Kenya – 27In the tenth (12In the tenthFrom 13 to 16 September 2022, the World Conference of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) was held in Kisumu, Kenya, during which the council elected a new president: Bishop Johann Bohjul of the Archdiocese of the Lutheran Evangelical Mission of Finland (ELMDF).
New president of the International Law Commission
Monsignor Pohjola was accepted without objection as the new president of the Commission on International Law. Bishop Bohjola attracted global media attention in 2021 after Finnish attorney general and member of parliament Dr. Paevi Razanen accused him of hate crimes for publishing a pamphlet in 2004 in which he explained Christian historical teachings about humanity. Although both were subsequently acquitted in early 2022, the Finnish prosecutor has since filed an appeal, meaning the case is far from over.
President Pohjola replaces Bishop Hans-Jorg Voigt of the Autonomous Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK). Bishop Voigt, who previously announced at the World Congress that he would not be running for re-election, served as chairman of the International Law Commission for twelve years from 2010 to 2022. Previously, he held the position of vice-president of the ILC. . and representative in the European region, he worked for a total of 15 years. Continuing to be part of the Board of Directors.
He was elected Secretary of the International Law Commission at the 2022 World Conference attended by Bishop John Donkoh of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana. Praised for the service to the representatives of the world region: Archbishop Joseph Okola Omolo (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya) for Africa; President Antonio del Rio Reyes (Lutheran Church of the Philippines) for Asia; President George Samich (Evangelical Lutheran Church in England) for Europe; President Alceu Alton Figur (Lutheran Church of Paraguay) for Latin America; and North American President Timothy Teuscher (Lutheran Church – Canada).
The ILC Board of Directors also has two other members who are appointed according to other criteria. Former Canadian Lutheran Church President Robert Bugbee and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) President Matthew Harrison remain on the council.
ILC welcomes new members
The conference brought together church leaders representing 55 church entities from around the world, including members and guests. Reflecting the continued growth of the ILC, the 2022 World Congress voted to accept two ecclesiastical bodies as full members and one as an associate member. The Conference also formally welcomed the ten member observers who have been admitted to the Conference on International Law since the last World Conference.
The Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church of Bolivia (previously admitted as an associate member in 2001) was welcomed as a full member. The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church (which was admitted as an observer in early 2022) was also admitted as a full member. Meanwhile, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Panama was recently accepted as an associate member.
The Board of Directors can grant ILC membership as an observer without waiting for a global conference. In total, since the last world conference in 2018, the Board of Directors has welcomed ten new observers, all from Africa: Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi; Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eastern Congo; Lutheran Evangelical Conference and Ministry of Kenya; Lutheran Church in Africa – Ivory Coast; Lutheran Confessional Church – Synod of Malawi; Independent Lutheran Evangelical Community in Rwanda; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan.
Liturgy and ecumenical relations
The theme of the ILC 2022 World Conference was “Liturgy and Culture: How Worship Shapes Our Life Together and Why We Do What We Do”. You worked as an essayist for the Finnish bishop Johanna Bohjol. Mrs Dr. Naomichi Masaki (Fort Wayne, USA); and the honorable dott. Alexey Streltsov (Novosibirsk, Russia), with a further presentation by Chilean Bishop Juan Pablo Lanterna.
On the basis of these presentations and the discussions that followed, the conference finally adopted a summary statement on liturgy and culture. It also unanimously decided to issue a declaration rejecting the hypothetical company.
Among other things, the World Congress also received a report on the results of the recent ecumenical debates of the Conference on International Law with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCCPU) of the Roman Catholic Church. The final report on these discussions was published in 2021 and found considerable convergence between the two traditions in several areas.
In the light of this report and on the written recommendation of PCPCU Cardinal Kurt Koch and ILC President Hans-Jorg Voigt, the ILC World Congress adopted a resolution calling for the continuation of ecumenical negotiations with the Romans. The Catholic Church approaches a congress. 500In the tenth Anniversary of the recognition of Augusta in 2030.
More information on the ILC World Congress 2022 can be found here.
—————————
–
