The Evangelical Lutheran partner church in Brazil (IECLB) elects new leadership

At the council in Florianópolis at the end of August 2026, our partner church IECLB elected its new leadership team: Pastor Dr. Mauro Batista de Souza will be the new church president.

Together with Pastor Luis Henrique Sievers as 1st Vice President and Pastor Iraci Wutke as 2nd Vice President, the three form the management team that will lead the IECLB for the next four years.

Pastor Dr. Mauro Batista de Souza, previously responsible for Global Mission and Ecumenism, has a long-standing relationship with and connection to the ELM (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil). Sievers and Wutke will continue in their roles as Synodal Pastor in Vale do Taquari/Teutonia and Synodal Pastor in Espirito Santo/Belem, respectively, in combination with their vice-presidencies. Pastor Sievers served as an ecumenical officer in the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck several years ago. 
The team represents a progressive, ecumenical, and missionary approach. Their task will be to shape the church across the vast geographical distances in Brazil and to promote the further development of the IECLB (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil). At the same time, they will focus on fostering internal dialogue between regions, traditions, and orientations. 
The current team, including Pastor Sílvia Genz and Pastor Odair Braun, will remain in office until December to ensure a smooth transition.

Director Holger Siebert and our representative for Ecumenical Cooperation in South America, Pastor Kurt Herrera, were able to personally convey their warmest congratulations and blessings at the council. We at ELM also extend our heartfelt congratulations once again and wish the new leadership team God's peace, spirit, and blessing in their work.