Thoughtcrime
30.3.2026
Bishop Juhana Pohjola, ILC Chairman, in his opening sermon at the World Conference. Photo: Niran Temsakun
The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is currently holding its 28th World Conference, 14-19 September 2025 on the island of Bohol in the Philippines. The Conference is hosted by the Lutheran Church in the Philippines. Representatives of ILC member churches from around the world—Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and Europe—are participating in the event, which is held every three years.
The program of the nearly week-long Conference consists primarily of joint prayers, as well as lectures, discussions, and meetings on the Bible, the Lutheran Confessions, and then examining the situations of ILC member churches on the continents. At the end of the Conference, the ILC will elect a Board of Directors for the next term.
The keynote speaker at the conference is Thomas M. Winger, who serves as President and Professor of Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in Canada. The main title of his three-part presentation at the conference is “The Spiritual Temple”.
Prof. Samuli Siikavirta represents Corpus Christi. Photo: Niran Temsakun
The Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland has been a member of the ILC since 2018. Two representatives from our church are attending the conference: ILC President, Bishop, Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola, who will deliver the welcome address and preach at the opening service of Matins. The other Finnish participant, Associate Professor, Rev. Dr. Samuli Siikavirta, will be present at the event as the Chair of the Corpus Christi Association.
This year’s theme for the World Conference is Unity in Christ: Confession and Cooperation in a Fragmented World, based on 2 Corinthians 4:13. In his opening sermon, Bishop Juhana declared:
“Dear friends, when we speak of unity in the Church at this conference, we do not merely mean sharing concerns about human rights and equality issues, or what we all might oppose or support in cultural battles, or even sharing the name Lutheran. We are not speaking of ideological togetherness but of Christian unity—a unity found and given around the Cross. The closer we are to the Crucified, the closer we are to one another. And how do we draw closer to the cross to find unity? By confessing together all the words of the Lord of the Cross in the Scriptures! By confessing together what we receive and how we receive the gifts of the cross in the means of grace! This confessed faith and lived practice unite us—and give us courage in the face of opposition, just as it did for Cyril of Jerusalem, who said: ‘Rejoice not in the Cross in times of peace only, but hold fast the same faith in times of persecution also.’”
The bishop’s prayer is that the Conference will increase cooperation among the member churches of the ILC and encourage everyone to confess Christ Jesus boldly and joyfully wherever the Holy Spirit leads us.
You can read Bishop Juhana’s opening sermon in English here.
A Studio Krypta interview with the Conference’s keynote speaker, Thomas Winger, can be viewed here:
English translation: Thomas Toepfer
