CELC

Pastor Robert Smith comments on his experience at the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) held this past June 2011 in Minnesota, USA. Pastor Smith serves as the Liaison for LATTE and as the chairman for the WELS Administrative Committee for Latin America.

Pastor Smith Participating in a Small Group Discussion

At the CELC conference, I had the opportunity to join in worship services with our fellow Christians around the world. On Sunday morning, we had a worship service at the chapel on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College. This was a truly memorable experience. Each Scripture reading and prayer was read in a different language by men from different parts of the world. The hymns were accompanied by choirs and brass instruments. More than 400 voices joined in the singing.

Participants from Around the World
Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America

I believe that this worship service is a foretaste of the worship services we will have in heaven. It reminded me of the Bible passage from Revelation 7:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Participants from Latin America

Photos provided by Martin Luther College. 

Preparing Leaders

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true".

The classes with the congregational leaders have begun with prayers that the Holy Spirit will work in these leaders the desire to study the Word and to teach these truths to others. There exists a great deal of confusion about "biblical" truth since the people have been exposed to many different, false teachings. 

Many hearts are still burdened with trying to fulfill the works of the law: fasting, tithing, working for their salvation. After hearing a presentation of basic law and gospel, some have commented that the "scales were falling off their eyes". The Holy Spirit is leading them to see that Jesus has already completed all the law for us. 

We pray that these leaders continue to grow in their faith in the Savior and that they would be motivated to teach these truths to others.