Americas: Leadership conference opens in worship

Church leaders gather under theme of ‘Embodying the Word’

Held under the theme ‘Embodying the Word’, the conference is hosted this year by the Mexican Lutheran Church – a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member church since 1957 – and brings together leaders of churches and networks from Latin America, the Caribbean and North America.

LWF Regional Secretary for Latin America, the Caribbean and North America Rev. Sonia Skupch says the significance of coming together at this point in time should not be underestimated.

“In the context of so much division, of so many conflicts in the world, of really being in the midst of forces that are destroying and separating people, for people to say ‘we come together. We do that in this diversity which we live. We come together. We respect each other. We care for each other. We pray together. We reflect together. We celebrate.’ – I think it is both a service and a sign of hope in this time,” Skupch reflected.

Opening worship sets frame for work ahead

Held together with local congregants of the Mexican Lutheran Church (Iglesia Luterana Mexicana, ILM) in central Guadalajara, an opening worship brought together some 50 LWF church leaders – young and old, male and female, lay and ordained – from across the Americas in joint celebration.

ILM President Rev. Roberto Trejo Haager welcomed those gathered, preaching on the topic ‘New heavens and a new earth’ based on Revelation chapters 21-22.

“God draws near to his people, for God's sanctuary is among the people… and God's presence among the people makes renewal possible. The renewal of courage in the midst of sadness, the renewal of hope in the midst of the ups and downs of life,” he reflected.

Trejo Haager observed that “that the world in which we live is violent, many of the realities we face are also violent, like those of many of the countries from which many of us travel or the country in which we are at this moment.”

“However, what is certain is that in the midst of all this, we can experience the accompaniment of our God. Because his word has become incarnate, it has become life, it makes our life possible; that is why, by his grace and love, we are here. His word gives us hope and also gives us joy. Because of this, we can celebrate the joy that it gives us to gather today in Christian brotherhood,” he said.

Local pastor Rev. Ari Daniel Trejo, whose congregation hosted the opening worship, echoed the theme of the COL this year, saying “the prayer of the Mexican Lutheran Church is that you listen to God, listen to one another, and listen to the community. God still speaks and invites His people to listen, to learn, to serve, to reconcile, and to be His Church here, in each of the nations represented in the adornment around the temple, and to the ends of the Earth.”

“Because by listening, the word becomes incarnate in our body,” he added.

Building just communities, inside the church and beyond

LWF Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Isabella Reimann Gnas, having attended pre-meetings to the COL for both women and youth respectively, said she looks forward to days of joint reflection together, and posed the question: ”How can we be a church that listens to all people, of all ages, and how can we build a more just community, where everyone feels like they are a part and being listened to?”

Reimann Gnas said “as Lutherans, we do a lot of good work, in the LWF and in this region, and we have a lot to teach and share.”

“So how can we with our confession, our faith and our theology, how can we be church and spread this beautiful gospel that we believe in, inside and outside our churches, in the society, in the community?” she asked.