International Lutheran Council
Encyclopedia
The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional
Lutheran
denominations. It is to be distinguished from the larger Lutheran World Federation
, which is an association of the more theologically moderate to liberal
Lutheran churches, all of which are in full communion
with each other as a condition of membership. Unlike the LWF, the member church bodies of the ILC are not required to be in church-fellowship with each other, though many of them are. The organization was constituted in 1993 at a council held in Antigua, Guatemala, although it traces its roots back to theological
conferences held in many locations in the 1950s and 1960s.
Member bodies of the ILC hold "an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as the true and faithful exposition of the Word of God."
The Council has thirty participating churches as of 2007. Among its larger members are the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
, and the Lutheran Church—Canada. Altogether, approximately 3,450,000 adherents belong to ILC member churches.
The Council's Chairman is Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germany. Its Executive Secretary is the Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/locators/nworkers/w_detail.asp?W7656, who is also Executive Director of the LCMS' Commission on Theology and Church Relations. Delegates to the ILC meet every two years.
The organization has not approved the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
.
Confessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
denominations. It is to be distinguished from the larger Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
, which is an association of the more theologically moderate to liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
Lutheran churches, all of which are in full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with each other as a condition of membership. Unlike the LWF, the member church bodies of the ILC are not required to be in church-fellowship with each other, though many of them are. The organization was constituted in 1993 at a council held in Antigua, Guatemala, although it traces its roots back to theological
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
conferences held in many locations in the 1950s and 1960s.
Member bodies of the ILC hold "an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as the true and faithful exposition of the Word of God."
The Council has thirty participating churches as of 2007. Among its larger members are the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, or Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil , was founded in 1904 in Rio Grande do Sul, a southern state in Brazil. The IELB is a conservative, confessional Lutheran Synod that holds the Book of Concord. It started as a mission of the Lutheran Church -...
, and the Lutheran Church—Canada. Altogether, approximately 3,450,000 adherents belong to ILC member churches.
The Council's Chairman is Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germany. Its Executive Secretary is the Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/locators/nworkers/w_detail.asp?W7656, who is also Executive Director of the LCMS' Commission on Theology and Church Relations. Delegates to the ILC meet every two years.
The organization has not approved the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is a document created by and agreed to by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue...
.
Full Members
- Argentina
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina
- Belgium
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium
- Bolivia
- Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia
- Brazil
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of BrazilEvangelical Lutheran Church of BrazilThe Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, or Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil , was founded in 1904 in Rio Grande do Sul, a southern state in Brazil. The IELB is a conservative, confessional Lutheran Synod that holds the Book of Concord. It started as a mission of the Lutheran Church -...
- Canada
- Lutheran Church—Canada
- Chile
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile
- China (Hong Kong SAR)
- Lutheran Church—Hong Kong SynodLutheran Church—Hong Kong SynodThe Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod is a confessional Lutheran church body in Hong Kong. The LCHKS is has nearly 40 congregations. The LCHKS grew from the China mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod , which was established in the early 1900's...
- China, Republic of (Taiwan)
- China Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Denmark
- Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Denmark
- France
- Evangelical Lutheran Church—Synod of France and Belgium
- Germany
- Independent Evangelical—Lutheran Church
- Ghana
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Guatemala
- Lutheran Church of Guatemala
- Haiti
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti
- India
- India Evangelical Lutheran ChurchIndia Evangelical Lutheran ChurchIndia Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 80,000 members. Its headquarters is in Tamil Nadu. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation....
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Japan
- Japan Lutheran ChurchJapan Lutheran ChurchThe or NRK is a Confessional Lutheran denomination in Japan. It currently has approximately 2,645 baptized members in 35 congregations nationwide.The current president of the NRK is the Rev...
- - also an associate member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Kenya
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Korea, South
- Lutheran Church in Korea
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Mexico
- Lutheran Synod of Mexico
- Nigeria
- Lutheran Church of Nigeria
- Papua New Guinea
- Gutnius Lutheran ChurchGutnius Lutheran ChurchThe Gutnius Lutheran Church, formerly the Wabag Lutheran Church, is a Lutheran body existing in Papua New Guinea. It was established by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in 1948 shortly after the Australian administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea permitted missionary activity to...
- Paraguay
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay
- Philippines
- Lutheran Church in the Philippines
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Portugal
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Portugal
- Russia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- South Africa
- Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa
- Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Lanka Lutheran ChurchLanka Lutheran ChurchThe Lanka Lutheran Church is a Lutheran body that exists in Sri Lanka. It is a denomination of around 5000 members, in fellowship with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod since 2001. As a full member of the Lutheran World Federation, it is also in full communion with all other Lutheran World...
- - also a full member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- United Kingdom
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of EnglandEvangelical Lutheran Church of EnglandThe Evangelical Lutheran Church of England is a confessional Lutheran synod in the United Kingdom. It has congregations in England, Wales and Scotland....
- United States of America
- Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
- American Association of Lutheran ChurchesAmerican Association of Lutheran ChurchesThe American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
- Venezuela
- Lutheran Church of Venezuela
Associate Members
- Australia
- Lutheran Church of AustraliaLutheran Church of AustraliaThe Lutheran Church of Australia is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia, it also has a presence in New Zealand. It has 320 parishes, 540 congregations, 70,000 baptized members in Australia, 1,130 baptized members in New Zealand, 52,463 communicant members and 450 active pastors. Its...
- - also an associate member of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Peru
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru (LWF recognized congregation)
See also
- :Category:International Lutheran Council members
- List of Lutheran denominations