Brazil: Advancing gender justice from policy to practice

“For you are all one in Christ Jesus”

(LWI) – Since the Council of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB) approved the church’s Gender Justice Policy in October 2023, many actions have taken place for its implementation, including the use of inclusive language in all official church documents. As part of the implementation strategy, the church recently held a national seminar, marking the IECLB’s ongoing commitment to gender justice.

The two-day event in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, brought together over 30 church leaders from across the country. Rev. Carmen Michel, IECLB's Gender, Generations, and Ethnic Groups Coordinator in the Secretariat for Community Action (SAC), and theologian Sabrina Senger organized the event. The seminar brought together leaders from all parts of the church, regional synods, national councils, and networks for men, women, and youth. The diverse geographical and generational backgrounds of the participants highlighted the church's commitment to inclusivity.

Based on the Bible verse from Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus”, the seminar featured an intensive academic and pastoral program.

In her address, Rev. Dr. Marcia Blasi, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Program Executive for Gender Justice and Women’s Empowerment, articulated the theological basis for gender justice within the Lutheran communion. She emphasized that “gender justice is a theological imperative, not merely a cultural concession.” She also highlighted how patriarchal structures contradict the liberating message of the Gospel.

Designing contextualized strategies

Adding to this perspective, Rev. Dr Felipe Buttelli, pastor in the Litoral Nordeste Parish in Tramandaí, Rio Grande do Sul, reflected on masculinities. He presented data on the persistence of patriarchy in church communities and proposed alternative models of male spirituality committed to equity. His presentation underscored both the challenges and opportunities for transformation, stressing the need for men to take on their responsibility in building gender justice.

Speakers and participants also addressed concrete obstacles to implementing the gender justice policy, such as cultural resistance in traditional communities. Following that, they designed contextualized strategies to overcome them. They emphasized the need to strengthen theological training with a gender perspective in seminaries and to revise liturgical and organizational practices.

Rev. Carmen Michel called for steps towards “a church more faithful to the Gospel and just in its relationships.”

A commitment to work for transformation

At the end of the event, participants committed to implementing concrete steps towards gender justice in their parishes. These include studying the policy at parish and synod levels, continuing to work for gender parity in decision-making spaces, creating protocols against gender violence, and integrating the gender-inclusive perspective in every aspect of church life.

Rev. Dr Marcia Blasi commended the IECLB on the work so far: “The IECLB was the first church to translate the LWF Gender Justice Policy, following the publication of the document in the four official LWF languages,” she said. The IECLB created a policy to respond to its own reality. More than just a document, the policy represents a response to the Gospel’s call for just relationships and institutional practices."

This national seminar positions the IECLB as a pioneer among Protestant churches in Latin America in institutionalizing gender policies, offering a model that could inspire other Christian denominations in the region. The hope is that this work will lead to concrete transformation towards gender justice across the more than 1,800 Lutheran communities in Brazil.