Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

 

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church

The groundwork for the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church was laid when Thoughts of Faith sent a missionary to Czechoslovakia in 1990. In 1991, another missionary was sent and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was established in Plzen, an industrial city in Western Bohemia. Since that time, two other congregations have been established. The Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church was accepted into membership of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, a worldwide organization of confessional Lutheran churches, in 2002.

In June 2009, the first two Czech clergy were ordained following years of study with American missionary pastors. The two serve St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Plzen, which is housed in the facility of Martin Luther School (MLS). MLS currently educates over 200 Czech children. Regular church services and outreach activities in several villages near Plzen are also conducted by the pastors.

Church Body Statistics

Baptized Members: 249
Confirmed: 96

Congregations:

St. Paul’s—Plzen
The first congregation of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s was established in 1991 in the city of Plzen. Plzen is a city of about 175,000 inhabitants in Western Bohemia. The first services were held in the wine cellar of the former Dominican monastery near the city center. The congregation moved to Skvrnany, a western suburb of Plzen, in 1992. Today the congregation meets in St. Paul’s chapel at Martin Luther School. The congregation has grown to 120 members. Services are held at 10:00 on Sunday mornings. Bible classes and instruction classes are held at different times throughout the year. Pastors Martin Vrsecky and Petr Krakora serve the St. Paul’s congregation.

Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church—Horni Briza
The Holy Cross congregation was begun in 2000 at the suggestion of one of the members of St. Paul’s congregation. Horni Briza has about 6,000 inhabitants and has no church. The congregation meets in one of the members’ home and is served by pastor Petr Krakora.

St. Peter’s—Tlucna
The St. Peter’s congregation began to meet in a local chapel in December 2001. The building is owned by the town and has been leased to the congregation. Pastor Petr Krakora serves St. Peter’s congregation.

Contact Information

Rev. Martin Vrsecky
E-mail 

Rev. Petr Krakora
E-mail

Phone from US: 011-420-377-380-754

www.luterani.cz
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/luterani.cz
YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHCofZ0I754ENissyVoQzbQ

The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is a worldwide fellowship of Lutheran church bodies, committed to the teachings of the Lutheran Church found in the Book of Concord of 1580. Established in 1993 with thirteen churches, the CELC has grown by God’s grace to include thirty-four church bodies today.

Every three years, representatives from CELC churches gather for fellowship and theological study at an international convention. Regional meetings are held in alternate years. These gatherings provide spiritual encouragement for confessional Lutherans who often find themselves quite isolated. Visitors are always welcome at these gatherings

Joint work of the CELC includes the writing of The Eternal Word: A Lutheran Confession for the Twenty-First Century, which testifies to the unity of doctrine enjoyed by CELC churches. The CELC also has a commission to help coordinate and improve theological training in CELC churches.

Speaking about the heart and core of the CELC, former President Gaylin Schmeling wrote:  “The CELC stands ready to give answer to the confident hope of salvation in Christ that is within us. It is a refuge for those seeking confessional homes and a beacon shining the light of the Gospel in a sin-darkened world. Here the central truth of the Reformation, justification by faith alone, continues to be proclaimed. We are declared righteous by nothing we do or accomplish, but alone on the basis of Christ’s redemptive work which is counted as ours through faith in the Savior. He accomplished salvation for all on the cross and announced it to all by His resurrection, declaring the whole world righteous in Christ. This treasure is brought to us personally through the means of grace and is received by faith alone in the Savior which is worked through those very means of grace.”

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