Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

 

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

Update from the Ukrainian Lutheran Church

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February 24, 2025, marked the three-year anniversary of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine. Recently, Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk reported to WELS about the effects of the war on the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC). His report is being shared here since the condition of the ULC is a concern for everyone in the CELC. 

Bishop Horpynchuk first reported on the size of the ULC. There are 14 congregations, 12 pastors, and 5 deacons, serving 655 members.

He then reported on how the war has dramatically affected life for everyone in Ukraine and in the ULC. There is widespread destruction, death, and deprivation. Three congregations of the ULC have had to temporarily suspend services due to attacks in their areas. The pastor for the congregation in Tokmak had to leave the city after Russians started arresting Protestant pastors, and many members left as well.

In the midst of this chaos, however, the churches of the ULC have had the opportunity to share aid received from WELS and others in the form of food, medicine, household supplies, clothes, and more. This humanitarian aid has brought many people into contact with churches of the ULC and provided opportunities for sharing the gospel of Jesus as the Savior of the world. 

There are some remarkable evidences of God’s Word at work, for which we can praise God. For example:

  • In Kyiv, 90 people have joined the church, and 30 more are taking catechism classes.
  • While services in Bereznehuvate had to cease temporarily, once Russian forces were out of the area, the congregation not only resumed regular worship but also started a mission in Snihurivka, with an average of 100 people attending each week.
  • Throughout the ULC, there are about 150 new communicant members, and about 100 more are currently studying Luther’s Small Catechism. 

The entire unedited update from Bishop Horpynchuk can be found here. Everyone associated with the CELC can be encouraged to pray that God would graciously end the war, that he would watch over the members of the ULC, giving them comfort and strength through the good news of God’s love in Christ, and that he would continue to spread his kingdom through the faithful witness of our brothers and sisters in the ULC. 

Information shared first in the WELS Together e-newsletter

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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