New WELS mission work in Australia brings the gospel to growing communities
WELS has launched a new world mission effort in Australia. With a large focus on the countryās growing immigrant communities, two WELS missionaries and their families relocated to Brisbane, Queensland, in the summer of 2024 to plant the seeds of the gospel in a region that has been described as largely post-Christian.Ā
āPeople in Australia have asked us for help,ā says Rev. Larry Schlomer, WELS World Missions administrator. āWELS members who moved there, brothers and sisters from Hong Kong, and longtime partners in Brisbane reached out. It is a joy to meet these needs with WELS missionaries.āĀ
Missionaries Rev. Dr. Matthew Doebler and Rev. Peter Janke, both members of the Asia-Oceania Team, are leading this effort. While they continue to work with contacts throughout Asia, their physical presence in Australia allows them to establish a firm foundation for ministry within local communities. They are collaborating with two existing churches in Australia: Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Brisbane and Fountain of Life in Maryborough. These congregations, members of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, provide vital connections and a foundation for expanding ministry efforts. This partnership strengthens the mission by providing existing worship spaces, local insights, and a community of believers eager to spread the gospel.Ā
Australia is highly diverse. āNearly 30 percent of people here were born overseas,ā Doebler explains. āLast year, over 500,000 new immigrants arrived. Many are searching for community and deeper meaning.ā The missionaries are focusing on relationship-building as the first step in sharing the gospel. Their families have immersed themselves in the local culture, engaging in neighborhood activities, visiting community centers, and forming friendships through English-language programs. Simple interactions, like two little boys playing together, lead to ongoing relationships and opportunities to share the gospel. These small connections are how ministry begins.Ā
In addition to local work in the greater Brisbane area, WELSā approach to ministry will model early Christianityāsmall gatherings of believers meeting in homes to study Godās Word and share in fellowship. The missionariesā goal is to train and mentor local leaders to establish and lead house churches. This grassroots approach is already bearing fruit. In Melbourne, a new group has formed, including believers from diverse backgrounds.Ā Ā
Though still in its early stages, the mission in Australia is making an impact. Through everyday interactions and steadfast commitment, the gospel is taking root, one soul at a time. āWherever the gospel is deployed, the Lord is at work,ā Schlomer notes. āWe trust his Word will bear fruit.āĀ
Look for this monthās WELS Connection at your local congregation to learn more about mission work in Australia.
Christine Doebler, wife of Missionary Doebler, shares the importance of family ties when serving in a mission field in this month’s edition of Forward in Christ magazine.
With the generosity of faithful donors, we built a sturdy buildingācomplete with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and a kitchenāmeant to house 60 students at a time and train pastors for Christās service. Almost two years ago at the dedication, it stood ready, a beacon of hope. But government regulations have kept us from using it for now. The paperwork continues, and the delay has a story of its own. A local church body that once supported us began demanding practices contrary to Scriptureāinsisting we stop baptizing babies and allow non-Lutheran teachers to train our pastors. In a Martin Luther-esque stand, our partner church broke away, choosing faithfulness over compromise. Since then, theyāve lost government recognition, which has slowed the process for gaining occupancy of the theological education center. Yet we trust that access could come any day, because Godās timing is not ours.
Some might see this as a delay, a plan stalled. But God has provided paths we never expected. Since we began, our sister church has grown to over 160,000 souls, hungry for the Word. 
Twelve years, a vacant house, and two leased facilities later, many of those who attended that first service can still be found worshiping and working together at Cross of Christ. And God has added even more. By God’s grace, and the generosity of his people, the congregation now owns a piece of property along a major road in the fastest-growing part of Las Cruces, N.M., and is working toward building a permanent facility. But that hasnāt come without its challenges either, including a prolonged property trade and months of waiting for a flood zoning redesignation.
