The ACELC exists "to give a united voice against errors that are officially adopted in convention, tolerated, and/or promoted in the LCMS.”

Our Future belongs to The Lord

We’ve been blessed with a rich heritage within the Lutheran church—a heritage which most who call themselves Protestant cannot boast. Our tradition, guided and protected by the Holy Spirit, has weathered storm and drought alike over millennia. By God’s grace this tradition has been passed down from Adam, to Abraham, to the Prophets, Apostles, Fathers, Medievals, Reformers, and now to us. We are heirs of a boundless treasure, and active participants in God’s guiding of the church through His Word and Sacraments.

It has been a great joy in my life to uncover this heritage, learning from it and allowing it to shape me as a person and child of God. I was baptized into the WELS as an infant, and, now a young man in the LCMS, I long for the day when these two bodies may be reunited. But first, we must of course take care of issues on our own turf. That is the goal of the upcoming ACELC conference, Walking Together: Next Steps.

I’m particularly looking forward to Rev. Dr. James Lee’s presentation on how Lutherans navigated confessional subscription in the past, and what that tells us for our future. We are heirs to a vast fortune of church history. But of what use is that inheritance if we have not plumbed its depths? By looking at how our forefathers joyfully confessed their faith and held fast to the pure Gospel, we are permitted to join in the conversation with all of the church historic. This allows us to truly practice being in synod, or, literally, in “together way.” We are in synod just as much with our forefathers as our contemporaries.

Rev. Bryan Stecker’s presentation is set to tackle the present day: what practical steps we might take to actually walk together. The key to the future is unity without compromise, practiced in a way that is not sectarian, but full of the lovingkindness given to us by the almighty God, and guided by love of all that is true, good, and beautiful. It is through this great love that we can step into tomorrow with hope and unwavering trust in God’s promises, because the future of the church belongs to the Lord of all.

I’ll be heading to Lincoln, Nebraska, this June for the conference, and I wholeheartedly invite you to join me. Let’s gather, celebrate our shared confession, and take these next steps together. I pray this gathering will be as encouraging for you as I expect it to be for me. Our future is bright, dear brothers and sisters, and the Lord is very good.

In Christ,

Carter Brown

For more information about the Association of Confessing Evangelical Congregations and the 2026 conference, please visit acelc.net.