC’s Accreditation Agency, a ministry that will assist Lutheran seminaries around the world in providing pastoral training and theological education grounded in Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Later in the afternoon, participants will gather for the keynote address. Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, Past President of Lutheran Church–Canada and a member of the ILC’s Board of Directors,will speak on the history of the International Lutheran Council. A panel discussion will follow, led by members of the ILC’s board. Chairman George Samiec (Evangelical Lutheran Church of England) will serve as moderator, and panel members will include President Matthew Harrison (Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod), Archbishop Joseph Omolo (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya), President Antonia Reyes (Lutheran Church in the Philippines), and President Timothy Teuscher (Lutheran Church–Canada).

Finally, ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola will provide concluding thoughts about where the ILC goes from here.

The ILC anniversary celebration itself will come at the culmination of a multi-day gathering of international Lutheran church leaders in Wittenberg organized by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies which proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and to the Lutheran Confessions. While the ILC is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a “council,” the full history of the organization goes back more than seven decades. The first large international gathering of Lutheran church leaders which gave birth to the ILC took place in Uelzen, Germany in 1952. At the third meeting of this group—in Cambridge, England in 1963—the gathering adopted the name “International Lutheran Theological Conference.” At the ninth gathering of the group—in Wabag, Papua New Guinea in 1978—the name was shortened to the “International Lutheran Conference.”

Finally, at its 15th gathering in Antigua, Guatemala, the ILC formally constituted itself as the International Lutheran Council. Since that time, the ILC has grown to play a major role in supporting confessional Lutheran churches around the world.

For further details on the International Lutheran Council’s 30th anniversary commemoration in Wittenberg, please contact the ILC.

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A Reaffirmation of the ILC’s 2021 letter protesting religious persecution in Finland

FINLAND – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) have published a new letter reaffirming their support for Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF) and Dr. Päivi Räsänen, Finnish Member of Parliament. Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen are being prosecuted in Finland for their expression of historic Christian teaching.

“We call on all people of good will to condemn this unconscionable prosecution, to take a stand for freedom of speech and freedom of religion for all, and to pray for Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen and their acquittal,” the letter states. “When we compromise on freedom for just one or two, we ultimately place freedom at risk for all.”

The new letter, which is signed by ILC General Secretary Timothy C.J. Quill, LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison, and LCMS Director of Church Relations Jonathan E. Shaw, reaffirms an earlier 2021 ILC statement entitled “A Protest and Call for Free Religious Speech in Finland: An International Lutheran Condemnation of the Unjust Criminal Prosecution of the Rev. Dr. Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen, and a Call for All People of Good Will to Support the Freedom of Religious Expression in Finland.” That statement was signed by 48 ecclesial leaders and 45 church bodies and associations, representing hundreds of millions of Lutherans worldwide.

Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen were put on trial in 2022 for the publication of a 2004 pamphlet which had articulated historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. While the Helsinki District Court acquitted them unanimously in 2022, Finland’s Prosecutor General appealed the decision. Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen will face trial again at the Helsinki Court of Appeals from August 22-24, 2023.

The new letter condemns the continued prosecution, saying: “This represents nothing less than a years-long relentless attack against free speech, religious expression, personal moral integrity, and limited government’s proper sphere of jurisdiction as articulated in the Constitution of Finland, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Download the full letter here or read it below:






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ILC holds European Regional Conference

Back, left to right: President Gijsbertus van Hattem (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium); President Leif Jensen (Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Denmark); Rev. Leif Camp (representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia); President Adalberto Hiller (Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church); and Rev. Roger Zieger (representing Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church). Front, left to right: Rev. Adris Kraulins (representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia); Bishop Juhana Pohjola (Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland); Bishop Bengt Ådahl (Mission Province in Sweden); Chairman George Samiec (Evangelical Lutheran Church of England); and Rev. Philippe Volff (representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Synod of France).

GERMANY – The European Region of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) held its 2023 Regional Conference from June 13-14 in Essen, Germany. Representatives from most member churches in the region were able to attend but work, visa issues, and deaths in the family prevented representatives from the Norwegian churches and from Siberia from being present.

The main topics for gathering were: the latest news from the churches; the situation in Ukraine and Russia, which led to a wider discussion of church life when one’s country is at war as well as questions around church relations when other churches are designated ‘friend’ or ‘foe’ because of the conflict; a review of the ILC’s 2022 World Conference in Kenya; a discussion of ecumenism in representatives’ respective countries, and whether member churches were finding themselves increasingly isolated or drawing together where possible with other church bodies; and reflection on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed congregational and synodical lives, particularly noting what was not ‘changing back’.

The war in Ukraine has affected the region variously—some specifically (as in Russia) while for other churches it has raised past tensions and fears, with all churches, to varying degrees, seeking to support refugees. As always, there are opportunities presented about how to serve in specific situations, and sadly lots of hardship, but throughout the two days there was a strong confidence that Jesus never abandons His people. References were made to the Confession of Magdeburg (1550) and its four levels of tyranny, which the Ingrian Church was using in navigating a response to government. Members agreed that all need to keep reconciliation—the Gospel—in focus as churches deal with the many levels of hostilities and fears arising out of the situation, being aware that the effects of this war will be generational.

Church leaders talk during the ILC’s 2023 European Regional Conference.

The pandemic may have come and gone yet ILC member churches in Europe are still “pandemic sensitive.’ Every church reported that some members have not returned to the Divine Service since the pandemic. Throughout Europe, churches’ response depended on governmental restrictions. As a result, there were differences among ILC churches in relation to the length of ‘lock outs’ from their church buildings, the number who could worship together, and how Holy Communion was celebrated. All churches continued to emphasise the importance of being together as much as possible, particularly at the Divine Service. Nevertheless, representatives recognized that online services are here to stay, as are online Bible Studies and even online church and synodical meetings. This is a new world, and everyone is still learning how to take the best of their pandemic response forward while also not forgetting those who do not use or have access to the internet.

Worship and fellowship at ILC events are always a rich time together. Throughout the 2023 ILC Europe Regional Conference, there was a particular focus on John 14-16 and Colossians. During the conference, Rev. George Samiec (Chairman of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England and the European representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors) reminded everyone:

Christians do not relate to God via creation, worshipping an aspect of it to get close to God. Christians do not create God in their own image—a bigger, nicer (or not) version of themselves perhaps—out of their own intellect or from their hopes and fears. No, it is Jesus who reveals to us the intimacy of a personal relationship with God whom we can call ‘Father’—and assures us of reconciliation through His cross… always.

This is the reality at the heart of the Church… at the heart of our time together as church leaders. May this be a comfort and strength for us now, and may it be at the heart of each congregation of our synods: that Jesus hidden under words, water, bread and wine is giving life to His people so that they may live. Yes, we need organisational structures and bureaucracy, and they can be very visible and time-consuming. But hidden—always present and close—remains Jesus, and so in whatever we do admin-wise and churchwide-wise, may our goal always be pointing to Jesus and His cross who is among us. We are His people in this time and place. No one else is in our place; this is our time and place to live with Jesus and to share His grace and mercy with the world—that is, those around us.

And may the joy of the Lord be our strength.

The next European meeting of ILC member churches will take place online in September.

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From a report by ELCE Chairman George Samiec

French speaking Lutherans gather in Canada for liturgy workshop

Participants at the French liturgy workshop in Montreal. Pictured are participants from Haiti, Congo, France, the United States, and Canada.

CANADA – French-speaking Lutherans from across the world gathered for a workshop on the basics of Lutheran liturgy in Montreal, Quebec from May 17-21, 2023. The event, which was hosted by Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), also marked the official launch of a new African edition of LCC’s French hymnal: Liturgies et cantiques luthériens – Édition africaine (LCL-ÉA).

The workshop opened with remarks by LCC President Timothy Teuscher, bringing greetings on behalf of the Canadian church as well as the International Lutheran Council (ILC), which helped to sponsor the event. President Teuscher, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the ILC, encouraged the gathering to reflect on the necessity of right worship.

Rev. Walta Clercius, Assistant Missionary-at-Large for LCC French Ministries.

The gathering brought together participants from nine countries, including members of: Lutheran Church–Canada; Lutheran churches in Haiti, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH); five new African francophone congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS); the Evangelical Lutheran Church – Synod of France (the Église évangélique luthérienne – Synode de France – EEL-SF); Lutheran churches in Burundi and Congo; Lutherans in Africa; and an African Pentecostal church body that is considering the adoption of Lutheran teaching. LCC, ELCH, the LCMS, and the ELL-SF are all member churches of the International Lutheran Council.

In addition to those present in person, the Saturday session saw students from the Concordia Theological Seminary of Haiti – Laochikit Centre (Séminaire Théologique Concordia d’Haiti – Centre de Laotchikit) participate online.

The development of French Lutheran hymnals by LCC French Ministries represents a major contribution to the worship life of the francophone Lutheran world. The new African edition of the hymnal (LCL-ÉA) is a fruit of the collaboration of LCC’s Francophone Lutheran Liturgical Institute (Institut liturgique luthérien francophone – ILLF). IILF members include Rev. Dr. David Saar (St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mount Forest, Ontario); Rev. Dr. David Somers (LCC Missionary-at-Large, French Ministries); and LCMS Cantor Phillip Magness, who served as main presenter at the workshop. Rev. David Milette (Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Moncton, New Brunswick) served as liturgist throughout the workshop.

The ILLF’s constituting members and LCC President with the new African edition of the French hymnal. Left to right: Cantor Phillip Magness, Rev. Dr. David Somers, LCC President Timothy Teuscher, and Rev. Dr. David Saar

In addition to the presentation of the LCL-ÉA, the workshop also provided an opportunity to showcase French Lutheran materials, many of which are available through Lutheran Church–Canada’s French Ministries, including the new Viens et vois Jésus (“Come and See Jesus”) Sunday school curriculum and accompanying lectionary-based children’s activity pages based on those prepared in English by Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada.

Finally, the workshop provided a unique opportunity for confessional francophone Lutherans from three continents to get to know each other and become more familiar with the work and challenges of the world’s burgeoning French-language Lutheranism.

Support for the workshop was provided by the International Lutheran Council; the C.T. Wetzstein Donor Advised Fund in Support of Christian Education; the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League – Canada (LWMLC); the Laurentian District of the LWMLC; the Lutheran Heritage Foundation; Lutheran Laymen’s League – Canada; The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod; and Lutheran Church–Canada.

Additional French-language workshops on Lutheran liturgy in Africa are also being planned.

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Adapted from a report by Rev. Dr. David Somers.

ILC sponsors capacity building conference in Tanzania

Participants listen to a speaker during the ELCT-LTD’s capacity building conference in Sumbawanga, Tanzania.

TANZANIA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) sponsored a capacity building conference for pastors, evangelists, and teachers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika Diocese (ELCT-LTD) in Sumbawanga from March 7-10, 2023.

The conference arose out of an official request from the diocese and Bishop Ambele Mwaipopo.

“It was a joy to visit Bishop Mwaipopo and his diocese in Tanzania,” said ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill. “Events like these play a significant role in ensuring strong Lutheran formation for pastors and church workers, and we were pleased to be able to respond to the ELCT-LTD’s request for assistance in this area.”

The conference brought together nearly 90 people, including more than 40 pastors and nine evangelists, as well as theologians, members of the diocese’s executive council, and staff from the diocesan headquarters. Guest lecturers for the event included ILC General Secretary Quill; Rev. Dr. Detlev Schulz (Concordia Theological Seminary – Fort Wayne, Indiana); and Rev. Peter Brock (First Vice President of the Indiana District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod).

Participants at a capacity building conference in Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika Diocese. ILC General Secretary Timothy Quill sits in front (second from left) with ELCT-LTD Bishop Ambele Mwaipopo (centre).

The Lake Tanganyika Diocese has a great focus on mission. Last year, it opened 18 new preaching points, eleven of which have since grown into parishes or congregations. Additional preaching points continue to be opened every year.

To assist with this growth, the diocese is in the process of opening a new school, which will initially train evangelists and eventually grow to offer pastoral training. Indeed, the diocese sees pastoral training as its greatest need. The school will also educate lay people in vocations and trades, including as teachers and deaconesses.

The Lake Tanganyika Diocese holds membership in the International Lutheran Council as a recognized organization. The ILC has previously supported theological conferences in the ELCT-LTD’s sister diocese, the South East of Lake Victoria Diocese.

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of Lutheran church bodies, dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of a shared-commitment to the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt, former ILC Chairman, honoured with Festschrift

SELK Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt (Photo: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod/Erik M. Lunsford. Used with permission.)

GERMANY – The International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) former Chairman, Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche – SELK), has been honoured with a Festschrift to mark his 60th birthday in 2022.

The Festschrift was formally presented to Bishop Voigt on December 19, 2022, during which time the book’s dedicatory hymn—”I Will Be Present, Says the Lord,” written by Rev. Kurt Reinhardt of Canada and sung to the Luther melody “Von Himmel hoch”—was also premiered. Rev. Dr. Burkhard Neumann of the Johann Adam Möhler Institute for Ecumenism—one of the contributors to the volume—served as keynote speaker for the event.

The Festschrift features contributions in English and German, and is entitled Dienst an der Kirche durch Wort und Sakrament: Theologie und Kirche in konfessioneller und ökumenischer Verantwortung [“Service to the Church Through Word and Sacrament: Theology and Church in Confessional and Ecumenical Responsibility”]. Serving as editors for the book were Werner Klän and Michael Schätzel.

“This book is a tribute to Bishop Dr. Hans-Jörg Voigt on the occasion of his 60th birthday,” the editors write in the book’s foreword. “The honouree deserves recognition and thanks for his many kinds of service in the church and her congregations, especially for acting (and reacting) in a worship-centered manner, for his thoughtful commitment to the value of confessional Lutheran positions–within the church and ecumenically–, and for his incisive statements and expressions of a decidedly Lutheran way to practise the faith.”

Dienst an der Kirche durch Wort und Sakrament.

“When preparing this commemorative publication, it was important for us to do justice to the diverse tasks—and gifts—of Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt,” the foreword also notes. Reflecting the diversity of Bishop Voigt’s impact, the contributors to the book come from a wide variety of nations and church backgrounds: from within the SELK in Germany; internationally, from within the International Lutheran Council; and from other church traditions who have come to know Bishop Voigt through his confessional ecumenical work.

The essays themselves are grouped into six categories: the Word of God; the Ministry of the Church; the History of the Church; Church Teaching; Church Practice; and the Relationship between Church and Society. Also featured in the book are two pieces of writing in German by Bishop Voigt himself: a 2011 pastoral letter entitled “Discovering Marriage and Family as Gifts of God” and a 2015 lecture entitled “Bringing the Reformation to the World: The Means of Grace” (these texts are available in English online here and here).

Among the book’s contributors are three current and former members of the ILC’s Board of Directors who worked alongside Bishop Voigt during his tenure as Chairman. These include: FELSISA Bishop Dieter Reinstorf of South Africa (“The Corona Pandemic and Jesus’ Parable of the Sower: A Personal Tribute”); LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison of the United States (“Scripture and Office in Sasse’s Argument on Women’s Ordination”); and LCC Past President Robert Bugbee of Canada (“The ILC: Coming of Age”).

Other contributions in the volume are by: Jorg Christian Salzmann; Thomas M. Winger; Gerson L. Linden; Achim Behrens; Karl Hinrich Manzke; John R. Stephenson; Mareile Lasogga; Horst Gorski; Jobst Schöne; Norbert Denecke; Robert Kolb; Armin Wenz; Werner Klän; Christian Neddens; Friedrich Hauschildt; John W. Kleinig; Burkhard Neumann; Martin Evang; Christoph Barnbrock; Jürgen Kampmann; Michael Schätzel; Andrea Grünhagen; Diethardt Roth; and Stefan Süß.

The book is available from Edition Ruprecht.

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ILC board gathers in Illinois, meets with local Lutherans

ILC board members take part in a choral evening prayer service at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Illinois.

USA – In early February 2023, the International Lutheran Council held board meetings in Chicago and Wheaton, Illinois, during which time board members also spoke at a number of events in the area.

Board meetings took place February 3-4, with members discussing new membership applications; next steps in ecumenical relations with the Roman Catholic Church; and planning for the World Seminaries Conference (tentatively scheduled for June 2024 in Argentina). The board also began looking forward to plans for the 2025 World Conference.

ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola speaks to Chicago-area Lutherans during a fireside talk at St. John’s Lutheran in Wheaton, Illinois.

The first day of meetings were held on the campus of Concordia University Chicago (CUC), where board members joined the university community for chapel. During a lunch with students and faculty, ILC Chairman Juhana Pohjola, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, presented on the situation his own church faces in Finland, as well as on the work of the International Lutheran Council. Following his talk, other members of the board also spoke to the students and faculty.

The second day of meetings took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Later in the day, St. John’s also hosted a “fireside talk” with ILC Chairman Pohjola, with members of numerous Chicago-area Lutheran churches in attendance. The evening culminated in a choral evening prayer service entitled “For the Future of the Church and the Life of the World.” Rev. Dr. Scott A. Bruzek of St. John’s served as liturgist and Rev. Dr. Patrick Bayens of CUC preached. Mr. Peter Sovitzky of St. John’s served as cantor. The ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Timothy C.J. Quill, and Chairman Pohjola served as lectors. Members of the ILC board were also vested for the service.

Archbishop Joseph Omolo (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya) joins a local Illinois congregation (St. Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights) for Sunday morning service.

On Sunday, February 5, those ILC board members and officers who were present attended worship at various Lutheran churches in the Chicago area, where they preached during Divine Service. In total, eleven congregations welcomed ILC board members and other representatives, with the preachers hailing from Canada, Finland, Ghana, Kenya, Paraguay, the Philippines, and the United States. Members also had the opportunity to speak with congregants about the work of the International Lutheran Council as well as their own individual church bodies.

“A key aspect of this round of meetings was engagement with the local church,” said ILC General Secretary Quill. “It was a privilege to welcome ILC members from across the globe to visit with local congregants and to share the work their church bodies are doing in service of the Gospel both individually and collectively as part of the International Lutheran Council.”

Chairman Juhana Pohjola and other ILC representatives greet congregants after a choral evening service at St. John’s Lutheran (Wheaton, Illinois.)

“The ILC is more than just leaders of our member church bodies,” Dr. Quill noted. “The work we do depends on the prayerful support of individual church members across the globe. It was wonderful to witness that partnership in action during our visits with local congregations and the Concordia University Chicago community in Illinois.”

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of Lutheran church bodies, dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of a shared-commitment to the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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New District Bishop Elected for SELVD in Tanzania

ELCT-SEVLD Bishop Elect Yohana Ernest Nzelu.

TANZANIA – The South East of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT-SELVD) held its General Assembly from December 9-10, 2022 at its Tumani Bariadi congregation, during which time the district elected a new bishop: Rev. Dr. Yohana Ernest Nzelu

“I congratulate Dr. Nzelu on his election as bishop,” said Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “It’s been a joy to see our relationship with the ELCT-SELVD grow over the past number of years, and we look forward to continued cooperation in the future. May God bless Dr. Nzelu with every good thing in Christ as he begins this new work on behalf of the South of East Victoria Diocese.”

Bishop Elect Nzelu was elected to a ten-year term. Prior to the election, he served the ELCT-SELVD as Assistant to the Bishop. Ordained fifteen years ago, he also served as a District Pastor for eight years and as headmaster at Mwadui Lutheran Secondary School for ten years. He earned his doctorate from Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) in 2021.

ELCT-SEVLD Bishop Elect Yohana Ernest Nzelu.

Bishop Elect Nzelu succeeds Bishop Emmanuel Joseph Makala, who was the ELCT-SELVD’s first bishop.

Also elected was Rev. Dr. Daniel Henry Mono, who will serve as Assistant to the Bishop for a four-year term. Dr. Mono previously served as District Pastor at Kahama.

“I am so excited about having them both on board,” noted outgoing ELCT-SELVD Bishop Makala. “The new leadership have years of experience and have clearly demonstrated their essential skills in leadership positions.”

The consecration of Bishop Elect Nzelu and the installation of Dr. Mono as Assistant to the Bishop will take place on April 30, 2023 at Ebenezer Cathedral in Shinyanga.

The ELCT-SELVD holds membership as a recognized organization in the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran churches.

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Lutherans in Australia and New Zealand decline women’s ordination but raise future possibility of “one church, two practices”

AUSTRALIA – From February 9-12, 2023, the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) gathered in Melbourne, Australia for in-person sessions of its General Synod, during which time the church again declined a resolution calling for the ordination of women. However, a day later the church accepted a separate proposal to study the possibility of creating “one church with two different practices of ordination.”

The gathering in Melbourne was the continuation of a General Synod which first began in October 2021, but in-person sessions were delayed until this year because of the pandemic.

The first resolution was debated on February 10, and saw the church vote on whether to alter church teaching to allow the ordination of women. The vote required a 2/3 majority, which it failed to achieve. In total, 59 percent of delegates voted in favour of the change (203 for; 136 against; 3 abstentions).

The LCANZ’s Bishop Paul Smith encouraged continued “prayer for the Lord’s guiding hand on His church” as it continues to wrestle with this subject.

This was the church’s fifth vote on women’s ordination since 2000, with all failing to receive the required 2/3 majority to change church teaching (votes took place in 2000, 2006, 2015, 2018, and now in 2023). In a release, the LCANZ notes that the practice of ordaining men only was included in the Theses of Agreement which the LCANZ’s two predecessor church bodies accepted in 1966 as part of their decision to unite.

Following the February 10 vote on women’s ordination, the LCANZ adopted a separate proposal on February 11, which calls on the synod to examine the possibility of creating “one church with two different practices of ordination.” Because this proposal was to examine the possibility, rather than to change church teaching at this time, it required only a simple majority, which it achieved (250 for; 89 against; 1 abstention).

“Synod directed that work be done to outline how one church with two ordination practices might function,” notes the LCANZ in another release, “such as one or more existing LCANZ districts becoming districts that teach and practice the ordination of both women and men to the office of the public ministry, or by establishing a non-geographical LCANZ ‘district’ that does so.” The results of that examination are to be presented for discussion at the church’s 2024 General Pastors Conference in the lead up to the next convention of General Synod.

“We are grateful that the LCANZ has again declined the practice of women’s ordination, which is contrary to Holy Scripture and historic Christian teaching,” said Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “However, the proposal to examine the possibility of creating ‘one church with two different practices of ordination’ is disconcerting and will sow the seed of confusion and discord. We pray that the church’s discussion will ultimately conclude in favour of one church with one practice of ordination—namely, the biblical position that ordination is only open to men.”

The Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand is an associate member of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies. In keeping with the teachings of Scripture, the ILC does not accept the ordination of women to the pastoral ministry, encouraging women to serve the church in other ways.

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