wfn.org | [LCMSNews] ILC affirms Bible on same-sex behavior

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>10.1.2009		
>	LCMS News	 	
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>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
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	October 1, 2009 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 81

ILC affirms Bible's position on homosexual behavior

>By Joe Isenhower Jr.

The International Lutheran Council (ILC), an association of 34
confessional Lutheran church bodies (including the LCMS) from six
continents, has unanimously adopted a statement emphasizing commitment
to the Bible's position on homosexual behavior. The action was taken at
the ILC's 23rd International Conference Aug. 26-31 in Seoul, South
Korea.

Titled "Same-Gender Relationships and the Church," the ILC statement
notes "confusion and discord" resulting from "churches in various parts
of the world -- including Lutheran churches" -- after "some church
bodies have adopted resolutions stating that sexually active,
same-gender relationships are an acceptable way of life for Christians"
and/or "have approved ordination of pastors living in such a committed,
sexually active same-gender relationship."

The three-paragraph document states that, "Rooted in the Bible's witness
and in keeping with Christian teaching through 2,000 years, we continue
to believe that the practice of homosexuality -- in any and all
situations -- violates the will of the Creator God and must be
recognized as sin.

"At the same time," the statement continues, "we declare our resolve to
approach those with homosexual inclinations with the deepest possible
Christian love and pastoral concern, in whatever situation they may be
living."

The full text of the statement is on the ILC Web site, at
http://www.ilc-online.org.

Participating in the conference were 81 registrants, including 31
leaders of the ILC member churches and their wives, as well as guests
and visitors from non-ILC member churches and their wives.

Under the theme of "In Christ: Living Life to the Full," the conference
also featured:

	

*	the election and installation of ILC officers, with Synod
President Gerald B. Kieschnick re-elected as ILC chairman and Dr. Samuel
Nafzger, the LCMS executive director of church relations, reappointed as
ILC executive secretary.  Also elected were Rev. Gijsbertus van Hattem,
president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium, ILC secretary;
Rev. Paulo Moises Nerbas, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Brazil, vice chairman; and representatives of five world areas, who
serve on the eight-member ILC executive committee.

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Those five representatives are Rev. Robert Bugbee, president of
Lutheran Church--Canada, for North America; Nerbas, for Latin America;
Rev. Hans-Jorg Voigt, bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran
Church (also known by its German acronym, SELK), for Europe; Rev.
Christian Ekong, president of The Lutheran Church of Nigeria, for
Africa; and Rev. James D. Cerdenola, president of the Lutheran Church in
the Philippines, for Asia.

	

*	keynote presentations by Dr. John Eckrich, the founder and
executive director of Grace Place Retreats, from St. Louis, and Dr.
David J. Ludwig, professor of psychology at Lenoir-Rhyne University,
Hickory, N.C., and an LCMS pastor.  Their wives, both named Kathy,
assisted in the presentations that reflected the conference theme.
Those presentations were modeled on Grace Place Retreats workshops that
employ biblically-based strategies to help rostered church workers and
their spouses -- as well as single workers and church-work students --
cope with ministry challenges and bolster physical, emotional, and
spiritual health.

	

*	reports from ILC officers and other presentations and papers.
Dr. Bengt Birgersson, general secretary of the Mission Province in
Sweden and Finland, delivered a paper in which he outlined the
difficulties of confessional pastors in Scandinavia.  For instance, he
spoke of regulations of the nearly 7-million-member Church of Sweden
that require its pastors to accept the ordination of women and those in
same-sex relationships. That makes it virtually impossible for anyone
opposed to those stances to serve as a pastor, Birgersson pointed out.
The mission province was formed to include those who oppose the state
church positions.

Dr. Douglas Rutt of the Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort
Wayne, faculty reported on plans for the fourth ILC World Seminaries
Conference, set for June 2-7, 2010, on that seminary's campus.

Voigt and Nafzger reported on the Wittenberg Project -- for
which the SELK, the LCMS, and Concordia Publishing House have formed the
International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg to strengthen the presence
of confessional Lutheranism in the city where Martin Luther posted his
95 theses in 1517.

Nafzger provided an update on plans for the 2017 observance of
the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation that resulted from
Luther's stance.

And Dr. Pilgrim W.K. Lo, who is on the faculty of Lutheran
Theological Seminary in Hong Kong, brought greetings to the ILC
conference on behalf of Dr. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the
Lutheran World Federation.

	

*	regional sessions, when representatives from the five ILC world
regions met together.

	

*	worship, including Sunday services with Seoul-area congregations
of the Lutheran Church in Korea (LCK), which hosted the conference.

	

*	excursions that included a visit to a Korean folk village and a
tour to the building site of the 28-story skyscraper known as the Martin
Luther Building, a project of the LCK where it will lease space to
generate income for church operations and growth.

In an editorial he wrote for the October edition of ILC NEWS, Kieschnick
cites the organization's constitution in pointing out that the
"expressed purpose" of the ILC "is that member churches 'share
information, study theological questions and concerns together ...
discuss effective coordinated means of carrying out the mission and
ministry of the Church, nurture and strengthen their relationships with
each other, and work toward the closest possible joint expression of
their faith and confession.'"

"This purpose statement becomes more important," Kieschnick continued,
"in the aftermath of decisions made by a number of church bodies in the
world, including some Lutheran church bodies, regarding the topic of
same-gender relationships and ordination of homosexual pastors."

Kieschnick wrote that the ILC's unanimous adoption of its "Same-Gender
Relationships in the Church" statement "will be most helpful in
presenting a clear position on this topic on the basis of Holy
Scripture. By the grace of God, the ILC will continue to speak the truth
in love, bearing witness to the revelation of God's Word and the
Lutheran Confessions. We thank God for the opportunity to do so under
the freedom of the Gospel, with great love, care, and concern for the
lost who do not yet know the love of God in Christ our Lord, and the
erring who have lost their way in the darkness and despair of sin and
guilt."

Nafzger said that several leaders of ILC member churches -- all from
world areas other than North America -- asked during the ILC Conference
opening session if such a statement would be issued, "since this whole
topic has been in the news in recent years, all around the world."

He indicated that it soon became clear that other church leaders at the
conference wanted such a statement, leading to a unanimous decision to
prepare one.  Three members of the executive committee -- Voigt, Bugbee,
and Ekong -- developed a draft after volunteering for the assignment.
The executive committee then made minor edits before presenting the
document to the full conference, which led to discussion and other
revisions before the church leaders approved the statement unanimously.

"The assembly encouraged ILC member churches to study the statement and
make use of it as they see fit in their own situations," Nafzger said.

He also said he is convinced that the conference's adoption of the
statement "marks the ILC's maturing.  For the first time, the council
felt that not only was it possible, but also important, to make a
statement on a contemporary development in the world today. It was a
good process -- everyone participated and was enthusiastic about making
this a good statement."

"As I said to the members of the Council," Nafzger recalled, "this marks
a new stage in the development of this organization, [which] felt that
this was the time to speak out on a theological issue under widespread
discussion in Christendom today. And it spoke out with a strong,
unanimous voice. It wanted its voice heard about this."

Concerning the 2009 conference, Nafzger said its "strengths" were that
it was "designed to provide opportunities for many contacts and talking
with one another and to develop ties between the churches in each of the
five regions."

He also credited the Eckriches and Ludwigs, "whose excellent
presentations were very well received," as well as the Lutheran Church
in Korea, LCK President Dr. Hyun Sub Um, and that church body's staff
"for all the work they put into being wonderful hosts.  It was a great
conference."

The 2009 ILC Conference was the first in a new three-year cycle for the
conference -- a cycle approved at the 2007 conference in Accra, Ghana.
Previously, Council conferences were every two years.

Starting the new cycle were meetings of the five world regions in 2008,
followed by this year's world conference, and then the World Seminaries
Conference to be held next year.

The executive committee, which meets yearly, will determine at its Oct.
24-27 meeting in Wittenberg next year the location and host for the 2012
World Conference.  Since conferences are usually hosted on a rotating
basis according to world areas, the host will be one of the four North
America member churches: the LCMS, Lutheran Church--Canada, The American
Association of Lutheran Churches, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Haiti.

The International Lutheran Council was formed in 1993 by Lutheran church
bodies whose representatives comprised its predecessor organization, the
International Lutheran Conference.

Some information for this article was compiled by Rev. Peter Ahlers,
president of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa and
editor of the ILC NEWS.

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If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release, contact
Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org
<mailto:joe.isenhower@lcms.org>  or (314) 996-1231, or Paula Schlueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org <mailto:paula.ross@lcms.org>  or (314)
996-1230.

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