Official Workbook PDF page source text

2026 Convention Workbook 11

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

gagement with faithful Japanese Lutherans committed to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

South America Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana Boliviana (ICEL)

The recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia marks one of the most significant developments in South American church relations during this triennium. This small but vibrant confessional Lutheran church body represents the fruit of over 12 years of theological education and collaboration involving LCMS CR, OIM, LCMS seminary professors, and the Centro de Misericordia Seminario Concordia el Reformador (CMSCR) in the Dominican Republic.

Following initial fellowship dialogue in 2022 and President Limberth Fernández’s first presentation to the CTCR in 2023, CR conducted a second fellowship dialogue in April 2024. The LCMS delegation—Dr. Shaw (CR), Dr. Lehenbauer (CTCR), Rev. Frese (CR), Rev. Mark Braden (fellowship committee), and Rev. James Sharp (OIM)—engaged with five ICEL church leaders in substantive theological discussion. The dialogue demonstrated ICEL’s solid grounding in confessional Lutheran theology and practice. Of particular significance was ICEL’s constitutional revision to reflect a quia subscription to the entirety of the Lutheran Confessions as faithful witnesses to the inspired, inerrant Holy Scriptures, which serve as the sole authority for church body doctrine and practice.

This represented a maturation in confessional commitment beyond many established Lutheran church bodies.

In February 2025, President Fernández presented to the CTCR for the second time, answering questions about ICEL’s constitution, theological education, and pastoral formation. The CTCR unanimously recommended recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship via

Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b) (2), which provides for “formal recognition of

altar and pulpit fellowship between the Synod and a small, formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body,” subject to endorsement by the subsequent Synod convention. Following consultation with the Praesidium, President Harrison officially recognized fellowship with ICEL on May 4, 2025.

On May 24, 2025, Dr. Shaw presented the letter of fellowship to President Fernández at the OIM symposium in the Dominican Republic. With presidents from LCMS sister churches throughout Central and South America gathered at CMSCR, Dr. Shaw and President Fernández celebrated the Lord’s Supper together for the first time—a profoundly moving expression of unity in Christ’s body and blood.

ICEL comprises 16 congregations and missions, 11 pastors, and 972 members. The church body is bilingual: 40 percent Spanish-speaking concentrated in Bolivia’s cities and 60 percent Quechua-speaking concentrated in the rural highlands. All ICEL pastors are ordained with a quia subscription oath. The church recognized church fellowship with the IELB (Brazil) in 2004 and became a full member of the ILC in 2022.

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB)

The IELB continues as the LCMS’ oldest and largest sister church, established as a church in 1904. Throughout this triennium, the IELB has provided crucial support for confessional Lutheran - ism throughout South America. IELB Vice-President Rev. Airton S. Schroeder conducted the historic ICEL (Bolivia) ordinations in 2022, with IELB and ICEL already in church fellowship.

Absolution. Private meetings with President Kim emphasized the LCK’s rejection of WO, identified the need for a bilingual lecturer in the Lutheran Confessions at Luther University (which houses their seminary), and discussed aspirations for expanding secondary education and seminary outreach.

In September 2025, CR met with President Kim and the LCK executive board on strategic direction, and with LCK pastors on pastoral leadership regarding fellowship as confessional unity, the Lord’s Supper, and the LWF. Shortly thereafter, President Jong-Ho Won was elected as LCK president. He immediately requested continued CR assistance regarding theological and liturgical formation and continuing education for his pastors and the church. Because many LCK pastors do not possess an adequate grasp of the Lutheran Confessions, theological and liturgical education will remain a critical need in the years ahead.

Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod (LCHKS)

At the invitation of President Allan Yung, CR Director Dr. Shaw conducted a familiarization visit to Hong Kong and preached at the annual LCHKS convention, April 23–29, 2024. President Yung was reelected to his tenth consecutive three-year term, marking nearly 30 years of faithful service as president of this sister church of the LCMS. Discussions focused on the extensive state-supported social and educational programs run by the church, but in which the state does not allow Christian expression. Opportunities for Word and Sacrament ministry were explored.

The Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP)

At President Antonio del Rio Reyes’ invitation, CR Director Dr.

Shaw visited the LCP April 29–May 2, 2024. He was honored to tour various congregations and LCP offices and teach and preach at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio. Conversations explored LCP-LCMS church relations and the possibility of developing an English-speaking joint seminary program in Asia that could serve multiple confessional Lutheran church bodies in the region and strengthen theological education across national boundaries.

CR attended the ILC World Conference in September 2025, held in Bohol, Philippines. During the conference, meetings with sister church presidents and bishops addressed ongoing fellowship questions and theological education. Honest discussion within the ILC conference revealed two understandings of church fellowship:

the one recognized based on agreement in the doctrine of the Gospel in all its articles, the other assumed based on Lutheran commitments to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments where no known moral or theological impediments exist. (See details above, at “Ecclesiology, Fellowship, and the Nordic-Baltic-Russian Churches.”) This distinction requires further attention in ILC gatherings and bilateral dialogues.

Confessional Lutheranism in Japan Following the 2023 Synod convention resolution that the LCMS could no longer recognize altar and pulpit fellowship with the Japan Lutheran Church (see endnote 6), CR has worked to invigorate confessional Lutheran presence in Japan. In November 2023, Dr.

Shaw accompanied OIM missionary Dr. Daniel Jastram and met with confessional Lutheran leaders outside the JLC structure. The goal is to build relationships and a shared resource framework to enhance confessional Lutheran witness in Japan. The LCMS continues supporting this work through missionaries, through partnership with Pastor Manubu Wakabayashi, and through ongoing en-