Unity in shared Lutheran witness and service

Brazil is often associated with carnivals, the love of football and contrasts between the glamorous coastal regions and crowded big cities. Without denying this, I would like to show another side of the country through the impressions of a short study trip: how we experienced unity in a shared faith.

As Vice-President of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) for Central Eastern Europe I serve on the Committee for Member Church Projects. We usually meet online, but every three years we visit a member church to learn more about its work. In April, at the invitation of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), we spent four days in São Leopoldo, holding our meetings at a Franciscan guesthouse.

Before our field visits, we carefully reviewed and prioritized the project applications. We saw some of the many different ways that churches try to live out their faith and Christian witness. We often say that the church lives in its congregations. During our work, we realized that the LWF lives in its member churches and congregations. Mission work, diaconal service, education and community-building projects show this clearly. Every year, the LWF contributes significant support to these efforts.

Ten years ago, the LWF helped finance the ten-part Luther animated series that my own church produced for the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

Diversity within the Lutheran communion

The supported projects show the diversity of work within the global Lutheran communion. In Gambia, women and girls suffered witch hunts, forced labor, torture and sexual violence during the rule of the former president. Survivors continue to face health problems, financial hardship and social exclusion. The Lutheran church supports 540 affected people, including women and children, with physical and emotional care. The church also offers vocational training for 60 people and supports job creation to help families gain financial independence.

In Bolivia, the Lutheran church with indigenous roots continues to grow, but its structures struggle to keep pace. The church lacks financial expertise, and pastors receive no salary. The project strengthens administration, builds financial sustainability and increases the participation of women and young people in decision-making.

In a remote region in Myanmar, where people lack access to education, a church-led education program supports language training in English and Tamil, and provides vocational training in tailoring and information technology for 500 people. The project also supports the education of 200 children and focuses on ethnic minorities, child protection and equality.

São Leopoldo hosts the largest Protestant theological faculty in Latin America. Around the year 2000, our Hungarian theological university tried to build cooperation with this institution through the “International Network of Advanced Theological Education.” Universities from Hong Kong, Norway, South Africa and Montreal also participated. During our visit, I suggested that we restart some form of cooperation, perhaps online. The beautiful campus displays statues of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora. On the faculty building, visitors can read the four principles of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide.

Twelve at the lake

During our fieldwork, we also visited the church headquarters in Porto Alegre. We learned how Lutherans in this mostly Catholic country try to live out their faith publicly. Church representatives also explained how they organized relief work during the floods that covered large parts of the city a few years ago. We also visited a diaconal project that responds to the reality of domestic violence in South America. Many women and children lose protection and security because of violence in the home. Church workers provide shelter and support with professionalism and dedication.

Alongside our work, we also shared moments of spiritual reflection. On Saturday evening, we celebrated Holy Communion beside the lake near the guesthouse. We experienced fellowship with one another and with Jesus in a beautiful natural setting. Together with the organizers, we were exactly 12 people, just like the disciples.

On Sunday morning before our departure, we attended worship in a Lutheran congregation in São Leopoldo. The congregation welcomed us warmly as brothers and sisters. Portuguese-language Bibles lay on the pews beside a QR code that linked to the congregation’s website and allowed digital offerings and donations.

We did not encounter samba or football there. Instead, we experienced unity in a shared faith.