Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

 

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

Registration Is Now Open for the 2026 Convention

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God willing, the Twelfth Triennial Convention of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, through Monday, June 1, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia.

Registration for the convention is now open through an online link that the CELC president has shared with his database of CELC church leaders. Registration is open through January 31, and it is important that all registrations are received by that date.

The CELC convention is primarily intended for the member churches of the CELC. Each member church is encouraged to send two voting delegates to the convention. Visitors who are in fellowship with the CELC through mission work of CELC churches are also welcome to attend.

If you think that you are a candidate for participation in the convention, and you have not received the email with the link for convention registration, please contact the CELC president at: president@celc.info.

The CELC Planning Committee is putting together an agenda with worship and theological study that we trust will be a spiritual blessing for all participants. There also will be some time to interact with the host church, the Lutheran Church of Central Africa—Zambia. The venue for the convention will be the Golfview Hotel, which we expect to be well-received by people from around the world.

Please make sure your registrations are received by January 31, 2026, and please pray for God’s blessing on the convention. If you have questions, contact the president at: president@celc.info.

Submitted by the CELC Planning Committee

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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