Tag Archive for: Asia-Oceania

TELL: Connecting East Asia to the Philippines
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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.

Peterā€™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: ā€œI 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.ā€

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

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ā€œI know the plans I have for you.ā€ Jeremiah 29:11. These words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah are a familiar theme at many Christian graduation ceremonies. Written originally to Godā€™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 Godā€™s promises to be with them, the faculty and staff of Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), the seminary of our sister churchĀ 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 ā€œtent-makingā€ ministries.

After much work, and by Godā€™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.

STTLā€™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 STTLā€™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. ā€œI know the plans I have for you,ā€ 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.Ā 

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Faces of Faith ā€“ Chong

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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 churchā€™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, ā€œThey can only kill my body but not my soul. I am ready at any time to serve my Lord and his people.ā€ 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 ā€“ Li

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Pastor Liā€™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 Godā€™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 ā€“ Joe

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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, Christā€™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 Godā€™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 growsā€”from Hong Kong to New Zealand

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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 synodā€™s headquarters in Waukesha, Wis. They had attended the Lutheran Womenā€™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

 

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Obituary – Steven Lance Witte

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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. Paulā€™s Lutheran Church and grade school. He graduated from L.C. Mohr High School in South Haven in 1976, then followed the Lordā€™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 missionā€”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.

 

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Building trust in the heart of Japan

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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 townā€”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: ā€œWe 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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Missionaries called to explore new world mission fields

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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. ā€œSpreading Godā€™s Word in any and every place is our high calling,ā€ says Rev. Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. ā€œWe ask the Lord of the harvest to use us to bring many into his kingdom through our work.ā€

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, ā€œPeople 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.ā€ 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.

ā€œThese new fields will allow us to bring the gospel to places where the announcement of pure grace is scarce or even nonexistent,ā€ says Schlomer. ā€œMay God use these missionaries to bring joy in sadness and hope where darkness has hidden Godā€™s face.ā€

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

 

 

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Small beginnings lead to great endings in Vietnam

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ā€œIn the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole worldā€”just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood Godā€™s grace” (Colossians 1:6).

Colossians 1:6 served as the theme of our synodā€™s Grace-Hmong Outreach in Vietnam initiative that began December 2018. Godā€™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 ā€œgospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world.ā€ 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. Godā€™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

 

 

 

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Faces of Faith – Zag

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“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

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“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.

Prayers answered in Vietnam

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Last Sat., July 15, and Sun., July 16, two events in Hanoi, Vietnam, were striking examples of how God answers the fervent prayers of his people.

On Saturday, WELS representatives as well as representatives of the Hmong Fellowship Church gathered to dedicate a new building that will house the theological education of pastors of the Hmong Fellowship Church. Until now, more than 50 Hmong pastors received theological training either online or in temporary locations. But now, after six years of planning, the building is complete and ready to be the permanent site for the training of the next group of pastorsā€”60 now and another 60 next year. The new building has space for instruction and worship as well as residential facilities for the students.

On Sunday, we celebrated the graduation of 55 Hmong pastors from the theological training program. This seminary-level education has been carried out for more than six years, with the result that these men have now been thoroughly trained as Lutheran pastors who will help to shepherd congregations in a church body consisting of more than 140,000 members in more than 350 congregations. A dozen of these pastors were also commissioned to return to their home villages to instruct other Hmong pastors in biblical, Lutheran doctrine.

We are grateful to the government of Vietnam for granting WELS permission to carry out this training and to erect a building in which to do it. We are thankful to the Hmong Fellowship Church for inviting us to train its pastors. We thank the members of our synod for their generous gifts of love and faith to make this possible. Above all, we are thankful to our gracious God for giving us this amazing opportunity to share the gospel in Vietnam.

Learn more about the ministry going on in Vietnam.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

Vietnam - Hmong Outreach

 

 

 

Together Video Update – June 13, 2023

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Hear from Rev. Justin Steinke, who graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in May and received his first ministry assignment to the Philippines. He discusses the importance of reaching those thirsty for the gospel around the world and the U.S.

 

Watch more videos

 

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Rural training program in Vietnam

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Jesus taught, ā€œThe student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacherā€ (Luke 6:40). WELS’ ministry to the Hmong in Vietnam trains leaders to train other leaders. Efforts have focused on small groups of leaders, one group of 55 students and a second group of 60 students. The Hmong Fellowship Church has almost 1,400 leaders serving their 145,000 members. How does WELS training reach other leaders and the church members?

When COVID-19 restrictions stopped training in 2020, the Vietnam ministry groupā€”led by full-time professors Bounkeo Lor and Joel Nitzā€”decided to add new training. They shifted to online Zoom training and started a new program to reach more of the leaders and more of the members in the rural congregations of the Hmong Fellowship Church.Ā Most congregations are in rural areas of northern Vietnam, where leaders and members operate small subsistence farms. Many of these leaders and the members have not enjoyed much formal Bible study or training.

The new rural training program consists of 30 courses for training over a three-year period. They began the program in the fall of 2020. Salvation History 1 and 2 covers the Old Testament. Salvation History 3 is based on the Gospel of Mark, and Salvation History 4 was added to cover the Book of Acts.

Professors Lor and Nitz taught the courses to 57 church leaders, who then taught the course to 700 other leaders, who then shared the course with all congregations of the Hmong Fellowship Church. The teachers and students have enjoyed the teaching so much that they continued the program by using other courses taught to them in previous training.

Leaders and students shared the blessings they have received through this training:

  1. The training for the 700 leaders helps them understand the law and gospel, and have comfort and confidence in their salvation.
  2. Members understand more about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are more confident in the Sacraments for the forgiveness of sins.
  3. The leaders can distinguish between the true and false teachings of other people.
  4. The program helps church leaders love the Word of God more, hold on to the true teaching of God, know Christ as the center for their teachings, and have less legalism in most churches.

Hmong Fellowship Church members thank WELS for training their church leaders in the rural areas. Now they understand more about the word of God. Praise God for the tremendous blessings of teaching Godā€™s Word to the Hmong in Vietnam!

 

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Moving forward in Vietnam

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In 2011, leadership from the Hmong Fellowship Church (HFC), a church body in Vietnam numbering more than 140,000 members, invited Rev. Bounkeo Lor, a WELS pastor in Kansas City, to train their church leaders in the truth of the Scriptures. They desired not only to be trained in the Scriptures but also to know thoroughly Lutheran doctrine and practice. Regular theological training of dozens of HFC pastors began. In 2018, WELS was invited by the Vietnamese government and the HFC to build a theological education center near the capital city of Hanoi, an unexpected and unprecedented mission opportunity for our synod. While the COVID pandemic and other hurdles delayed initial plans, weā€™re thankful that God has now made it possible for us to move forward. Just as God wisely and graciously guided the apostle Paul to carry out his mission efforts when and where God chose, so he has changed our plansā€”all for the good of his church.

The new Theological Education Center was completed and passed inspection at the end of January 2023. WELS took full ownership of the building at that time. The new center includes a chapel, classrooms, and dormitory/cafeteria space for up to 60 visiting students at a time. A formal building dedication and graduation ceremony for the first class of 57 pastors who have completed their seminary training is scheduled for July 2023.

The theological education of Hmong pastors in Vietnam, led by full-time professors Rev. Bounkeo Lor and Rev. Joel Nitz, trains those pastors to train other spiritual leaders. When COVID began, instruction shifted to online Zoom training, and a new three-year rural training program was started in order to reach more leaders and members in the rural congregations of the HFC. Until now efforts have focused on the first group of 57 students, who have completed their instruction in biblical and Lutheran doctrine. Now a second group of 60 students have begun their training. These men are taking what they learn and sharing it with nearly 1,500 local spiritual leaders of the HFC. The new education center will be a great blessing to the hundreds of rural HFC congregations as Lor and Nitz continue to equip their leaders to bring them the truth of Godā€™s Word.

Future plans are for Lor and Nitz, who so far have been making intermittent trips to Vietnam or using Zoom for training, to relocate to Hanoi to oversee the theological education program. Residency visas for Lor and Nitz and HFC government registration are still pending, but it is our prayer that paperwork will be finalized by the July trip.

Stay up to date on progress and learn more at wels.net/vietnamhmongoutreach.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

 

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Growth and partnership in Indonesia

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In July 2022, WELS Friendly Counselor Rev. Gregory Bey made his first visit to Indonesia since the pandemic began. Bey attended the convention of WELSā€™ sister synod in Indonesia, Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI). GLI currently has about 1,650 members in 29 congregations served by 30 pastors and 5 vicars.

The GLI convention was held on the new seminary campus on the island of Java. Construction of this seminary, called Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), was completed in 2021. Seminary classes are taught by Indonesian pastors with support from Bey. The seminary currently has 27 students, many of whom are graduates of a Lutheran high school that was established in July 2018.

ā€œWalking through the new campus evoked emotions of exhilaration and excitement coupled with thankfulness to God for this beautiful blessing,ā€ says Bey. ā€œBut it was interacting with the students, staff, and faculty that brought to mind these words of St. Paul: ā€˜Entrust the things you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, to faithful men who will also be able to teach othersā€™ ā€ (2 Timothy 2:2 Evangelical Heritage Version).

Bey concludes: ā€œGod-willing, STTL will produce a steady stream of qualified national pastors for many years to come.ā€

GLI continues to grow in number and maturity. In 2015, a plan was set in motion to transition a significant amount of financial support from WELS to GLI. Pastor salaries for men in established congregations will, prayerfully, be fully supported by local members by 2025. In some cases, GLI pastors may need to serve as ā€œtent ministersā€ who support themselves with secular jobs. WELS would continue to provide funding for seminary professors and possibly the synod chairman. Savings could then be used to support building projects for existing churches as well as exploratory work in new regions. This is a huge step toward self-sufficiency and independence as a stand-alone church body.

WELSā€™ Asia One Team is in the process of calling for a full-time friendly counselor to support and advise the work in Indonesia. Bey has been filling the role on a quarter-time basis since he retired from full-time work in 2019.

 

 

 

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Missionaries receive support and direction during orientation

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Six new world missionaries, one world mission vicar, and their spouses attended world missionary orientation at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry in Waukesha, Wis., from July 11-14. Attendees included

  • Rev. Keegan and Mrs. Kate Dowling, One Africa Team;
  • Rev. Ben and Mrs. Becky Foxen, One Africa Team;
  • Rev. Conifer Berg and Mrs. Ruth Nitz, Europe Team;
  • Rev. Luis and Mrs. Carolina Acosta, One Latin America Team;
  • Teacher Luke and Mrs. Rachel Beilke, One Latin America Team;
  • Vicar Caleb and Mrs. Emily Koelpin, One Latin America Team; and
  • Rev. Jonathan and Mrs. Kim Bare, Asia One Team.

Rev. Paul Nitz, WELS World Missionsā€™ One Team counselor and former missionary in Africa, organized the training. He notes, ā€œOur missionaries are very excited to get out into the world and help get that sweet message of Jesus and salvation into the hands and hearts of the lost. They would be a bit odd if they werenā€™t also going out with a bit of worry.Ā They will confront challenges. We can all imagine the physical challenges.Ā We think of things like driving on the ā€˜wrongā€™ side of the road, learning how to shop and cook, and putting kids into a school.Ā There are also cultural challenges they will face.Ā As we are sending out our new missionaries, we want to help them with some encouragement and some perspective.ā€

ā€œThe orientation was immeasurably valuable,ā€ says Mrs. Kate Dowling. ā€œBefore that week, I was drifting in a rough sea. During the orientation I learned that there is an entire well-organized team behind all the missionaries. The Board for World Missions administration is made up of experienced missionaries and an operations director who know the concerns we have and who know what to say to calm our fears. The most valuable part of everything was making connections with other people and feeling supported as we go across the ocean to a new place with a new culture. And all of this to serve the Lordā€”what a privilege.ā€

ā€œTo be welcomed and accepted by experienced missionaries like this was a very uplifting experience for all of us new to this calling,ā€ says Rev. Keegan Dowling. ā€œPriorities for what we should do when we first land on the field were clearly laid out. So were the core values of the WELS World Missions global team as well as our team’s goals and dreams of what weā€™d like to accomplish over the next few yearsā€”laying it all at the feet of our Father in heaven. For all these reasons, I came away from orientation feeling that we new missionary families were given clear and concrete direction.ā€

ā€œOur prayer,ā€ explains Rev. Larry Schlomer, administrator of WELS World Missions, ā€œis that the Lord uses these few days as a way to help ensure our missionaries are not shipwrecked by difficulties that are common experiences for all missionaries. We want these families to be able to serve for many years in this most important task, to take the gospel to places and people that do not have it yet.ā€

For more information, including biographies about each family, visit wels.net/missions.

 

 

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Recently announced changes in East Asia mission field

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Recently the Board for World Missions decided to pull our East Asia Team missionaries and families out of their focus country because of security concerns. The government of their focus country is now regularly detaining, interrogating, and deporting any Westerner or group suspected of religious activity. Many mission organizations, large and small, have already pulled their operations out of the country over the past few years.

The East Asia missionaries and their families are being relocated to a nearby country from which they hope to continue their work in the focus country through online teaching, through distance mentoring and coaching, and through regular monthly visits back into the focus country. Over the next few months, the team will be working hard to acquire new visas and adjust to the new reality in the relocation country.

The Board for World Missions and the East Asia Administrative Committee have been monitoring this situation for the last few years and had been preparing for this contingency for months. As a result, the team is not in a state of panic, and everyone is safely out of harmā€™s way. Most important, the team is humbly confident that the Lord works even through these difficult times to advance his kingdomā€™s work.

The leadership also continues to closely monitor the political situation in Hong Kong where Asia Lutheran Seminary is located.

Please keep this situation in your prayers. Pray that our heavenly Father would protect the brothers and sisters of the focus country and give them courage to continue to stand upon the gospel and share it.Ā Pray that our missionaries and families would be encouraged in this time of upheaval. Pray that the Lord would continue to keep the professors, staff, and families of Asia Lutheran Seminary safe.

Serving in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

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Recommendations for church fellowship

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One of the highlights of this summerā€™s 65th Biennial Synod Convention will be the formal declaration and recognition of fellowship with two confessional Lutheran church bodies. The 2019 synod convention will be held July 29 ā€“ Aug. 1, 2019, at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.

The Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ ā€“ Kenya (LCMC ā€“ Kenya) was formed when the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya began to tolerate false teachings. A group of Kenyan pastors broke away and began searching for a confessional Lutheran church body. In 2015, Rev. Mark Onunda of the LCMC ā€“ Kenya met at length with the Doctrinal Committee of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa ā€“ Zambia Synod (LCCA ā€“ Zambia), a former WELS mission and now our sister synod. The LCCA ā€“ Zambia synod declared formal fellowship with the LCMC ā€“ Kenya last September. The WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations will be recommending to the synod convention that WELS also formally declare fellowship with the LCMC ā€“ Kenya.

The Christian Lutheran Evangelical Church in Taiwan began as a WELS mission and is now an independent Lutheran Church body that has always been in fellowship with WELS. Because this church is now independent, the Commission on Inter-Church Relations is recommending that the synod in convention formally recognize our fellowship with the Christian Lutheran Evangelical Church in Taiwan.

Representatives from each church body will address the convention and make presentations that will familiarize the delegates with these church bodies that will be recognized formally as a part of our fellowship.

We thank God for continuing to enlarge our fellowship with Lutheran Christians around the world.

Serving in Christ,
President Mark Schroeder

Learn more about the 2019 synod convention.

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