The former president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), Rev Dr Gottfried Brakemeier, has called for change within the Brazilian Lutheran Church.

The reverend, president of the IECLB from 1985 to 1994 said that the current structure was not viable for the Church’s growth and structure and that he “feared division of the IECLB is in process” between different movements within the Church.

Rev Brakemeier recommended that the different movements come together to work on a common project and that any internal barriers hampering growth be removed.

The comments were made in an article written by the reverend and sent in June to leaders, as well as those of the different factions, as “a contribution toward a necessary debate”.

Current IECLB President, Rev Dr Walter Altmann said in a pastoral letter issued later in July that the Church could face a “painful schism” caused by the development of a charismatic movement.

The names of four pastors who wish to be withdrawn from the church’s clergy roster were also given in Altmann’s letter of 9 July, as well as three congregations that have decided to run themselves independently.

The issue of re-baptism, seen to have its roots in the charismatic movement that has come into some Lutheran congregations, is central to the current conflict.

Altmann reaffirmed the IECLB’s opposition to the practice of re-baptism while stating that the Church itself did not reject members who had been re-baptised. He said the Church “must be willing and prepared to pastorally cope with all people, who for reasons of conscience, have submitted to re-baptism”.

Brakemeier said that differences between the numerous internal movements, which include the Lutheran Grassroots Pastoral movement, the Enontrao Movement and the Christian Evangelical Mission, were not harmful so long as the movements could remained united toward the same goal.

Brakameier also told church members that the IECLB must urgently redefine its identity define its identity in “rigorously confessional terms” in order to boost membership. A study by former IECLB secretary general Rev. Gerd Uwe Kliewer showed that the church’s membership grew by only 0.3 per cent between 1997 and 2002.

The IECLB currently has around 710,000 members spread over 1,200 congregations and served by more than 800 pastors.