LCMS Holds International Church Relations Conference in Wittenberg, Germany

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) hosted its International Church Relations Conference (ICRC) in Wittenberg, Germany, from October 21 to 25. It was the second consecutive year the conference was held in Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation.

The conference brings together representatives from mission plants and church bodies with which the LCMS has fellowship, as well as churches moving toward fellowship with the LCMS. This year 97 representatives from 46 countries took part. The meeting took as its theme “Christ – The Lord of History,” drawing on Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The conference opened with a Vespers service at St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg, where Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Director of LCMS Church Relations, preached. Shaw introduced the theme by describing Christ as the Lord of history in the past, present and future.

Nine speakers developed the theme across the week, with three addressing each subtheme of Christ as Lord of yesterday, today and forever. Speakers on the past included Concordia Seminary President Thomas Egger, Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt Jr., editor in chief of *Gottesdienst*, and LCMS Fifth Vice President Christopher Esget. Speakers on the present included Bishop Peter Anibati Abia of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan/Sudan (ELCSS/S), LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison, and Rev. Ted M.R. Krey, LCMS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Speakers on the future included Concordia Seminary faculty members Jon D. Vieker and Stephen Pietsch, along with Shaw.

Matins and Vespers during the week were led by a range of church leaders, including President Geraldo Walmir Schüler of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB), President John Shadrak Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG), Bishop Serge Maschewski of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (ELCU), and Archbishop Jānis Vanags of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB). LCMS officials also preached, including Rev. Dr. Corey Rajek, Executive Director of the LCMS Office of International Mission, and Rev. Michael N. Frese, Deputy Director of LCMS Church Relations. Harrison preached at a Divine Service held during the week.

Services were conducted in English and included elements of the liturgy in Swahili, German and Spanish. Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of LCMS Worship, served as liturgist for the conference.

Source: Read the original report