2026 CELC Convention

God willing, the next in-person convention of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
will be held in 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia in south-central Africa,
home of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa Zambia Synod (LCCA-Z). The dates for the convention will be Friday, May 29, through Monday, June 1, 2026. Delegates are encouraged to arrive on Thursday, May 28, and to leave on Tuesday, June 2.

The CELC convention is 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. Registration will take place online from January 1 through January 30, 2026. Look for more information later.

This convention is not a general church conference for people unacquainted with the CELC and its churches. People who are interested in learning more about the CELC are encouraged to interact with the CELC church closest to them in their part of the world.

Commission on Theology

Eternal Word Article IX: The Triune God

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.”