Nicaraguan Church meets in convention

by | Feb 11, 2014

Nicaragua-Convention-web

LCC President Robert Bugbee, ILSN President Marvin Donaire, and SELK pastor Rev. Joerge Kallensee

NICARAGUA – The Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua (ILSN), under the direction of its President Marvin Donaire, held its fourth convention January 9-10, taking as its theme “Let Us Walk Together in Proclaiming the Gospel.”

The ILSN is a self-governing church body which arose from the mission efforts of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), a member church of the International Lutheran Council. LCC began work in Nicaragua in 1997. Since then, the church has grown to approximately 1,700 members in 23 congregations. The ILSN has even established mission stations of its own in Costa Rica and Honduras.

LCC President Robert Bugbee brought greetings on the first day of the convention, highlighting the strong ties between the Canadian and Nicaraguan churches. He expressed joy that the Church in Nicaragua is maturing, as evidenced by its own self-governing structure and its assuming responsibility for its own governance and the spread of the Gospel in the region.

Also present for the convention were special guests from Canadian Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Hour Ministries, as well as individual members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK).

A few weeks after the convention, the ILSN celebrated the graduation of a new class of church workers. In total, 17 deaconesses and 12 pastoral students received their diplomas. The deaconesses will now begin a one-year apprenticeship teaching with the ILSN’s Children’s Education Program. The pastoral students will enter their one-year vicarage, following which they will be ordained and receive their first calls.

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By Mathew Block

Mathew Block is Communications Manager for the International Lutheran Council. He is also editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine, and formerly served as Communications Manager for Lutheran Church–Canada.

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