LWF President Stubkjær preached at an ecumenical worship service on 18 October 2024. Photo: IECLB
LWF President Henrik Stubkjær joins Brazilian church as it marks 200th anniversary
(LWI) – A time “to bear public witness to the faith” and “dialogue with the country’s diverse political forces.” In a message from the Council of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IELCB) marking the 200th anniversary of Lutheranism in the country, church leaders stressed that throughout its history “faith and service went hand in hand.”
Noting that Brazil is today a “plural and multicultural” society, the message affirms that the church approaches this plurality with “a commitment stemming from the Gospel.” It notes that the IELCB “wants to be attentive to the reality in which it is inserted and be an evangelical response to caring for creation and overcoming economic, gender, racial and socio-environmental injustices.”
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President Henrik Stubkjær was among the special guests at a meeting of the Council in the capital Brasilia, focused on the theme ‘What church is God calling us to be?’ He addressed participants on 17 October highlighting the way that the church, over the past 200 years of Lutheran presence in Brazil, “has been able to witness to its faith in Jesus Christ as a messenger of hope.”
Guided by the Gospel
On the previous day, during a formal session of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, the country’s parliamentarians paid tribute to the church’s contribution to Brazilian society over the past two centuries. Speakers pointed out that the Lutheran tradition is characterized by a particular emphasis on education, with the foundation of numerous schools, as well as the many hospitals and social projects developed by the church that have positively impacted the lives of thousands of people.
Addressing the members of parliament, IECLB leaders emphasized that the Lutheran faith promotes peace, justice, solidarity and love. “We are the Church of Jesus Christ in Brazil, and the teachings of the Gospel guide us,” said IECLB president Rev. Sílvia Genz. “From the Gospel, we understand that all people have the right to a good life, in peace, in justice, in fullness. That is why we defend life in all its expressions and diversity.”
Leaders in an ecumenical worship service in Brazil.
IECLB president Rev. Sílvia Genz addressing the Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) in Brasilia, Brazil. Photo: IECLB
The IECLB Council in session. Photo: IECLB
History of hardship, determination, resilience
In his words to the IELCB Council, which met from 16 to 20 October in Brasilia, LWF President Stubkjær gave thanks "for all the gifts and capacities that the [church] has always placed at the service of the Lutheran communion and particularly of the churches in Latin America.”
Throughout the year, the IECLB has commemorated a history that began in 1824 with the immigration of people from Europe, especially Germany. Europe was going through a major economic and social crisis at the time and thousands of people emigrated in search of better living conditions. The IECLB emerged from this history of hardship, determination, resilience, hope and faith.
Addressing Council members and ecumenical guests, the LWF leader praised the IECLB’s “witness to its faith in Jesus Christ as a messenger of hope – of peace and good news both in good times and in times of great difficulties.” He noted that “hope is at the center of the new LWF strategy, adding that the church in Brazil is “part of this journey of hope [that] we walk together as a communion.”
In the face of “great changes” such as “war around the world, unprecedented humanitarian crises, the climate emergency, increased polarization, and the growth of fundamentalism that threatens the dignity of human life,” the LWF President insisted: “We are called to be messengers of hope through faithful witness to Jesus Christ, through our commitment to the most needy and vulnerable, through our prophetic voice and our work for peace and justice.”
The LWF President also preached at ecumenical worship service on 18 October. He told participants:
“My prayer on this anniversary is that the Holy Spirit descends upon you as it descended upon the disciples at the first Pentecost and give you strength and courage so that you may dare to leap where your own security fails and trust that God will breathe life into your words and your works.”
