Asia-Oceania

Celebrating 20 years of gospel impact through Asia Lutheran Seminary

2025/06/18/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, World Missions

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2

Twenty years ago, Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) officially opened its doors in Hong Kong to train Chinese-speaking pastors and evangelists. Today, thanks to God’s grace and your generous support, ALS is equipping church leaders from across Asia-Oceania and around the world.

From its beginnings as a seminary for Hong Kong and East Asia, ALS has grown into a truly regional seminary with hubs in both Hong Kong and Chiang Mai, Thailand. ALS now supports theological education efforts in more than 18 countries and reaches students across four continents.

Here are just a few ways your support is impacting gospel work through ALS:

Training more national leaders: Many ALS graduates now serve as instructors, professors, and church leaders. Two full-time faculty members—Dr. Angus Cheung and Prof. William Zhu—are national pastors who model ALS’ belief that local Asian leaders will serve as the best teachers.
Expanding programs for more students: ALS’ program structure allows students to earn certificates, diplomas, and degrees that fit their gospel ministry goals and life stage. Programs like the TELL certificate integrate flexible online learning and are offered in both English and Mandarin.
Reaching the Chinese-speaking diaspora: Over the past several years, many Christians have emigrated from Hong Kong. ALS has followed them with gospel training, now serving students in places like New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K.
Launching new regional efforts: ALS’ Regional Theological Education Program (RTEP) supports theological education programs across Asia-Oceania, helping build sustainable, confessional Lutheran training with partner churches.
Building a new generation of leaders: ALS’ online presence, global faculty, and strategic partnerships mean that more people—lay leaders, pastors, and teachers—can grow in the Word and share Christ in their communities.

From the first worship service in 2005 to the 20th anniversary celebration on June 1, ALS has remained committed to one mission: preparing Christians to serve as leaders of confessional Lutheran groups across Asia-Oceania. The celebration in Hong Kong not only marked two decades of blessings but was also a launchpad for what comes next..

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. The story of ALS is God’s story—and you’re part of it. Now is still the time.

P.S. Want to explore more about the anniversary?
Watch the special 20th anniversary video and view photos from the anniversary celebration. You can also watch a recording of the 20th anniversary worship service, flip through the commemorative anniversary booklet, and join us in giving thanks for all that God has done through ALS.

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Together Video – June 17, 2025

2025/06/16/in Home Missions, Missions, Together

Asia Lutheran Seminary is celebrating 20 years of training and equipping Christians across Asia. The need for faithful theological education remains strong—and now is still the time to carry that mission forward.

Read more about Asia Lutheran Seminary in this edition of Together.

James Brandt installed as team leader for the Asia-Oceania Team

2025/06/16/in News, Together

The Asia-Oceania Team of WELS World Missions is made up of 17 missionaries serving 18 different countries throughout Asia and Oceania. The missionaries live throughout the region in Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Australia and work collaboratively with one another, national partners, and WELS-affiliated organizations. Their primary role is to find, train, and support a network of leaders who will, in turn, reach out with the gospel in their own countries.

The Asia-Oceania Team, acting on behalf of WELS Board for World Missions, recently called Mr. James Brandt to serve as team leader. He has been led by the Lord to accept that call and has been installed and commissioned for his work.

Brandt will lead and manage team strategy and hold the team accountable for carrying out its plans. He will facilitate good communication and teamwork, coordinate missionary development, and make field visits as necessary. Ultimately, he reports to the Asia-Oceania Team Administrative Committee and to the Board for World Missions.

Brandt and his wife, Kathy, will reside in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Following his graduation from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1985, Brandt served as a teacher in Fond du Lac, Wis.; principal of schools in California and Illinois; administrator for WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools; vice president at Wisconsin Lutheran College; and academic dean at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He also served World Missions as a member of the administrative committee for India missions.

Please join with us in praying for God’s blessings on Brandt’s work in this part of the world where God continues to provide us with incredible mission opportunities.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Asia Lutheran Seminary celebrates 20 years of gospel ministry

2025/06/16/in News, Together

On June 1, 2025, Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special worship service and banquet in Hong Kong. The milestone served not only as a look back on two decades of God’s grace but also as a testament to ALS’ transformation into a regional seminary serving students across Asia and beyond.

ALS officially opened its doors on May 29, 2005, in a service led by Dr. John Lawrenz, its first president. The seminary was created to train Chinese-speaking pastors and evangelists in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and East Asia. Since then, God has used ALS to equip church leaders from a growing list of countries and cultures. Today, the seminary reaches students on four continents and operates out of both Hong Kong and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“Asia Lutheran Seminary stands as a beacon of theological excellence, rooted in the unchanging truth of God’s Word,” says Rev. Larry Schlomer, WELS World Missions administrator. “We give thanks for the countless leaders ALS has trained to share the saving message of Jesus Christ. Their work has shaped the church in Asia and inspired our broader mission efforts.”

ALS’ expansion reflects both strategic planning and a Spirit-led response to change. In 2023, WELS World Missions formed what is now known as the Asia-Oceania Team, bringing all Asia-based missionaries together under one vision: “Grace to all in Asia.” ALS was tasked with serving as the regional seminary for this effort, supporting training programs throughout Asia.

The newly formed Regional Theological Education Program, led by ALS professor Dr. Guy Marquardt, now partners with sister churches throughout Asia. In partnership with the Pastoral Studies Institute, this program provides support through curriculum development, visiting instructors, and consultation—helping local theological education efforts become sustainable and confessional.

“It’s been incredible to see how the Lord has used ALS to build leaders not only for Hong Kong and Taiwan but now also for Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Nepal, and beyond,” notes Dr. Jonathan Bare, ALS president. “Our students now include English and Mandarin speakers, both lay leaders and future pastors.”

One indicator of ALS’ impact is the growing number of national pastors now serving as faculty. “The best teachers will be local leaders who are fully equipped to serve as confessional Lutheran instructors,” says Bare. That vision is becoming a reality. Many adjunct instructors are now ALS graduates, and recent full-time additions include national leaders Dr. Angus Cheung and Rev. William Zhu.

ALS’ programs are also evolving. While biblical language courses and advanced degrees like the Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity remain central, certificate- and diploma-level programs make theological training accessible to more students, empowering students at all levels to make immediate use of their training in their churches, homes, and the groups they gather. The seminary’s online presence has opened doors to a growing Chinese-speaking diaspora, especially in places like New Zealand, Australia, and England.

Additionally, an English-language program has been launched, integrating TELL (Think, Evaluate, Learn, Lead), a curriculum from WELS Multi-Language Productions, into certificate-level training. These efforts allow ALS to serve students across Asia regardless of location or language.

Reflecting on the seminary’s history, Missionary Emeritus Rob Siirila, who helped establish ALS, remarks, “God’s providence was evident at every step. My greatest blessing has been witnessing his hand at work throughout the process.”

As ALS looks ahead, the message that launched its ministry remains just as relevant. “Now is still the time,” says Schlomer, echoing the words from ALS’ founding passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2. “May God continue to bless this seminary as it trains the next generation of gospel proclaimers.”

Read more from Dr. Jonathan Bare, Asia Lutheran Seminary president, in this article from the June 2024 edition of Forward in Christ magazine: forwardinchrist.net/now-is-still-the-time.

Watch a video about the 20th anniversary of ALS.

New chairman for SALEM

2025/04/29/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, World Missions

Originally appears in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) newsletter. Subscribe to future updates from the CELC at celc.info/signup.

In the 1960s, WELS missionaries were sent to Hong Kong to assist local Chinese Christians. In 1977, a Lutheran church body named SALEM (South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission) was established.

In 1997, Rev. Titus Tse (pictured left) from Hong Kong was called and installed as the first chairman of SALEM. By God’s grace, under Rev. Tse’s leadership, the SALEM church body grew and matured into a stable, developing, and faithful community of believers.

After many years of faithful service, Rev. Tse has now entered a new chapter. Having “retired” from his pastoral ministry at the congregation in accordance with SALEM’s policies, he was immediately commissioned as a missionary to establish a Chinese Lutheran church under SALEM’s mission work in Auckland, New Zealand.

The mantle of leadership in Hong Kong has now been passed to another capable leader, for God always provides the right people at the right time. Rev. Alex Wong (pictured right) officially assumed the role of chairman of SALEM on January 1, 2025, with the installation ceremony taking place on March 2. He now steps into this new role with over a decade of pastoral experience and a shepherd’s heart.

When Rev. Tse assumed leadership in 1997, Hong Kong was undergoing historic transitions. Now, as Rev. Wong takes office, the city once again faces new challenges amid shifting times. Through these eras of change, God continues to expand his kingdom and raise up fitting leaders for each season. These pivotal moments create unique opportunities for his people, and we rejoice in his unfailing wisdom and grace.

Rev. Wong’s leadership is a gift to the church. By God’s power, SALEM is poised to embrace this new chapter, strengthen believers, and seek the lost. We praise God for all he has accomplished through his people in Hong Kong and pray that he grants Rev. Wong and all church leaders strength and wisdom equal to their calling.

Written by Missionary Tony Barthels, WELS’ liaison to SALEM

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Continuing education workshop in Thailand

2025/04/03/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

In late February this year, 14 church leaders from 9 church bodies throughout 8 Asian countries met in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for three days of intensive Bible study in one common language.

The workshop was a collaborative effort between Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) and the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The goal was to encourage church leaders from partner churches served by WELS in Asia to commit to a plan of continuing education by whetting their appetite for more. To that end, PSI Director Prof. Harland (Skip) Goetzinger taught a ten-hour mini-course on Christology, demoing the use of “Dialogue Education,” an educational approach that emphasizes student participation.

While a primary focus of their time together was the review of the doctrine of the two natures of Christ, the participants—almost all of them pastors and/or theological educators themselves—also engaged in topical discussions, Bible studies, uplifting conversations, and devotions led by these same Asian church leaders. Representatives from both ALS and PSI also presented information on formal continuing education programs.

The workshop schedule was full but still left room for outings to see some local sights like elephants, temples, and markets—and even an evening round of mini golf (which almost none of the men had ever played before). These casual outings (and the inevitable laughter while learning to putt in the dark) provided additional opportunities to cultivate cross-cultural relationships among the participants from a wide range of cultures and experiences.

One participant commented afterward, “The study portion was very valuable in that it not only refreshed and reinforced what I have already learned during my seminary study but added new insights and info. The time spent with the brothers was even greater; it gave me a lot of encouragement and inspiration.”

Organizing the workshop and the various visas, flights, and food preferences was challenging, but ALS staff worked hard to make it happen. As the director of ALS’ Regional Theological Education Program, I explained that the hope for that week was not only to cultivate a greater thirst for professional and spiritual growth in the Word but also to further enhance the bonds of fellowship between these confessional Lutheran leaders who have had limited face-to-face time together. We knew we were trying to do a lot, but by God’s grace, we feel like we knocked it out of the park in every area. Good connections were made between the participants, we have at least half a dozen signed up for a new master’s program, and all expressed an eagerness to gather like this again.

This workshop served as an initial trial run for the new English master’s degree programs (M.Div., M.A.R.) offered by Asia Lutheran Seminary. Since its founding in 2005, ALS has developed a strong theological education program aimed at preparing Christian leaders in East Asia. Now, however, the seminary is expanding to serve students from countries across the continent with courses taught in English, a common second language for many. God willing, this program and all the training provided through ALS will strengthen the church across East Asia and its leaders for generations to come.

Written by Guy Marquardt, world missionary on the Asia-Oceania Team.

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New WELS mission work in Australia brings the gospel to growing communities

2025/04/01/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, News, Together, World Missions

WELS has launched a new world mission effort in Australia. With a large focus on the country’s 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.

“People in Australia have asked us for help,” says Rev. Larry Schlomer, WELS World Missions administrator. “WELS 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.”

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.

Australia is highly diverse. “Nearly 30 percent of people here were born overseas,” Doebler explains. “Last year, over 500,000 new immigrants arrived. Many are searching for community and deeper meaning.” 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.

In addition to local work in the greater Brisbane area, WELS’ approach to ministry will model early Christianity—small gatherings of believers meeting in homes to study God’s Word and share in fellowship. The missionaries’ 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.

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. “Wherever the gospel is deployed, the Lord is at work,” Schlomer notes. “We trust his Word will bear fruit.”

Look for this month’s 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.

God’s plan flourishes in Vietnam

2025/03/17/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, News, Together, World Missions

It has been 14 years since Hmong church leaders in Vietnam invited WELS to train their pastors in the truth of the gospel. It has been seven years since the communist government in Vietnam invited WELS to build a theological education center in the capital city of Hanoi. From the very beginning, we knew that the Lord had opened a door to reach the more than two million Hmong people who live in Vietnam and the surrounding countries. We also knew that this door could close at any time. Our WELS World Missions team worked quickly to ensure WELS took full advantage of the time the Lord had provided. And God’s work moved forward in ways we could have never predicted.

With the generosity of faithful donors, we built a sturdy building—complete with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and a kitchen—meant to house 60 students at a time and train pastors for Christ’s 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 Scripture—insisting 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, they’ve 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 God’s 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. Fifty-five pastors have been trained—not in that building but in rented spaces and internet classrooms where God gathered them to learn. Another 120 seminary-level students are studying now, their hearts set on preaching the gospel. Catechism classes, led by trained leaders, echo through every congregation in the rural training program that was developed by WELS missionaries and is now being supported by 12 fully trained Hmong pastors. This flock proudly calls themselves Lutheran, not because of a building but because of the truth they’ve learned through WELS training.

Take a pastoral student and his brother, for example. When they feared funding had faltered, they sold their family’s water buffalo—a sacrifice that cut deep in their rural life—so one could join the biblical training they feared might pass them by. Today, that student is a pastor, shepherding souls, his brother’s faith beside him. What earthly hurdles could stop God’s Spirit at work?

These twists and turns and extra red tape have given us more time—time to train, time to grow, and time to stand firm without interference. We thought we needed that building. God knew we needed him—and him alone. In his hands, this work triumphs, brimming with hope for tomorrow.

In Christ,
Rev. Larry Schlomer
Administrator, WELS World Missions

Moments with Missionaries – Mark Zondag

2025/03/12/in Asia-Oceania, Home Missions, Missions, World Missions

Missionary Mark Zondag shares an update on the Asia Oceania Team’s work. Based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he supports local congregations in reaching the lost. He continues collaborating with the Confederation of Lutheran Churches in Thailand to expand gospel outreach. Hear more from Missionary Zondag as he shares upcoming plans to continue their mission of sharing the good news with those in Thailand, and save the date for this year’s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

Faces of Faith – Albert Szeto

2025/01/23/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

Albert Szeto spent the first years of his life living in a wooden shack atop a seven-story building in Hong Kong. Times were tough. Albert was the third of seven children. His two older siblings couldn’t go to high school, because the tuition of HK was $14 a month and was too much for the family to afford. When Albert was 12 years old, they moved to another part of Hong Kong where Albert would end up attending a WELS school in Hong Kong called Immanuel Lutheran English Middle School (ILEMS). He doesn’t recall why his parents chose for him to attend that school, but looking back it was clearly the guiding hand of a loving God. “That changed my life forever. It’s where I came to know Jesus Christ and was baptized,” Albert said.

Albert graduated from high school at Immanuel. Albert remembers toward the end of his time at Immanuel, “My father took me aside and said, ‘That’s it.’” Albert’s family didn’t have the money to fund his college education. Hong Kong schools had college entrance exams that every student took. Albert was so certain he would never go to college that he didn’t even bother returning to Immanuel to pick up the test results.

So, he went to work at a factory, in an office, and even teaching a little bit at ILEMS.

Until a WELS missionary asked him if he wanted to go to school in America. “Of course I do! I can’t afford it though!” Rev. Gary Kirschke and Rev. Gary Schroeder said they could help. “I don’t know why [the missionaries] chose me.” “So DMLC (Dr. Martin Luther College) in New Ulm… here I come!” The plan was for Albert to go to DMLC and then return to Hong Kong to teach at ILEMS. He would be the first person in his family to go to high school and college.

Just before graduation, he remembers being taken out to a Chinese restaurant in Appleton, Wis., where missionary Rev. Gary Kirschke helped him plan what his ministry would look like in Hong Kong after graduation. Albert would be a teacher at ILEMS, but the missionary said that his job would include starting a church in the school as well.

“We started with just five or six people in the beginning. We just sat in a circle in one of the music rooms at the school.” After a few years, the church grew to 60 people. Now Immanuel Lutheran Church is a congregation of hundreds.

A few years after his return from America, Albert got the itch to study law in the United Kingdom. So he went, got his degree, and returned to Hong Kong to work as an employee at a law firm. He recalls many times when there was something going on at church that he wanted to attend but couldn’t because he was constantly working. So in 2000, he quit and started his own law firm. This afforded him the time to serve, and God blessed it.

Albert had his 70th birthday party this month, and there were more than 150 people there celebrating a life that God had blessed, but also celebrating the lives that had been blessed by God through Albert.

He’s served on the board at ILEMS, now called Immanuel Lutheran College (ILC), for almost three decades, on the board for SALEM, our sister synod in Hong Kong, and on the board for Asia Lutheran Seminary. He makes regular ministry trips to “East Asia” to teach and to New Zealand to support the planting of a church SALEM has started there. He also has contacts with the WELS missionaries in London.

“This is just my response to God’s love and salvation to me,” he said. And it’s true. The light of God has shown in and through his heart to save Albert and countless others.

Written by Missionary Tony Barthel, world missionary on the Asia Oceania Team.

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2025/01/09/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

If you’ve never played Telestrations, you can think of its counterpart, Telephone. You have a sentence; you pass it on to someone, who in turn passes it on to someone else. You just hope that in the end, it turns out the same! The difference? In Telestrations, you alternate between writing sentences and drawing pictures. What can be lost in translation, even within your own family, is incredible!

Asia Lutheran Seminary’s new roll-out of TELL sometimes reminds me of Telestrations. TELL doesn’t just teach the Bible; it trains people how to share it. We have a message, and we’re trying to pass it down like Paul. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Tim 2:2). If Paul were the first one to draw on his Telestrations sheet, there would have been four people involved in that game! We are teaching others, to teach others, to teach others.

This doesn’t come without difficulty! Challenge #1: Even though our student’s English levels put any of my second languages to shame, it is still not their heart language. Challenge #2: The sheer diversity in our classes. This game has players throughout Asia. One is trying to gather a small collection of house churches in a predominately Muslim country in South Asia, and another is a police officer in the Philippines. Yet another is a chieftain of an indigenous tribe. Another is a cancer survivor turned Christian from India who has read through the book of Romans over 500 times without formal training. Everyone comes from different cultures and backgrounds, so you better believe they will draw different pictures!

And that’s a good thing.

While language and culture barriers occasionally cause misunderstandings in the classroom, these are precisely where the TELL program shines. Each culture has its own picture of what things like love, honor, and forgiveness look like. One of the most beautiful things about TELL is that we train and entrust “local artists” to draw the message more clearly.

What is our message? The Word came down to Earth and gives us the words of eternal life (Jn 1; Jn 6:68). Scripture perfectly draws that message for us. The Message (the Word) became flesh to explain and live out our salvation. Christ, the Word made flesh, is the message we hold and want to hand down.

With a message that important, we want to make sure it’s handed down well. We work hard to ensure that the message remains the same despite the picture looking different. We give feedback between “each round” as students submit the Bible study they have created. Sometimes, we receive videos of students using their final project to teach others. This has been one of the most remarkable moments as a teacher! Also, after completing eight courses (1–2 years), students may work with a counselor to deepen their training and work towards fellowship.

We’ve only started working with TELL in Asia in the past few months. Still, it’s humbling to see how eager students are to refine their understanding and improve their “comprehending” and “drawing skills” for sharing the gospel. I am humbled to be able to teach the students who join our classes.

Please pray for TELL in Asia. Pray for the handing down of the Word from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Pray that this handing down and drawing of the message would bring a lot of joy, not because the picture looks different, but because it matches the face of our Lord when he comes again.

Written by Rev. Justin Steinke, world missionary for the Asia-Oceania Team based in Manila, Philippines.

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Unexpected ways to build connections

2024/11/21/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

A little blonde haired boy is doing laps around a small play center in a mall near a Kmart. (Yeah, they still exist in Australia). He starts to play with a boy about his age. They chase each other and climb through the play center’s obstacles to head for the slide. Each in turn, they inch down a slide that is inexplicably slow. And then they race back up to do it again. And at least for now, it doesn’t matter at all that they can’t speak the same language. After a while, the boys’ mothers connect and begin talking. Before they leave the moms exchange contact information for hopefully a play date for the newly formed friends zooming around mall.

Three and a half months into living in Australia, we’re just starting to get the hang of some new things. There’s a different vocabulary with a serious affection for shortening words and tacking on an O (servo, arvo, bottle-o, flanno, rego, smoko, garbo, to name a few), there’s some exciting new food options (meat pies, TimTams, excellent coffee, and yes, Vegemite—it’s excellent on toast with butter!), and there are a lot of different people groups here. We knew that having experience living in East Asia would be a benefit in making friends here and it has, but we’ve also met Filipinos, Japanese, Indonesians, Colombians, Malaysians, Taiwanese, and Mongolians. And the main person starting the connection with most of those people: my wife Alanna. And sometimes my son Marvin.

One of the most exciting aspects of ministry here in Australia is that we’re all working on it together. Yes, the WELS missionaries, Matt and Peter (me), but also Christine (Matt’s wife) and Alanna (my wife), and even unknowingly Marvin and Jonas. We’re exploring, trying out things like English programs, play groups, parks, library events, cultural nights, and running into all sorts of people and making friends with so many people. Hopefully, some of those connections turn into coffee, dinners, and conversations. Conversations about God. And all that feels very normal.

I would venture a guess that in your community, wherever you may be, there’s probably someone new, learning a new culture, maybe learning a new language, figuring out how to do basic things, and could use some help. And I bet that person would appreciate a friend. We’ve certainly appreciated all the help we’ve gotten from friends so far.

There’s something really fascinating in Psalm 86. It’s a psalm that praises God for how he listens and delivers those who trust in him. And in the middle of the psalm, the position of emphasis, there is verse nine. “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” It’s a beautiful cause and effect explanation. God I trust in you, you save me, you deliver me, you answer me, and you help me.

Written by Rev. Peter Janke, world missionary on the Asia-Oceania Team based in Brisbane, Australia

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2024 graduation at Asia Lutheran Seminary

2024/11/04/in News, Together

In October, Asia Lutheran Seminary, Hong Kong, celebrated the graduation of 13 students. Nine of the students received certificates in either Greek or Hebrew, two received an associate of arts degree in theology, and two were awarded a diploma of Christian Studies. We praise and thank God for the opportunity to teach his Word to brothers and sisters around the world. Learn more about mission work in Asia at wels.net/asia.

2024/09/05/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs

The TELL program was designed with flexibility in mind. Its framework is made to be used in many countries, by many cultures, by many ages. Perhaps this is best displayed by Peter. Peter is a Ugandan, living in Hong Kong, training believers in the Philippines.

A few years ago, while living in Hong Kong, Peter was introduced to Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS). He was interested in furthering his Biblical education when a pastor he knew in Canada encouraged him to study through ALS. He enrolled as a student and began completing classes regularly. This connection with ALS also led him to begin studying with the TELL program.

Peter’s church in Hong Kong has a strong membership of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. As some of the members returned to the Philippines, they brought their worship life with them. They soon saw a need for small group leaders and for training. Peter took the opportunity to put his own Biblical training into practice. He uses the TELL method to regularly meet online with eleven small group leaders from the Philippines. He chose to use the TELL method because: “I have been exposed to quite many Bible study methods, but I find TELL method cutting across all scenarios and levels, ages, and categories, a very easy way to administer Bible study. Also, for learners, no matter how much prior knowledge of the Bible they have, through TELL they will always learn something easily.”

The TELL program is working with ALS and will soon be implemented more widely by our Asia One Team. We pray that God blesses the use of this program to reach and equip more leaders like Peter, leaders who are willing and ready to pass on their training and knowledge of the Bible to others!

Learn more about the TELL Network from WELS Multi-Language Productions.

Written by Rev. Tony Barthels, world missionary on the Asia One Team

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God’s hand in Indonesia

2024/08/22/in Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

“I know the plans I have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11. These words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah are a familiar theme at many Christian graduation ceremonies. Written originally to God’s Old Testament people who were facing an uncertain future in exile from the promised land, this verse reminds believers today too that our God, the Lord Almighty, is still in control. No matter what today or tomorrow may bring, we too have a hope and a future because of Christ Jesus. The details of how we will get there, however, are known only to God.

Counting on God’s promises to be with them, the faculty and staff of Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), the seminary of our sister church in Indonesia, worked hard this last year toward the goal of official accreditation for their school. Accreditation would mean that the certificate the school offers after four years of classroom training would be nationally recognized. Graduates could then use that certificate to apply for part-time employment as religion instructors in government schools. And since children in Indonesia have the right to have religion class according to their own faith, there is often a need for Christian teachers. This would be ideal for many pastors who will need to have “tent-making” ministries.

After much work, and by God’s grace, STTL was fully accredited earlier this year! This led to a momentous occasion this August, where the first of these government-recognized certificates could be awarded to 18 students who had recently completed the four-year course of study either this year or last. Besides family and friends, other guests and visitors included local government officials and representatives from other area institutions, as well as myself, happily representing Asia Lutheran Seminary and the WELS Asia One Team to congratulate our brothers in Christ for their hard work. The event gave much visibility to this young seminary, and the faculty and staff have much to be proud of and thankful for.

STTL’s pastoral training program includes two to three years of practical experience as vicars following the years in the classroom. So these 18 men were not yet ordained as pastors, but some of them received their first assignments as vicars in that same service. Others were reassigned to meet ministry needs in their church body. How will the Lord use these young men as his ministers in the coming years? What challenges will they face as they proclaim the gospel of Christ in a country that is officially secular but with a strong Muslim majority? Will the STTL’s plan of accreditation prove to be the boon that they think it will be? Will they be able to meet the need for pastors as the gospel spreads across the country?

The theme verse of the graduation service was Jeremiah 29:11. “I know the plans I have for you,” God says. The details of his plan are his own. But all of them are based on the work of Christ, the Savior of the nations. Please join me in praying for these young men, the churches they serve, and the work of the gospel in Indonesia.

Written by Rev. Guy Marquardt, world missionary for the Asia One Team.

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Faces of Faith – Chong

2024/08/05/in Faces of Faith

I have known Chong for the last ten years. When we first met, he was a young high schooler. Every time I visited East Asia, he never missed any of my training sessions. Sadly, it has been extremely difficult to do faceto- face training for the Miao leaders in East Asia lately. Many of the church’s leaders are disappearing from the community, and nobody knows their fate. Despite all this, Chong continues to hold onto his faith and never ceases to learn the Word of God. Chong also continues to gather a small group of young leaders to continue to serve their congregations. In their hearts, they know that they will be facing the power of the Devil, but through their faith in Jesus Christ, they continue to fight the good fight. Chong said, “They can only kill my body but not my soul. I am ready at any time to serve my Lord and his people.” Chong asks all of you to continue to pray for him, his family, and his co-workers in Christ. He and his co-workers are eager to receive face-to-face training and pray that the door for the gospel will be opened wider to the Miao and other minorities in East Asia. May the Lord of the church send more workers to harvest his fields!

From an Asia One Team missionary

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Faces of Faith – Li

2024/08/05/in Faces of Faith

Pastor Li’s non-Christian wife tried to get him to understand how embarrassing it was to tell coworkers that her husband was a pastor. She was ashamed of him and ashamed to be his wife. He listened to her complaints, and he continued to pray for her. He highlighted God’s blessings for her whenever there was an opportunity, helped her run her noodle shop, and he took regular walks with her. Eventually she began to ask for his prayers. Eventually she told him that she was also praying. Eventually she asked to be baptized. Now, as a child of God, she looks forward to their weekly worship gathering and communing with brothers and sisters in Christ. She sings in the choir. And, she and Pastor Li pray together that the Holy Spirit would lead their son to faith.

From Matt Doebler, Asia One Team missionary

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Faces of Faith – Joe

2024/08/02/in Faces of Faith

Killing a pig is one reason for feasting in Village 9. It is even more an opportunity to share the gospel. Pastor Joe, one of our local Lutheran pastors in Thailand, recently did exactly that.
When he decided to slaughter his pig, he obviously had to invite everyone in the village to share in the feast. In fact, not sharing the feast would have cut him off from his community.

Much of the community is not Christian. Many of them have no interest in coming to church. Many of them are not interested in hearing the gospel. Yet Pastor Joe used this feast as an opportunity to show hospitality, Christ’s love, and the light of the gospel to the community around him. He used it to not only show how God has blessed him with a pig to slaughter, but a Savior who was slaughtered for their sins. He used it not only to let them feast on the pig, but to feast on God’s Word. He used it as an opportunity for his community to hear about the greater community connected to our loving God. Please continue to pray for our pastors in Thailand as they continue to leverage community events to share the gospel with their neighbors!

From Mark Zondag, Asia One Team missionary

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The Word of the Lord grows—from Hong Kong to New Zealand

2024/07/09/in News, Together

The South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission (SALEM) is a sister church body comprised of ten congregations located in Hong Kong. This week, five members of SALEM visited our synod’s headquarters in Waukesha, Wis. They had attended the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society convention and now were visiting various WELS sites in Wisconsin.

What made this visit especially interesting was the report this group shared about a new mission effort in New Zealand. Since 2020, about two dozen members of SALEM moved from Hong Kong to New Zealand. With the help of SALEM, they formed a new mission congregation called SALEM New Zealand Lutheran Church. In the three years since, their group has grown to about 40 Chinese-speaking members. They joyfully described the blessings of their fellowship in this new land, and they were very excited to be sharing the gospel with other Chinese-speaking people there. SALEM will be continuing its support of SALEM New Zealand in the coming years.

The WELS Board for World Missions has provided some modest funding to support their effort. In addition, Missionary Matt Doebler, located in Thailand, will also be providing additional guidance and encouragement to this group.

This is a beautiful reminder that our sister church bodies around the world are not content to keep the gospel for themselves but are also dedicating time and resources to take the gospel to new places and new people.

To get a small glimpse of their faith and mission zeal, you can watch a brief video introducing you to these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Obituary – Steven Lance Witte

2024/07/05/in News

Steven Lance Witte was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., on September 6, 1957, and officially made a child of God through baptism. He was raised in South Haven, Mich., where the Lord grew his faith at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and grade school. He graduated from L.C. Mohr High School in South Haven in 1976, then followed the Lord’s calling to study in the pastoral ministry at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wis. Part time jobs included life guarding at the Watertown community pool and summer camp manager at Camp Lor-Ray Lutheran kids camp near Muskegon, Mich. In 1985 he completed his ministerial studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis. Later in 2007, Steve went on to complete a doctorate in divinity at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Boston, Mass.

He married Mary Serwe in 1982. Steve served the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod for many years: as a pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in New London, Wis. (07/85 – 08/01), Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Wis. (08/01-08/09), Asia Lutheran Seminary in Kowloon, Hong Kong (08/09-10/21), and most recently on the Asia One Team (Chiang Mai, Thailand). He was faithful, tenacious, creative, and humble in carrying out God’s mission—sharing the Gospel of Christ, the WORD to many, many people in Asia and beyond!

Steve and Mary had five children and 11 grandchildren. Steve, two daughters (Charis Kuehl and Lydia Witte) and three granddaughters (Stella Kuehl, Lena and Merci Henselin) all perished in a house fire on a family vacation. He is survived by wife Mary, sons Seth (Katelyn) in Egan, Minn., and Micah in Columbus, Ohio, daughter Hannah (Karl) and seven grandchildren: Isaiah and Zachary Henselin, Norah and Vera Kuehl, Josiah, Micah and Anna Witte.

Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” pretty much sums up this faithful servant’s life.

A joint memorial service for Steve and his daughter Lydia will be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at St. Mark Lutheran Church in De Pere, Wis. (2066 Lawrence Dr, De Pere, WI 54115). Visitation will be from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. with the service to follow at 3:00 p.m. A livestream will also be available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/gZpwPbeOpEE

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation to the Steve Witte Memorial Scholarship that will help continue Rev. Dr. Steve Witte’s legacy of helping more people share the gospel with those who have not yet heard of Jesus’ love. It will assist Asia Lutheran Seminary students with tuition (or other costs associated with attending classes) who otherwise would be unable to take classes, receive training, and become leaders throughout Asia.

Building trust in the heart of Japan

2024/05/02/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

In the heart of Japan, gospel outreach is blossoming through the power of building relationships and serving the community.

Kanon, the son of Pastor Haga of Megumi church in Mito, spearheaded an impactful English camp. With meticulous planning and heartfelt efforts, Kanon orchestrated an enriching experience for 15 children. From engaging geography and science classes taught by Sam of Kingdom Workers and Annalisa from Friends Network, to fun-filled activities like kickball and board games, the camp was a hit! The kids enjoyed a scrumptious pizza lunch that allowed them to creatively construct their own pizza. This camp not only provided a refreshing break for parents but also played a pivotal role in building trust within the community. The experience mirrors the experiences Kanon had as a child as well, learning about the church through these community activities where people can see Christians as loving and generous people right in their own town—not a strange and mysterious western religion.

Further strengthening the bond among Christians, a recent BBQ event by the members of the Tokyo church took place at Koganei. Here’s what one member, Yuki, said: “We had a BBQ event at Koganei Park. There were 12 brothers and sisters present. We brought all the ingredients ourselves. Takahashi-san bought and cut all the meat and vegetables for us! We are very thankful to her! It was a little windy that day, making it hard to start a fire; however, we still enjoyed cooking because everyone helped each other and seemed so happy! The meal was delicious!”

One attendee suggested we play some sports after the meal, so he went back to his house to gather equipment. We had our meal for around an hour and a half, then started singing hymns. One had the same melody as “It’s a Small World,” but the lyrics were about praising God. The other was “Jesus Loves Me.” Takahashi-san prepared the lyrics for us. She accompanied us with her guitar, making our singing even more amazing!

After singing, we all joined in playing frisbee with one another. We tried to make a game out of it and see how many times we could catch a frisbee in one minute. It felt like we had returned to our childhood.

Thank you, God, for giving us this gracious time with our brothers and sisters!

These stories are not just about the events; they are about the transformative power of relationships, community service, and faith. Whether it’s through educational camps or fellowship over BBQ and hymns, the gospel is being shared and relationships are deepening. The Lutheran church in Japan is actively and creatively reaching out to build trust within the community. Since the camp, two of the children attended the Easter service in Mito, and after finding belonging and purpose among the brothers and sisters in Tokyo, one of the East Asia members was recently baptized. Join me in continuing to pray for the spread of the gospel in Japan and thank God with me for all he has done in Japan.

Written by Rev. Peter Janke, world missionary for the Asia One Team.

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A community of digital disciples

2024/02/22/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs

The screens slowly appear one by one. Some cameras are focused on faces, some cameras remain off. Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, stools, couches, bare walls, windows, the backdrops vary. I count nine screens. Nine people who clicked an ad on their phone. Nine people who entered their names and phone numbers. Nine people who watched a few hours of video lessons and learned about Jesus. Nine people who clicked to learn more. Nine people in whom the Holy Spirit is hard at work.

It is my first night teaching a TELL class to a group of students throughout Asia. I offer a prayer of thanksgiving that God has given me the opportunity to learn the Bible with these nine people.

These students have completed the first level of TELL self-study courses. The course I am teaching is “Work of the Savior.” It is their first live class as well as mine. Two of my students are new to faith. One young man from Pakistan lets me know that he has been reading the Bible for a month and is excited to learn more and grow in his faith. Four men introduce themselves as Pastors: two from India, two from Pakistan. They too share the excitement of having found an opportunity to learn and grow so that they can better lead their small congregations. One camera remains off, the microphone remains silent. Another young man from Pakistan lets me know that he has been a Christian his whole life. He is currently working on a master’s degree but believes God might be leading him to study at a seminary instead. The final picture is a young woman. Although she is the only female in the group, she confidently shares her faith throughout the night, proclaiming God’s power to heal our sin sick souls as we learn about Jesus healing the paralyzed man.

We talk, we listen, and we learn. I can see the joy in people’s faces as they relish the opportunity to study the Bible with fellow believers. I can see the light in their eyes as they hear about God’s plan of salvation. As we close our evening class, the screens disappear one by one. Nine screens, nine strangers, nine brothers and sisters were able to meet together in God’s Word. I am humbled to have had this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait until the next night where I will turn my computer on and find nine of God’s children ready to hear his Word.

Written by Mr. Jeremy Seeger, missionary on the Asia One Team and TELL teacher in Asia.

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So I am sending you

2024/02/08/in Missions, WELS Blogs

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ ” (John 20:21)

When was the last time you paused for a moment to reflect on how your life has changed? Consider where you are at now in life compared to one year ago, five years ago, or even further back. As Christians, we benefit from a time of reflection when we recognize God’s guidance of our lives through various experiences and encounters.

Years ago, the parents of Dan Kingsbury sought out a church whose teaching was faithful to scripture. After becoming WELS members, Dan was enrolled at St. Croix Lutheran High School. It was at St. Croix where Dan enjoyed interacting with international students from Asia. Over 50 percent of the world’s population resides in Asia, and it was on Dan’s heart to learn more about Asian people and their culture. While attending Wisconsin Lutheran College, Dan enrolled in Chinese Mandarin language classes with the hope of better connecting with others. While Dan had been encouraged to consider serving in full-time ministry before, it was a presentation from a Friends Network teacher that opened a new door. As Dan prayerfully considered his options, he reflected on the words of John 20:21 where Jesus speaks peace to his disciples’ hearts and sends his disciples to do the Father’s will.

Pastor Dan and his family

When Dan joined the Friends Network team and relocated to Asia in 2013, there were opportunities to help lead worship and Bible study. It was through serving both his mission team and the local believers that Dan grew as a leader. With the support of his team and his wife, whom he met in Asia, Dan eventually enrolled in Asia Lutheran Seminary. While his goal of wanting to be a better Bible teacher remained simple, the blessing of reflection reveals God’s incredible plan for Dan and through Dan’s work.

While attending Seminary classes, Dan helped with recruitment for the seminary and even taught pre-seminary courses. Following his graduation, Dan was called by Asia Lutheran Seminary to serve as Professor of New Testament and is one of several professors who can teach his courses completely in Mandarin.

God has guided Dan into a position where he now equips and helps to send others. As God guided and previously sent Dan, so God is now guiding and sending Dan’s students to further carry out The Great Commission. In January 2024, over a dozen students from various parts of Asia gathered with Dan to study the New Testament using only the Greek language. These Christian leaders take the gospel home to places where our mission teams cannot go.

Another large group of Asian Christians have identified four candidates from within their membership for future spiritual leadership. Dan and Asia Lutheran Seminary have the privilege to prepare this next generation. As a result, the older generation can apply the words of Jesus in John 20:21 to their own home mission field. As our Heavenly Father had previously sent them to share the Good News, so this new generation of spiritual leaders will one day be sent to serve their people.

When you look back over the last year or even ten years, how has God guided you?

Where do you see yourself when you read John 20:21?

Over the last decade, God has used the interests and abilities of Dan Kingsbury to reach the lost and encourage fellow believers. As Asia Lutheran Seminary continues to equip the Asian world with the Good News of Jesus, remember these professors, missionaries, and students in your prayers. Pray that they would enjoy the peace that only Jesus can bring. Pray that they would enjoy the courage to serve that only God can inspire.

Written by Rev. Neil Birkholz, Diaspora Ministry Facilitator for the Asia One Team.

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Missionaries called to explore new world mission fields

2024/02/06/in Together

The Board for World Missions, working alongside the various World Missions One Teams, has identified new world mission fields and is taking steps to deploy missionaries into three new areas. “Spreading God’s Word in any and every place is our high calling,” says Rev. Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. “We ask the Lord of the harvest to use us to bring many into his kingdom through our work.”

Missionaries asked to relocate to Australia

Two missionaries from the Asia One Team, currently based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, have been asked to consider relocating to begin outreach based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Schlomer shares, “People in Australia have asked us for help. WELS members who have moved to Australia, brothers and sisters who have had to move from Hong Kong, and long-time partners in churches in the Brisbane area, have reached out. It is a joy to be able to meet these needs with WELS missionaries.” Both missionaries would remain on the Asia One Team as they continue their work with contacts throughout Asia.

Calls issued for Muslim outreach in Senegal

Two calls have been issued to explore new outreach in the West African country of Senegal. The goal would be for new missionaries to spend up to six months living with a Muslim family from the Wolof tribe, immersing themselves in the culture and language of the people they are trying to reach with the gospel. Once they have a better understanding of the culture and Muslim influence, they would develop more specific plans for outreach. The Board for World Missions is committed to supporting this new mission field for a minimum of two years in order to give the missionaries ample time to work within the culture. Learn more about this opportunity at wels.net/mission-work-approved-in-senegal.

New Native American outreach in Four Corners region

The Board for World Missions has approved a new missionary position to coordinate outreach to the Native American tribes in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. This new missionary would be tasked with developing a new model for Native American outreach, working closely with native Apache members who want to reach out to friends and family members from other tribes with the pure gospel message. He will work closely with Missionary John Holtz, who leads the discipleship arm of the Native Christians Network and is training Apache WELS members for service and outreach through the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) program. This missionary also will coordinate with Christ the Rock, Farmington, N.M., to develop existing outreach to Native Americans in the area and work to expand digital outreach efforts.

“These new fields will allow us to bring the gospel to places where the announcement of pure grace is scarce or even nonexistent,” says Schlomer. “May God use these missionaries to bring joy in sadness and hope where darkness has hidden God’s face.”

Learn more about additional world mission fields that are being explored at wels.net/newworldmissionfields.

Eagerly awaiting the Women’s Workshop

2024/01/04/in Missions, WELS Blogs, WM News

Early on a November morning in South Asia, four women arriving from Thailand carefully stepped along a narrow path between rice paddies to a remote church where over a hundred women had gathered for a workshop. As we neared the church, we could hear the drum beats and songs of praise to our Savior welcoming us in.

We had been preparing for this workshop for about three months. “We” are three WELS missionary wives including Christine Doebler, Linda Marquardt, Mary Witte, and one Friends Network evangelist, Lydia Schultz, all stationed in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Eager to serve our Savior and these women in South Asia, we thoughtfully planned three days of Bible study, crafts and activities centered around the story of Jesus’ birth. We all had varying degrees of experience in cultures different from our own, but none of us had been to this country. So we began the workshop a little unsure of how our plans would be received, but confident that our love for Jesus would shine through.

Having already served on mission fields, we recognized the need for flexibility and teamwork in situations like this. Our carefully planned schedule quickly became a loose guide of things we wanted to do each day. Opening devotions became late morning devotions since the pastors leading these traveled to the church by slow tuk-tuk. There were more women than materials that we had brought, but we had activities where all could participate. Teaching through a translator took some practice and patience. We identified some English speakers who could help bridge the gap of language. Some of us were struggling with sudden family distresses back home. But this only spurred us on in love for the women in front of us.

The women were entranced with the Bible teaching, crafts, and activities. They cut out hearts and hands to represent our love for Jesus and our eagerness to serve him and then strung them up on the walls. The women diligently placed all the pieces of a nativity scene with Velcro fasteners for each day in December before Christmas. After we modeled a pageant of the nativity story, the women giggled and posed as they performed the drama in the roles of Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, magi, soldiers and King Herod. By the end of the workshop, the women could easily tell the story of Jesus’ birth to each other using a booklet of pictures. We shared Bible songs in English that we knew and they shared even more beautiful Bible songs in their language for us. We worshiped together, sang together, prayed together, and laughed together. And…there may have been some dancing.

As the days went by, we were amazed by the eagerness of the women to participate, their hunger to learn, and their love and compassion for each other. They spent their days and nights of the workshop in and around the church building, eating and sleeping together, spending time talking, praying together, and caring for each other, especially for the elderly and children. Some of the women had traveled more than six hours by bus from their remote villages to the workshop. This time together with other Christian women was precious to them.

Some women and local pastors shared their testimonies and struggles in coming to Christ and as Christians. We were humbled to hear of the trials they had been through just to be there and confess their Christian faith. The difficulties we faced to get to the workshop – leaving our comfortable homes in Thailand where we can easily share our faith, the long travel of three different flights, cold showers, mosquito nets over our beds, riding over bumpy roads and hiking through the rice paddies – seemed so very small compared to their daily challenges of being a Christian.

We are thankful for this opportunity to share our faith and love of Jesus with these women in South Asia. We look forward to meeting, sharing, laughing, praising God, and maybe dancing with them again someday either in their country or in our heavenly home.

Written by a WELS world missionary wife in Asia.

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Isolation and gathering together

2023/12/07/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

If there were 100 Thai people in a room, how many would be a Christian?

One.

Let that sink in for a minute.

How would it feel to be the only Christian in a room with 99 unbelievers?

Let’s change the question.

If there were 100 Thai Christians in the room, how many would be Lutheran?

One.

Let that sink in for a minute.

How would it feel to be the only Lutheran in a room with 99 other Christians?

If you answered “isolated,” you would be correct. Often, Lutherans end up feeling especially isolated in their communities. On one hand, they are different from the 99% of unbelievers around them. On the other hand, in the small Christian group, they are different from the 99% of other Christians. They don’t preach in a non-Lutheran worship service. They don’t commune with Christians in other churches. Due to fellowship problems, they will not participate with other Christians in evangelism or church activities. They are isolated.

Yet, they aren’t. Lutheran members gather regularly for church and fellowship. The pastors meet twice a year for conferences. During the conferences, they grow together, encourage each other, update each other, and preach the gospel to each other. They remind each other that they are not alone in their struggles.

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds his readers to think about each other. He reminds them to stir each other up to love and do good works. Meetings face to face give Christians the time and place to spur each other on as well as encourage each other.

The leaders in Thailand take these reminders to heart. They encourage each other. They encourage each other with God’s promises: God no longer remembers their sins (Hebrews 10:17-18), God’s Word is powerful and active (4:12), and God is with them (13:5). They especially remind each other that God is with them in their lives and ministry, always (Matthew 28:20) even if they feel isolated. God is with them, even when they are the only Lutheran in a room with 100 other people.

Please keep the Lutherans in Thailand in your prayers, especially their leaders. Pray that they continue to encourage each other with God’s promises. Pray that they continue to stir each other into acts of love. Pray that they continue to gather—and all the more as they see the day of Jesus’s return approaching.

Written by WELS World Missionary to Thailand..

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Small beginnings lead to great endings in Vietnam

2023/12/05/in Asia-Oceania, Missions, Together, World Missions

“In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace” (Colossians 1:6).

Colossians 1:6 served as the theme of our synod’s Grace-Hmong Outreach in Vietnam initiative that began December 2018. God’s grace and the gospel message has continued to work in the hearts of the Hmong people in Vietnam, and we are witnessing firsthand how the “gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world.” We celebrated with the Hmong Fellowship Church (HFC) in July 2023 as a group of 55 students graduated and became the first fully trained pastors in their church. We also praised God for the dedication of the new theological education center in Hanoi. God’s blessings on this effort are clearly evident.

And those blessings have not stopped. The small mustard seeds of the gospel continue to grow in ways we never could have imagined. Since 2018, the HFC has grown from 55,000 to more than 145,000 members. The second group of 60 students began their pastoral studies in 2022, and the third group of 60 pastoral students started in July of this year. Men like Num and Zag are learning how to differentiate between law and gospel and are sharing that freedom that comes from the gospel with those in their communities. It is the prayer that the Hmong Fellowship Church will enter into full fellowship with WELS in the relatively near future.

In addition to the seminary training being provided, a new rural training program developed by WELS missionaries Bounkeo Lor and Joel Nitz is training 700 rural church leaders in the basic truths of the Bible, with 700 more church leaders targeted for future training. Twelve of the new HFC graduates were commissioned to serve as instructors in the program, including Rev. Chong Chee Yang, who shared his experience in the December edition of Forward in Christ magazine.

God has opened an opportunity for WELS to support gospel outreach to more than two million Hmong who reside throughout Southeast Asia. We thank God for giving the members of the Hmong Fellowship Church a love for his Word and an eagerness to spread the gospel. We pray that a similar spirit spread across the world so that the Lord’s kingdom continues to grow according to his will!

Learn more at wels.net/vietnamhmongoutreach.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Faces of Faith – Zag

2023/11/30/in Asia-Oceania, Faces of Faith, World Missions

“John 3:16 says that God loves me, but I did not see or understand it until I started my training. . . Now it is the most precious and special verse to me. God has revealed to me, ‘my love is here’.”

Meet Zag Yaj, a church leader in the Hmong Fellowship Church in Vietnam who is in the second group of 60 students studying to be a pastor. Hear how this training has been “the most rewarding experience in his life” in this special Faces of Faith video.

Learn more about theological training and mission work with the Hmong in Vietnam at wels.net/vietnamhmongoutreach.

Faces of Faith – Num

2023/11/30/in Asia-Oceania, Faces of Faith, World Missions

“Before, I worked hard to earn grace, but I now know grace is free. God sent his son to die for us.”

Meet Num Ntxawg Yaj, a Hmong regional church leader in Vietnam who’s benefiting from WELS’ rural training program. He also began his pastoral studies in July 2023 as a member of the third cohort of students. Hear how this training has revealed the truth that sets him free in this special Faces of Faith video.

Learn more about theological training and mission work with the Hmong in Vietnam at wels.net/vietnam.

Taking the gospel to the people

2023/10/26/in Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

How much time do you spend on the internet every day? Do you know? Is it more than you read your Bible? More than you pray? More than you exercise?

If you’re like me, then the answer to all of these questions is yes. This isn’t meant to be a guilt trip though, but rather to draw our eyes to an opportunity! Yes. God has given us an opportunity in the internet. We could become discouraged by the fact (as I do sometimes) that the internet is stealing our attention from the most important things in life and we should all just set down our phones and computers and enjoy each other’s company. But. . . that’s not the world we live in. We live in a modern age in which technology has improved our lives immensely. And now, as always, we will go to where the people are whether that’s by a river, in a village, on the “other side of town,” or on the internet.

In some parts of the world, like North America, COVID hasn’t been a big deal for a while, but in other parts of the world, mask mandates and PCR tests hung on for a long time. We in Asia felt the full brunt of that. COVID is basically over here now too, but it’s just been in the last six months or so that all restrictions have been lifted. That means that for the past three-plus years pretty much everyone has been doing almost everything on the internet: buying clothes, groceries, watching movies, finding partners, etc.

What does this have to do with the gospel?! Well, #theinternet. That’s how people do everything so that’s where the gospel must go as well. And we must go there and be present there with all our might, in the best way we possibly can.

And so, that’s what we’re doing. Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) and Multi-Language Productions (MLP) have partnered up to reach all in Asia with God’s grace.

MLP has produced an online training platform called TELL Network. TELL Mandarin is a translated version of the TELL Network high-quality self-study courses called TELL which includes videos and quizzes. TELL Mandarin helps people read and understand God’s Word on their own and then teaches them how to lead others to do the same. MLP has translated and contextualized TELL for a Mandarin speaking audience, so that Mandarin speakers in East Asia and all over the world can learn of God’s love for me. After completing TELL Mandarin, ALS guides these students through its degree programs so that, in the end, they can become church leaders and shepherds for God’s people.

TELL Mandarin has enrolled thousands of students in Asia and the number of those who enroll is growing every day. We thank God for all those precious souls he brings to us through these digital means. We are blessed to be able to have such a far reach with such an incredible tool as TELL Mandarin to educate and bless people all throughout Asia!

Written by Tony Barthels, world missionary for the Asia One Team and recruiter for Asia Lutheran Seminary.

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