Journal of Lutheran Mission December 2015 | Vol. 2 | No. 5 Special Issue From the President A Significant Meeting for World Lutheranism ith as many routine meetings as a founding member, has decided to implement a bold, I attend in a year, rarely do I identify a gath- strategic plan to strengthen, encourage and support ering as a “significant meeting.” Yet, this is Lutherans around the world to increase their confes- Whow I described the 25th (10th) World Conference of the sional commitment and their Lutheran identity. One way International Lutheran Council (ILC) held Sept. 23–26, that the ILC is seeking to increase its impact is by pub- 2015, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. World church leaders lishing articles, reviews and materials to expound and from 33 countries attended the conference from almost explain their position. The publication of this edition of every continent in the world. The theme of the confer- the Journal of Lutheran Mission with articles from the ence was “Bringing the Reformation to the World.” (You ILC World Conference is a part of this effort. The ILC can read about the conference here: goo.gl/MKATnb). will be updating its website (ilc-online.org) in the coming The meeting was significant in part because the world months as wells expanding its web presence to increase leaders attending the conference represented about 15 awareness of its work. million Lutherans worldwide. The papers presented dis- The ILC World Conference also elected and appointed cussed the Gospel, the Sacraments, the Church and the an executive committee to carry out these initiatives. Office of the Ministry. The preaching at the services was The ILC executive committee consists of the Rev. Dr. Christ-centered and properly divided Law and Gospel. Hans-Jörg Voigt, bishop of the Independent Evangelical The ILC events provided “mutual conversation and con- Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK), ILC chairman; solation of brethren” (Rom. 14:9 and Smalcald Articles the Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, president of Lutheran III, Art. IV, “The Gospel”). Church Canada, ILC vice-chairman, North American The ILC’s World Conference was significant because representative; the Rev. Gijsbertus van Hattem, presi- the group decided to take seriously the idea of “Bringing dent of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium, ILC the Reformation to the World.” The ILC is the premier secretary; the Right Rev. Christian Ekong, archbishop of group representing Lutheran churches that subscribe the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, ILC Africa representa- to the Lutheran Confessions (“quia”) because they are a tive; the Rev. Antonio Reyes, president of the Lutheran pure exposition of the Holy Scriptures. This is a gift to Church in the Philippines, ILC Asia representative; the bring to the entire world. Rev. Jon Ehlers, chairman of the Evangelical Lutheran With the decline of Lutheranism in Western Europe Church of England, ILC Europe representative; the Rev. and North America due to the rejection of biblical, moral Norberto Gerke, president of the Evangelical Lutheran standards (acceptance of same-sex marriage and prac- Church of Paraguay, ILC Latin America representative; ticing homosexual clergy), Lutherans around the world and the Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, director of Church have become more interested in the ILC because of its Relations for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, commitment to the Holy Scriptures and to the Lutheran ILC executive secretary. Confessions. World Lutheranism is looking for an orga- May the Lord grant strength and resources for this nization that represents their beliefs and holds to their goal to be achieved. values. In order to seize the opportunities for world In Christ, Lutheranism, the ILC, of which the Missouri Synod is Matthew C. Harrison President of the LCMS The Journal of Lutheran Mission Contributing Editors Rev. Dr. Charles Arand, faculty, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis David Berger, Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Rev. Dr. Steve Briel, chairman, Board for National Mission, LCMS Rev. Allan Buss, parish pastor, Belvidere, Ill. Rev. Roberto Bustamante, faculty, Concordia Seminary, Buenos Aires Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, director, LCMS Church Relations Rev. Thomas Dunseth, director of deaf ministry, Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, New York Rev. Dr. Charles Evanson, pastor emeritus, Fort Wayne, Ind. Rev. Nilo Figur, area counselor for Latin America and the Caribbean, Lutheran Hour Ministries Rev. Roosevelt Gray, director, LCMS Black Ministry Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director, LCMS Hispanic Ministry Rev. Dr. John Kleinig, emeritus lecturer, Australian Lutheran College Rev. Ted Krey, regional director, Latin America and the Caribbean, LCMS Rev. Todd Kollbaum, director, Rural and Small Town Mission, LCMS Deaconess Dr. Cynthia Lumley, principal, Westfield Theological House, Cambridge Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, parish pastor, Berlin Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, faculty, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Rev. Dan McMiller, associate executive director, Regional Operations and Recruitment, LCMS Office of International Mission Rev. Dr. Tilahun Mendedo, president, Concordia College, Selma Rev. Nabil Nour, fifth vice-president, LCMS Rev. Dr. Steve Oliver, LCMS missionary, Taiwan Rev. Dr. Michael Paul, LCMS theological educator to Asia Rev. Roger Paavola, president, LCMS Mid-South District Rev. Dr. Darius Petkunis, rector, Lithuanian Lutheran Seminary Rev. Dr. Andrew Pfeiffer, faculty, Australian Lutheran College Rev. John T. Pless, faculty, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill, faculty, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Rev. Dr. David Rakotonirina, bishop, Antananarivo Synod of the Malagasy Lutheran Church Rev. Dr. Victor Raj, faculty, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Deaconess Grace Rao, director, Deaconess Ministry, LCMS Rev. Geoff Robinson, mission executive, Indiana District Rev. Dr. Carl Rockrohr, pastor, Fort Wayne, Ind. Rev. Robert Roethemeyer, faculty, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Rev. Dr. Brian Saunders, president, LCMS Iowa East District Rev. Steve Schave, director, Urban and Inner City Mission, LCMS Rev. Dr. Detlev Schultz, faculty, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Rev. Dr. William Schumacher, faculty, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Rev. Bernie Seter, chairman, Board for International Mission, LCMS Rev. Kou Seying, parish pastor/Hmong ministry, Merced, Calif. Rev. Alexey Streltsov, rector, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Siberia Rev. Martin Teigen, parish pastor/Hispanic ministry, North Mankato, Minn. Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Weber, Jr., rector, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Pretoria, South Africa Rev. Dr. E. A. W. Weber, retired professor and rector, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Enhlanhleni (KwaZulu-Natal) Rev. John Wille, president, LCMS South Wisconsin District Executive Editors Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, director, LCMS Church Relations Rev. Bart Day, executive director, LCMS Office of National Mission Rev. John Fale, executive director, LCMS Office of International Mission Preface by Robert Bugbee he International Lutheran Council (ILC) growing, by the way! — but Argentine professors were is growing. That was clear at the Council’s most very active in providing Bible study opportunities and recent World Conference, held Sept. 24–27, 2015, lectures on the conference program. The Lord of the Tin Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the ILC rejoiced to Church is blessing confessional Lutheran seminary edu- receive new member church bodies from places like cation as it is being carried out, not just in a few countries Russia, Norway and Nicaragua. One must freely admit with a longtime Lutheran and academic heritage, but in that the new member churches are not overly large, fresh places where scholarship is deepening and the zeal statistically speaking, but they form of those involved is a needed encour- just a portion of the steady stream agement to us all. You will find some of of Lutheran churches and leaders There is a rising their contributions in this issue of the expressing new interest in involvement urgency within Journal. with the ILC. Beyond that, the Buenos The ILC is growing. If this growth Aires meetings included guests holding the Council to had only to do with a human agency, leadership posts in some of the largest become more its structures, personnel and funding, Lutheran groups in the world from vigorous in its it would be of little moment to those places like Tanzania and Ethiopia. The goal of extending who care deeply about the mission of common theological convictions and the reach of a Christ’s church in the world. For us, the fraternal warmth that bound both truly confessional happiest news flash is the one St. Paul member churches and guests leads Lutheran witness identified long ago when he wrote his me to imagine that these contacts will friends of “the gospel, which has come expand significantly in the next several to additional to you, as indeed in the whole world it years. places throughout is bearing fruit and growing” (COL. 1:5– The ILC is growing. This is not the world. 6). That’s the real story, the one that laid only true from the perspective of hold of the hearts of the Colossians, membership numbers and statistics. the confessors of Luther’s day, and of a There is a rising urgency within the Council to become new generation of confessing followers of Christ in our more vigorous in its goal of extending the reach of a own time. truly confessional Lutheran witness to additional places The Lord bless our efforts to bring that glad,