Churches in Central America called to be a prophetic voice in society

Churches in Central America called to be a prophetic voice in society

Raising awareness of the Lutheran presence in the Central American region was at the heart of a meeting bringing together representatives of five LWF member churches

18 Mar 2026

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Representatives of the Lutheran Churches of Central America gathered in Cumayagua, Honduras, in February 2026. Photo: LWF/E. Albrecht

Representatives from five churches emphasize stronger advocacy amid political and social challenges 

(LWI) - The role of the churches in raising a prophetic voice amid the many political and social challenges of the Central American region. That was one of the key topics of discussion as representatives from five Lutheran churches in Central America met recently in the Honduran city of Comayagua. Other items on the agenda included the church’s witness through community work, their diaconal outreach and the strengths of these minority churches.

Leaders of the Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras were joined by members of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church (ILS), the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala, the Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILFE) and the Lutheran Costa Rican Church (ILCO). All five churches belong to The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and form part of the Communion of Lutheran Churches in Central America (CILCA) which organized the 6 to 9 February event.  

ILS pastor Rev. Arisbé Gómez highlighted the importance of reflecting together on the place of churches in their societies. “We gathered [...] to talk about the contexts of our churches [...] focusing on three important themes: how we communicate our participation in civil society, who we are as a church in society,” she said. Gómez also underscored the need to strengthen communications as a tool for explaining the mission, as well as the commitment to women's full participation and liturgical reflection as part of the regional Lutheran identity. 

As a result of the political situation in our countries, we realized the importance of raising the prophetic voice of all our churches.

Rev. Carlos Bonilla, President of the Costa Rican Lutheran Church

ILFE Bishop Katia María Cortéz, emphasized the importance of the gathering as a space for mutual support amid their very challenging contexts. “We meet every year with the goal of being able to come together, embrace each other, share our models of being church and feel that we are not alone,” she said. Cortéz added that, even in apparently hopeless contexts, regional communion “allows us to rediscover hope in the Gospel and in the gaze of our brothers and sisters.” 

ILCO President Rev. Carlos Bonilla, reflected on the churches’ call to raise a prophetic voice in the face of the political and social complexities of the region. “As a result of the political situation in our countries, we realized the importance of raising the prophetic voice of all our churches,” he said. Bonilla also highlighted challenges related to the sustainability of the churches and the need to build paths towards autonomy in the medium and long term, alongside a commitment to the most vulnerable members of society. 

During the meeting, a delegation of the Annette & Wolfgang Döbrich Foundation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany, reported on the cooperation with churches in Central America to support students’ scholarships and the empowerment of young people. A new agreement was signed by founder Rev. Wolfgang Döbrich and the local church leaders. Representatives from the Latin America Department of Mission One World also attended the meeting, including director Rev. Kerstin Schoenleben and project manager Franca Funk.  

Reflecting on the importance of raising the profile of the Lutheran presence in the region, participants agreed to move forward with the development of websites for the churches, a process that will be supported by the LWF Communications Network for Latin America and the Caribbean. Devotionals and daily prayer were a unifying focus of the gathering, serving to strengthen the spirit of communion that permeated the entire meeting.  

LWF/E. Albrecht