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ILC General Secretary, LLDP Director appointed to new faculty chairs

Left to right: CTSFW President Lawrence R. Rast, ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz, LLDP Director Naomichi Masaki, and CTSFW Provost Charles Gieschen.

USA – In January 2024, Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW) in Fort Wayne, Indiana formally dedicated two newly-funded faculty chairs. Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), was appointed as the new Roemer-Baese professor in Pastoral Ministry and Missions. Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Director of the ILC’s Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP), was appointed as the new Reverend Victor H. and Lydia Dissen Professor in the Lutheran Confessions.

Dr. Schulz has served as a faculty member at CTSFW since 1998, a role in which he continues to serve alongside his work as ILC General Secretary. “Dr. Schulz is known internationally for his teaching in missiology, his confession of Lutheran theology, and his tireless commitment to reaching lost sinners around the world,” noted CTSFW Provost Charles Gieschen in announcing the appointment. “His appointment to this new chair in Pastoral Ministry and Missions is an important way to honour his many contributions and further the impact of his service.”

Dr. Masaki has been a member of CTSFW’s faculty since 2001. “Dr. Masaki has distinguished himself on our faculty and throughout the world as a teacher of biblical doctrine as stated in the Lutheran Confessions,” Dr. Gieschen said. “Appointing him to hold this chair both honours his exemplary service and proclaims this seminary’s rigorous commitment to the study of what Lutherans believe, teach, and confess.”

The dedication of the new chairs came a day before the seminary’s annual Symposia conference, and also saw General Secretary Schulz and Dr. Masaki give inaugural lectures. Dr. Schulz presented on “Missiology: A Theologia Viatorum in Search of a Home.” Dr. Masaki gave a lecture entitled: “Rejoicing in the Vibrant Confessional Heritage: Breathing the Air of the Book of Concord.”

During CTSFW’s Symposia Series in the days that followed, General Secretary Schulz also presented on the work of the International Lutheran Council, with a particular focus on Africa.

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Mission Province in Sweden’s first bishop enters into glory

Bishop Arne Olsson.

SWEDEN – The Mission Province (Missionsprovinsen i Sverige – MP) in Sweden is mourning the death of their first bishop, Arne Olsson, who entered into glory on March 12, 2024. He was 93 years old.

Bishop Olsson was first ordained in 1962 and served much of his ministry as a pastor in the Church of Sweden (SK). He was consecrated as the Mission Province’s first bishop on February 5, 2005 by Bishop Walter Obare of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya. In response, the Church of Sweden disqualified him from further service in the SK. The Mission Province was initially founded as a confessional movement within the Church of Sweden, serving as a refuge for pastoral candidates who continued to uphold the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Bishop Olsson led the Mission Province from 2005-2010, overseeing the expansion of its work in Sweden as well as into Finland. He completed his service on March 27, 2010, when he consecrated Bishop Roland Gustafsson as his successor.

Bishop Arne Olsson at his consecration in 2005.

Asked once what he considered the Mission Province’s most important issue, Bishop Olsson said simply: “That Jesus Christ is proclaimed to the people of Sweden. There are so many who do not get to hear about Jesus.”

“We remember with gratitude his devoted service during a very important part of the history of the Mission Province,” said current MP Bishop Bengt Ådahl. “His motto ‘To obey God more than men’ testifies to the loyalty and love for the Lord that drove him.”

Bishop Ådahl has invited church members to remember Bishop Olsson’s wife, children, and their families in prayer at this time of grief.

“We thank the Lord for Bishop Arne and shine peace on his memory,” he concluded. “May he rest in peace and rise in glory!”

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African Church Leaders gather for regional ILC conference

Participants in the ILC’s 2024 Africa Regional Conference.

KENYA – From February 6-8, Lutheran church leaders from across Africa gathered in Nairobi for the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) 2024 Africa Regional Conference. The bishops and presidents of 22 different African church bodies were in attendance, hailing from the nations of Benin, Burundi, Cöte d’Ivoire, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.

LCN Archbishop Christian Ekong presents during the conference.

Archbishop Joseph Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya (ELCK), the Africa Region representative on the ILC’s Board of Directors, welcomed participants to Kenya and formally opened the conference. The gathering featured a number of presenters. Archbishop Christian Ekong of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN) spoke on the Lord’s Supper and practice in the Lutheran Church. Bishop Modise Maragelo of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA) discussed experiences of ecumenism in the African context. The ILC’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, addressed church relations and altar and pulpit fellowship. ELCK Archbishop Emeritus Walter Obare shared his reflections on relationships with the ILC and other world church organizations. Finally, Rev. Dr. Tom Omolo, Principle of the ELCK’s Neema Lutheran College, addressed the call to the public ministry and the issue of women’s ordination in the African context.

ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz presents during the conference.

“It was wonderful to gather with African church leaders to discuss these important issues,” said ILC General Secretary Schulz. “God has raised up strong leaders for the African church, and their faithfulness to Christ and His Word is a strong witness to Christians the world over. May God continue to bless the work He is doing through the member churches of the ILC in Africa.”

Preaching for Matins and Vespers over the three days were Bishop Yohana Nzelu of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania – Southeast of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD); Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU); LCN Archbishop Ekong; Bishop Helmut Paul of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA); and Bishop Peter Anibati of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan and South Sudan (ELCSSS). Clergy from the ELCK served as liturgists.

Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana leads discussion.

In addition to worship and lectures, participants at the conference also meet for regional meetings and conducted visits to various sites in Nairobi, including the offices of the Evangelical Lutheran of Kenya as well as Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Participants also discussed the confusion that has arisen in the African context as a result of a recent doctrinal pronouncement in the Roman Catholic Church, which authorized its clergy to bless same-sex couples. In response, the ILC’s Africa Region adopted the following statement reaffirming their own adherence to historic Christian teaching in matters of human sexuality.

ILC Africa: Statement on the Blessing of Same-Sex Marriage

In response to the recent pronouncement by the Pope allowing Roman Catholic clergy to bless same-sex couples, and the support of same-sex marriage by civil authorities  (including some African countries), we the  International Lutheran Council (ILC)’s African Region, meeting in Nairobi from February 5-8, 2024, at Corat Africa, hereby affirm the ILC’s position that marriage is “the life-long union of one man and one woman and for the procreation and nurture of children.”

In this regard, sanctioning any other form of union, especially a same-sex union, is an affront to the authority of the Holy Scriptures and a direct opposition to the Law of God in the Sixth Commandment. It is our prayer that those who are falling into this vice may turn to the Word of God for guidance.

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Dr. Schumacher retires

Rev. Dr. Steven Schumacher (right) speaks during the ILC’s 2022 World Conference in Kenya.
Rev. Dr. Steven Schumacher.

WORLD – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is expressing thanks for the service of Rev. Dr. Steven Schumacher, who recently entered into full retirement at the end of January 2024.

Dr. Schumacher served the ILC as Chief Accreditation Officer. During his tenure, he helped investigate the possibility of the ILC establishing an accreditation agency to assist emerging seminaries and theological institutions.

“We thank Dr. Schumacher for leading the ILC through this important process,’ said ILC General Secretary Klaus Detlev Schulz. “One of the ILC’s priorities is to encourage member churches in the development of theological curricula that form future pastors and church workers with a sound commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Dr. Schumacher played an important role in that work, and we are grateful for his service in support of theological education worldwide.”

With the conclusion of Dr. Schumacher’s work, the ILC’s Board of Directors has entered a period of renewed consideration of how best to support confessional Lutheran theological education going forward.

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Bishop Bameka reelected in Uganda

Participants pose following the installation of elected officials during the LCU’s 2023 National Synod Conference.

UGANDA – Delegates from across the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU) gathered for the church’s 7th National Synod Conference from December 7-10, 2023, during which time they reelected Bishop Charles Bameka to another term as National Presiding Bishop. The conference was held at Lutheran Theological College – Uganda in Magamaga.

LCU Bishop Charles Bameka.

Bishop Bameka was consecrated as the first bishop of the LCU in 2022, prior to which he had served the church body as its president. He previously served as Director of Lutheran Media Ministry Uganda. Bishop Bameka attended seminary in Accra, Ghana, and was ordained in 2001.

The conference opened with a worship service led by Archbishop Joseph Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK). Other international guests in attendance during the conference included Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG); Bishop David Tswaedi of the Confessional Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (CLCSA); Bishop Yohana Ernest Nzelu of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD); and Rev. Michael Frese, Deputy Director of Church Relations for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

The convention also saw the election of Deans for the LCU’s seven deaneries, among other positions. All those elected during the conference were formally installed or reinstalled during Divine Service on December 10, 2023.

The Lutheran Church of Uganda is a member church of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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20 Years for the Mission Province in Sweden

Delegates gather for the Mission Province in Sweden’s 2023 Provincial Convention.
Bishop Bengt Ådahl of the Mission Province in Sweden.

SWEDEN – On October 28, 2023, the Mission Province (Missionsprovinsen – MP) in Sweden celebrated its 20th anniversary at an event in Tuve, Gothenburg. The event came at the conclusion of 2023’s Provincial Convention, which brought together clergy and lay representatives from congregations across the country.

MP Bishop Bengt Ådahl opened the convention on October 27, and business sessions took place that evening and the next morning. Among other business, the Mission Province discussed work in Israel; clarified the role of the diocesan priest; and conducted elections for the MP’s Mission Council.

Anniversary celebrations followed the conclusion of business sessions, with Bishop Emeritus Risto Soramies of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (Suomen evankelisluterilainen Lähetyshiippakunta – ELMDF) giving a guest lecture. Bishop Soramies spoke on the nature of confession and the characteristics of the Church. A lecture by Bishop Thor Henrik With of the Evangelical-Lutheran Diocese in Norway (Det evangelisk-lutherske stift i Norge – DELSIN) followed. Bishop With spoke on “Una Sancta: Gift and Task in the Tension between Multiculturalism and Individualism.”

ELMDF Bishop Emeritus Risto Soramies.
DELSIN Bishop Thor Henrik With.

Greetings from other church leaders were also received, including from Bishop Hans Jönsson on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca – LELB). Bishop Jönsson is originally from Sweden.

The anniversary celebrations drew to a close with a communion service led by Bishop Ådahl.

The Mission Province was founded in 2003 as a confessional movement within the state Church of Sweden. Its first bishop was Arne Olsson, who was consecrated by Bishop Walter Obare of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya (ELCK) in 2005. In 2010, Bishop Arne was succeeded by Bishop Roland Gustafsson. The Mission Province would go on to play an important role in the establishment of the ELMDF in Finland and DELSIN in Norway, with the three dioceses enjoying close relations to this day. Bishop Gustaffson was succeeded in 2019 by Bishop Ådahl.

After many years of friendly relations, the Mission Province in Sweden was accepted into membership in the International Lutheran Council (ILC) in 2018. The ILC is a global association of Confessional Lutheran churches that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of an unconditional commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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LLDP holds classes on ecumenism and hermeneutics

LLDP participants pose with instructor, Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, and LLDP Director, Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki. Front, left to right: Bishop Ambele Mwaipopo of the Lake Tanganyika Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (LTD-ELCT); Bishop Jackson Mushendwa of the Western Diocese of the ELCT (WD-ELCT); President Dr. Denis Rakotozafy of the Malagasy Lutheran Church (FLM); Dr. Collver; Dr. Masaki. Back row: Bishop Johanesa Andriamanarinjato of the Fisakana Synod of the FLM; Deputy Bishop Boss Sebeelo of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA); Bishop Dr. Yohana Nzelu of the South East of Lake Victoria Diocese of the ELCT (SELVD-ELCT); Rev. Dr. Yacob Godebo of Mekane Yesus Seminary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (MYS-EECMY); and Rev. Martin Paul, Third Minister in the Synodical Council of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA).

USA – The Lutheran Leadership Development Program (LLDP) held its eighth session at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (CTSFW) from November 6-17, 2023. This session offered courses on the ecumenical movement and hermeneutics.

November’s classes also saw the LLDP welcome three new participants into the second cohort of students: Rev. Martin Paul of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA), who serves as Third Minister in its Synodical Council; Rev. Ambele Mwaipopo, Bishop of the Lake Tanganyika Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (LTD-ELCT); and Rev. Jackson Mushendwa, Bishop of the Western Diocese of the ELCT (WD-ELCT).

Rev. Dr. Albert Collver (left) and Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki (right) pose with new students Bishop Mwaipopo; Third Minister, Rev. Paul; and Bishop Mushendwa. The bishops hold copies of The Book of Concord, a gift from the LLDP.

Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, former ILC General Secretary, taught “World Lutheranism and the Ecumenical Movement” during the first week. This is one of the most important courses the LLDP offers, helping participants to understand the history of their own church better, as well as the organizations that their churches belong to. They also learn about church fellowship from a confessional Lutheran perspective. One bishop called the class “perfect,” saying it “has helped me to be capable of understanding and teaching what fellowship really is.” Another participant expressed gratitude for the “clear understanding” the instruction had brought him “in terms of church fellowship in the ecumenical context.”

Dr. Collver was pleased with the outcome of the class, observing that students had “increased their understanding of the Lutheran confession of fellowship” and “are resolved to teach this in their church bodies and dioceses.” His presentation, which contrasted the ILC’s understanding of fellowship with the liberal model taught by other world groups, encouraged participants to remain faithful to the confessional Lutheran position, articulated especially in Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession.

Dr. Charles Gieschen teaches on Lutheran Hermeneutics.

Dr. Charles Gieschen, CTSFW’s Provost, taught the second class of the November session: “Lutheran Hermeneutics.” The course enables participants to understand and criticize recent directions in biblical interpretation from a confessional Lutheran perspective, including the historical-critical method and several reader-oriented trends in hermeneutics. “The course has been inspiring,” one participant noted. “Professor Gieschen was great in pinpointing key areas of importance in hermeneutics both in history and practice. He has equipped us with the necessary skills for the interpretation of the Bible.”

“Our November session was another great success,” commented Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Director of the LLDP. “Working with such respected scholars and churchmen like Dr. Collver and Dr. Gieschen is a privilege and an honour. But what brings me the most tremendous joy and gratitude to the Lord is that our participants keep on growing in their understanding of sound doctrine and committing themselves to be faithful to the Saviour, Jesus Christ—even when doing so sometimes brings major sacrifices.”

LLDP participants enjoy dinner at the Masakis’.

“Our participants rejoice in the doctrine that Jesus has taught the whole Church,” he continued. “By listening to what the Lord speaks, and in receiving His gifts with eager thankfulness and praise, our participants are saying back to Him what He has said to them. They repeat, yes, confess, the Lord Jesus Christ. To witness to these wonderful things in each of our participants gives me joy that words cannot express. I continue to pray for our participants and their church bodies with deepest respect and thanksgiving. We rejoice in our partnership in the Gospel.”

The LLDP is a graduate-level program of the ILC 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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Prosecution appeals to Supreme Court in Finland’s Bible Trial

Bishop Juhana Pohjola (left) and Dr. Päivi Räsänen (right) at the appeal hearings in Helsinki in November 2023. Photo: ELMDF.

FINLAND – The prosecution of Finnish Member of Parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen, and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF) are not yet at an end. On January 12, the prosecution announced that it would appeal the decision exonerating the pair to Finland’s Supreme Court.

The two were charged in 2021 with hate speech for their articulation of historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. Charges centre around a 2004 booklet authored by Dr. Räsänen, as well as comments made by her during a radio interview and a tweet (which included a picture of a Bible verse). Bishop Pohjola was charged as the publisher of the 2004 booklet.

The decision to prosecute the pair has drawn widespread concern internationally over the state of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Finland. The two were initially brought to trial at the Helsinki District Court in 2022, with the prosecution repeatedly questioning them on matters of faith and doctrine. They were eventually acquitted unanimously by a panel of three judges, who declared that “it is not the role of the district court to interpret biblical concepts.” The prosecution appealed that decision to the Helsinki Court of Appeals. In November 2023, that court also acquitted the pair unanimously on all charges.

Now Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen must wait to hear whether the Supreme Court will accept the case. In the meantime, the International Lutheran Council (ILC) is calling for continued prayer for the Finnish politician and bishop. “I encourage Christians around the world to continue to remember Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen in prayer,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the ILC. “They have already endured years of fear and uncertainty as a result of this unjust prosecution. May God give them courage to continue their faithful witness to Christ and His Word, and may He give them comfort in the midst of ongoing persecution.”

The ILC has strongly advocated on behalf of Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola over the past several years as they faced investigation and trial. That support includes a 2021 public letter of support for the two signed by the leaders of 45 Lutheran church bodies from around the world. The ILC’s 2022 World Conference in Kenya made a similar show of support when church leaders elected Bishop Pohjola to serve as Chairman of the ILC.

The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

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Confessing Christ: New video reflects on the mission of the ILC

Lutheran leaders from around the world discuss the mission of the International Lutheran Council.

ONLINE – In October 2023, Lutheran leaders from across the globe gathered in Wittenberg, Germany to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). Now the ILC is releasing a video from that event, in which a number of church leaders from around the world reflect on the value of the ILC and its service to Christ and His Church.

In their remarks, these church leaders highlight the importance of the ILC to faithful Christians across the world—especially in places where biblically-grounded Christianity is waning. They further discuss how the ILC is positioned to continue its faithful witness to the Gospel into the future. The video ends with a message from the ILC’s new general secretary, Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz.

While 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the ILC’s reconstitution as a “council,” the full history of the organization goes back more than seventy years to 1952.

Additional information on the ILC’s anniversary celebrations can be found here.

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