Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

 

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

Easter Greetings

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Cross in the new sanctuary at
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Lake Mills, Wisconsin USA

 

As I travel in Lutheran circles, I am intrigued to see the different ways that the cross of Jesus is presented.

Very commonly the focal point of Lutheran churches is a crucifix—a cross with the body of Jesus represented as suffering and dying (the corpus). This was the practice among the earliest Lutherans, and it certainly fits with Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:23: “We preach Christ crucified.”

Many Lutheran churches have a bare cross, without any figure of Jesus. Some would say that the emptiness of the cross is a subtle testimony to Christ’s resurrection. Historians note that the bare cross was a common symbol in the Christian Church before the crucifix became popular.

A third possibility is the Christus Rex—a cross with a robed, triumphant Jesus. With this symbol, both the crucifixion and the resurrection can easily be taught.

No doubt we each may have our own personal preferences in this regard. My home church has a bare cross. In my college classroom I have hung a crucifix. I recently saw a beautiful Christus Rex in a new WELS church.

What we all can agree upon, however, is that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ together provide the indispensable and marvelous foundation of our Lutheran Christian faith. By his death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world. By his resurrection, Jesus shows that the payment was accepted and that are ours are truly forgiven. The gospel necessarily includes both events.

Recall how Paul summarized the gospel: “What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Whatever church calendar you are following, this is the time of year when we are commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in a special way. I pray that the good news of salvation in Jesus will resound in all the churches of the CELC, and that it will give hope and comfort to you and all who hear.

As for news in the CELC, the Planning Committee has established dates for the international convention planned for 2023 in South Korea. We expect to begin the first session on Friday, June 2, 2023 at 8:30 am. The convention will end with an excursion on Monday, June 5. Look for more information in the coming months. Of course, all of this is God willing, as disease and war are ongoing concerns in our world today.

God bless your Holy Week and Easter worship.

Thomas P. Nass
CELC President

New President for the Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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Rev. Timothy Hartwig, a 2001 graduate of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary in Mankato, Minnesota, has accepted the call from the ELS Board of Regents to be the next president of that institution. He replaces President Gaylin Schmeling, who became the seminary president in 1997. Pres. Schmeling is retiring at the end of the current academic year.

Rev. Hartwig has been pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in North Mankato, Minnesota, since 2011. From 2001–2011 he was pastor of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Lake Havasu City Arizona. In addition, Rev. Hartwig has served the ELS on the Boards for Evangelism and Home Outreach and as a circuit visitor and synodical vice president. He will be installed as seminary president in June at the ELS synod convention.

From the ELS President’s Newsletter, April 2022

The Lutheran Church of Ethiopia Starts a School

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                          Students in grades 1-4 at Maor Lutheran School

Please join with our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia (LCE) as they celebrate the successful opening of their new Maor Lutheran School on October 2021.  Maor is a Hebrew word that means “Light.”  The school is located in the city of Dukem, which is about 8 kilometers from the LCE headquarters and seminary in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. The students and faculty have completed their first semester of study.  

About 750 students are enrolled in the school.  The school makes use of two separate campuses, one for the three levels of kindergarten, and the other for grades 1,2,3 and 4.  Altogether, the school has 38 teachers and assistant teachers, as well as a support staff of 15.  

Maor Lutheran School in Dukem is a very important part of the LCE’s gospel ministry.  In addition to the normal secular classes which are required by the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, students also receive Bible lessons (Christ Light Curriculum) every day, five days per week.  Non-Lutheran students are free to “opt out” of these Bible studies if they and their parents so desire, but about 620 of the 750 students take part in the daily Bible studies.  All Bible studies are taught by well-trained members and theological students of the LCE.  The lessons are taught in the Amharic and Afan Oromo languages which students understand well.

Praise God for this wonderful opportunity to share his saving Word!

Submitted by Rev. Kebede Getachew Yigezu and Rev. Mark Panning


                      Christmas celebration at Maor Lutheran School


                                   The top students in grades 1-4

Update on Our Sister Churches in Ukraine and Russia

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              The following was written by WELS President Mark Schroeder and was
              included in the WELS “Together e-newsletter” on March 15.

The situation for our brothers and sisters in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) remains dire. We thank God that none of the pastors or members have lost their lives, but at least some members report that their homes have been destroyed. Some of the pastors and members have relocated to places that are relatively safe and removed from the heavy fighting, but others remain in areas where military activity is taking place every day. We continue to pray for their safety.

Last weekend, several ULC congregations—even some in areas controlled by foreign forces—were able to hold worship services either in person or virtually. God’s Word continues to be proclaimed even in the middle of a terrible war.

Rev. V’yacheslav Horpynchuk, the bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, has been in regular contact via Zoom with Rev. Roger Neumann, the WELS liaison to the ULC. I am also able to communicate with the bishop. Pastor Neumann has been providing daily updates on the situation as reported by Bishop Horpynchuk.

WELS members have already been very generous with gifts intended to support relief and humanitarian efforts both for members of the ULC and for the refugees and local citizens in need of help. We thank all those who have given gifts for Ukraine relief. Those gifts are being channeled through WELS World Missions, which remains in contact with the ULC and is still able to transfer funds. To date, $125,000 has been sent by World Missions. You can give a gift by going to wels.net/give-ukraine.

Currently, collecting physical relief items (blankets, water, canned goods, diapers, etc.) to send to Ukraine is not the best option for assisting those impacted by this war. The expense and logistical complexity of getting such items to those who need them make such an effort impractical. WELS is assisting with humanitarian aid for refugees in Poland through an agency called Direct Relief. To date, WELS Christian Aid and Relief has sent $50,000 to Direct Relief. This highly rated disaster relief organization specializes in providing medical assistance and supplies where they are needed most. It has both the inventory and infrastructure to bring medical aid to an area quickly. We have worked with this organization for many years and trust its work. Other sister churches in Europe are also looking for ways to provide assistance.

Missionary Luke Wolfgramm and his wife, Jennifer, who were living in Novosibirsk, Russia, have safely exited the country. They are currently staying in Durres, Albania, where Luke is providing continuing education to leaders of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Albania, WELS’ sister church. From there they maintain regular contact with the three national pastors in Russia, encourage the Russian Lutheran Church’s leadership and 270 members, and continue online seminary training. The Wolfgramms will be returning to the United States this summer for regularly scheduled meetings and family time. Depending on how events unfold, they will most likely relocate to another location in Europe to partner with sister church bodies in their theological education and outreach efforts.

This entire tragic drama is another stark reminder of the wickedness and depravity that infects the human soul. And yet, even in these darkest of days, we remain confident that the Lord of lords is still ruling with his grace and power. We pray for an end to the war. We pray that God would preserve the lives of his believers in Ukraine, as well as the lives of all the citizens of Ukraine. With confidence in his promises, we commend them all to his gracious care and protection.

              Pres. Schroeder included the following prayer:

Lord God, in this world of darkness and evil, the light of your saving gospel continues to shine. Through that good news you have brought people around the world from the darkness of sin and death into your marvelous light. But evil exists and Satan’s work in this fallen world continues. As many in Ukraine are experiencing unimaginable hardships and suffering, we ask that you would be with them. Protect them; provide for them; and, above all, strengthen their faith and trust in you and your promises. We commend them to your gracious care, knowing that you have promised to be with them always. Even though they are now walking through the shadow of death, enable them to fear no evil. We ask you, in your love and wisdom, to restore peace and safety to those now enduring the horrors of war and bloodshed and to continue to let your gospel message be the comfort and hope that so many desperately need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

              Further updates on the ULC may be found on the WELS website here. 
 

Proceedings from 2021 Are Published

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Proceedings from 2021 Are Published

The Proceedings from the 2021 online CELC convention have been published. These Proceedings include the list of convention participants, the official minutes, the President’s Address, and the full text of the four essays. Also included are the list of current CELC officers and the newly revised CELC Constitution.  

Printed copies will not be distributed automatically to the member churches of the CELC. The Proceedings are available on the CELC website here. Any individual or church body that would like a paper copy should notify the CELC president, and he will be happy to see that you receive a copy. 
 

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.”

Recording of the Ninety-Five Theses

Ninety-Five Theses for the 21st Century