Christ-centered resources from Academia Cristo (Christ Academy) are reaching Spanish speakers around the world. Academiacristo.com offers free Spanish video and audio resources. Visitors can ask questions and chat online with national pastors and missionaries. In 2016. Academia Cristo Facebook videos were viewed 8.6 million times.
In 2016, the Lutheran Church of Cameroon took a big step toward becoming an independent church body by calling its first full-time Cameroonian teacher and dean of students for its worker-training program. Mesue Israel (pictured) has served as a pastor since 1999. He is responsible for teaching several worker-training courses as well as enforcing rules for campus life. The first group of students for the worker-training program began their studies in the fall of 2016. They will attend Bible institute courses for two years and then complete three years of seminary studies before being eligible for a pastoral call. Currently 10 national pastors serve 32 congregations in Cameroon.
WELS began its mission efforts in Nigeria in 1936. Currently 26 Nigerian pastors and more than 50 lay leaders serve about 5,300 baptized members in the two Nigerian sister synods. WELS supports one non-resident missionary to mentor Nigerian church leaders with the goal of helping the Nigerian church bodies become led solely by nationals.
On Sept. 11, 2016, Living Savior, Blair, Neb., held its launch service. One adult confirmand was welcomed into membership at the service. The congregation has rented space in a pair of office suites located in downtown Blair. This is where the congregation holds its worship services and Bible studies.
When Rev. Stephen Apt arrived to open a new home mission in Liberty Hill, Tex., in July 2015, he noticed that the community was growing so rapidly that it was beginning to lose its small-town feel. He saw this as an opportunity for his new congregation, Peace, to coordinate community events for families so that as Liberty Hill grows, Peace is considered a backbone of the community.
Since then, Peace has launched many family-friendly events, including a Mornings with Mommy program, Trunk or Treat, Family Bible Night, and Christmas and Easter for Kids.
In July 2016, Peace hosted its largest community event yet—an elaborate Independence Day celebration that included a live band, different booths, food trucks, and a professional fireworks show. A mission team from St. Andrew, Middleton, Wis. (pictured) helped the mission congregation run this event, which attracted more than 1,200 community members.
Before the fireworks show, Apt led a prayer for the country that included thanking God for our freedom but most importantly thanking him for our Savior who freed us from our sins.
In March 2009, 13 people met with Rev. Geoff Cortright to worship and consider starting a WELS congregation in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They chose the name Saviour of the Nations, because they wanted people of every culture, tribe, race, and language to know they have something that unites them above all else—or rather, someone: Jesus. Saviour of the Nations has been building cultural bridges and helping others find peace and forgiveness in Jesus ever since.
In fall 2014, the congregation was granted funding from Home Missions to start full-time ministry. One important component of the mission’s ministry is its free English-as-a-second-language classes and Bible studies. The congregation has a large Asian immigrant population, and Qiang Wang, a Mandarin-Chinese-speaking member, was installed as a part-time lay evangelist in 2016. He is studying with Cortright with the intent of preparing for the ministry through the Pastoral Studies Institute at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.
To learn more, visit wels.net/missions and view the Moments with Missionaries: Vancouver, Canada.