Tag Archive for: Tanzania

An open door to the gospel

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Dear Friend,

When I first heard that WELS had been invited to communist Vietnam to train church leaders in the truth of the gospel, I was surprised. Yet, God had opened the door, and WELS members responded with generosity and faith. God continues to surprise us all around the world.

There are over two million Hmong people in Southeast Asia, but it was the opportunity in Vietnam, and our work with the Hmong Fellowship Church (HFC), that provided us with a direct path to share the good news about Jesus. In 2011 WELS missionary Rev. Bounkeo Lor began by training 55 HFC leaders, preparing them to return and serve rural congregations. In July 2023, these 55 men graduated as fully trained pastors. Their graduation photo, taken with President Schroeder under the communist hammer and sickle, serves as a powerful reminder of how God’s gospel can work in ways we can hardly imagine.

Now 120 more men have begun their pastoral studies, a theological training center was built and dedicated in Hanoi, there are 1,400 rural church leaders ready to be trained in the truths of God’s Word, and 700 of them have begun training. This group has the potential to become an army of evangelists, spreading the gospel not only to their 400 congregations but also to Hmong communities throughout Vietnam and neighboring countries. The door remains open, and God continues to surprise us.

The door is open. The manpower is ready. The gospel is powerful. God is providing us with opportunities all around the globe. New work in Australia, London, New Zealand, Tanzania, and the Congo has been launched over the last two years. Dozens of house churches have been opened in Latin America and Africa. We ask for your prayers and offerings to keep these gospel doors open.

Your gift to this work is vital for WELS to continue carrying the gospel through the open door in Vietnam and around the world. Contributions to WELS World Missions help open and support these missions. Your gift can enable this gospel-driven growth to multiply because we expect God to continue surprising us.

Since we began working with the Hmong Fellowship Church, it has grown from 55,000 to 146,000 members. What will God use us to do next? Christians who have heard the gospel for the first time are moved by our Lord to reach out to others who still need to hear it. The leaders we train and equip are reaching hearts, and the Holy Spirit is granting a harvest.

This work could not have been accomplished without the prayers and gifts of God’s people. We thank our Father in heaven for the generous support given to WELS World Missions. If you are looking for a way to extend the reach of the gospel, now is the time. We have extraordinary opportunities to train hundreds more church leaders, who will, in turn, share the Word with their communities. Please consider giving to WELS World Missions.

In Christ,
Rev. Jonathan Schroeder
Chairman, Board for World Missions

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have richly blessed our synod by allowing us to reach and serve so many souls worldwide—even entire church bodies—and by continuing to open doors to further gospel proclamation. Our world missions efforts are now on every inhabited continent and impacting people in nearly 100 countries. Help us to thank you for our many blessings and to use them to support the gospel ministry of our brothers and sisters across the world. According to your gracious will, multiply our work so that those we train will touch the lives of others with your saving message and, in the next ten years, our fellowship outside of North America can reach one million people. Amen.

The gospel is powerful!

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Dear Friend of Missions,

When WELS was first invited to communist Vietnam to share the good news of salvation through Jesus, it was a surprise. Yet, God opened that door, and WELS members responded with generosity and faith to support that opportunity.

Since we began working with the Hmong Fellowship Church, it has grown from 55,000 members to 145,000. What will God use us to do next? Christians who have heard the gospel for the first time are moved by our Lord to reach out to others who still need to hear it. The leaders we train and equip are reaching hearts, and the Holy Spirit is granting a harvest.

And God continues to surprise us all around the world.

Watch your mailbox for even more information about how God is blessing ministry happening all over the world through WELS World Missions. The door is open. The manpower is ready. The gospel is powerful. God has provided WELS with opportunities in Australia, London, New Zealand, Tanzania, and the Congo over the last two years. Dozens of house churches have opened in Latin America and Africa. We boldly ask God’s people to help keep these gospel doors open.

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8).

Your prayers and offerings to WELS World Missions will support new and existing ministries around the world and will enable this gospel-driven growth to multiply. If you are looking for a way to extend the reach of the gospel, now is the time! Consider giving to WELS World Missions today. We pray that God would continue to surprise us!

Serving together,
Rev. Jonathan Schroeder
Chairman, Board for World Missions

P.S. Watch this video to see how God opens doors to the gospel all over the world.

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A warm welcome in Tanzania

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Originally appears in the One Africa Team blog. Subscribe to future updates from Africa at oneafricateam.com.

Missionary John Roebke and I received a warm welcome to Tanzania last month, as part of One Africa Team’s Four-Stage Outreach process. We came to Tanzania to continue discussions with a local Lutheran church body, the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC). We wanted to discuss if our church bodies share the same Scriptural beliefs and practices. We hope that one day we will be able to work together united in faith.

AMEC’s leader, Bishop Baltazar Kaaya, met us at the airport late at night and showed us to our lodgings. The next day he gave us a tour of a couple congregations up in the foothills of Mt. Meru. As we drove, he explained how the lack of rain had been starting to affect their crops. “We’re praying for rain so that our people will have food to eat,” he said. Eventually, though, the dry areas began to give way to more green. Bishop Kaaya explained, “As we get higher on the mountain, we find areas that receive more rain.” It was quite a contrast.

Later in the day, we had the opportunity to witness an interesting piece of culture. The elders of a village were recognizing a man as the new leader of his family. This was a celebration somewhat reminiscent of a new pastor’s ordination or installation. All the other family heads gathered to speak their blessing upon this man in the presence of the entire clan. Many people were gathered. Though we felt a little out of place at this event, we were treated as honored guests. We were even asked to speak blessings of our own, as if we were part of the clan.

Throughout the week, the Tanzanian people continued to show us their warm welcome and hospitality. The church members gave us places of honor at their worship services. They made us feel at home with them, and that feeling increased. As the week progressed, we saw a familiarity in how the people approached the Word of God. In our daily workshop sessions, we explored that Word together. We used Luther’s Small Catechism as a guide to see whether we were on the same page. Ultimately, we found a group of people committed to the truth and zealous to put it into practice.

AMEC is made up of a group of almost 100 Lutheran congregations in northern Tanzania. Most of the congregations are concentrated near Mt. Meru, with a few more around Mt. Kilimanjaro to the east. These congregations are reaching out to other areas as well. AMEC’s newest effort is the coastal business center in Dar es Salaam. Islam is the dominant religion in this area, but the pastor there is working to bring the soothing peace of the gospel to the city’s people. It is living water for thirsty hearts!

At the end of our time together, the workshop participants surprised us with another warm gesture. They presented us with shukas, the traditional garment of the Masai people. Many of the people in this area of Tanzania belong to this ethnic group. It was a wonderful gift that expressed a deep truth: they wanted us to be part of their “tribe.” This is something that we want too! And what a blessing it was to see all the things on which our churches agree!

The weather isn’t the only thing keeping Tanzania warm; the faith of these people is a warm welcome in this cold world. It is a faith in the same God we serve and worship. We pray that our visits with the people of AMEC will continue to bear fruit of a common faith watered by God’s Word.

Written by Benjamin Foxen, a world missionary on the One Africa Team, serving in Zambia. 

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African outreach trips – Fall 2021

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During 2021, missionaries from the One Africa Team were able to make several trips to visit various church groups throughout Africa. Many of these trips were originally delayed due to COVID travel restrictions. Missionaries and other national church partners traveled to Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Here’s a recap of each visit:

Tanzania

The One Africa Team looks to partner with various churches in Africa to ensure unity in doctrine and practice, and to combine resources to continue reaching the lost.

The African Mission Evangelical Church (AMEC) formed in 1993 after they split with the main group of Tanzanian Lutherans. In April 2021, Missionary John Hartmann made a preliminary visit to Tanzania to meet with a dozen AMEC pastors to learn more about their history and introduce them to WELS doctrine and beliefs. In November, Missionary John Roebke and Missionary Hartmann returned with Kenyan national pastor Mark Anariko Onunda to continue potential fellowship discussion. It is the prayer of AMEC to partner with WELS to provide solid confessional Lutheran training for their pastors. The One Africa Team will return in 2022 to continue their discussions. We thank God for this opportunity for a potential ministry partnership in Tanzania! Read more about their visit in this article from the One Africa Team blog.

Kenya

Missionary Dan Witte and three LCMC – Kenya pastors

In 2019, the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) – Kenya joined in fellowship with WELS. Because of the pandemic, no One Africa Team members were able to visit. Finally, after months of video conferencing and e-mails, Missionaries Howard Mohlke and John Roebke were able to travel to Kenya in August 2021 and meet with the members and leadership of the LCMC – Kenya. On this trip, the two missionaries traveled to various LCMC – Kenya congregations to see some of the buildings WELS helped build and share messages and encouragement from the Bible.

The attendees listening to the Bible and watching the Jesus film

They held leaders’ workshops where they gave presentations on the Bible, principles of stewardship, and Church and Ministry. The attendees also received microSD cards with audio Bibles and a Jesus film in both English and Swahili; immediately the SD cards were put to use. Read more about their trip in this article from the One Africa Team blog.

Then, in October 2021, One Africa Team Missionary Dan Witte traveled to Kenya to teach a course on African Church History to three pastors of the LCMC – Kenya. He was also able to participate in the dedication of St. Peter’s Kindu Church in Eastern Kenya. Read Missionary Witte’s reflections from his trip.

Uganda

Missionaries John Holtz and Dan Kroll visited Obadiah Lutheran Synod in Uganda in early October 2021 . They were evaluating and preparing the last steps needed before recommending that Obadiah Lutheran Synod be brought into fellowship with WELS and visited some of their churches. Missionary Holtz was also able to meet with seven students who gathered online to study Luther’s Small Catechism during the pandemic. Read more about their trip from Missionary John Holtz.

Cameroon

One Africa Team missionaries Howard Mohlke, Dan Kroll, John Holtz, and Africa Business Manager Stefan Felgenhauer traveled to Cameroon in October to meet with a group of pastors and laymen of the Lutheran Church of Cameroon (LCC). After not meeting in-person for two years, this gathering was appreciated. The group discussed the partnership in the ministry that these groups share, the future of the Lutheran Church of Cameroon seminary, ministry training opportunities, and other ministry topics.

Ethiopia

In October 2021, One Africa Team missionaries Mark Panning, John Holtz, Howard Mohlke, and Africa Business Manager Stefan Felgenhauer traveled to Ethiopia to visit WELS’ sister church, the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia (LCE). God greatly blessed mission work in Ethiopia through a Lutheran elementary school. The original plan was for the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia (LCE) to start a nursery school in Bishoftu, but God had other plans. Read how God’s bigger plan ultimately brought more blessings than they could ever imagine in this One Africa Team blog article.

God is truly blessing mission work in Africa! Please keep the One Africa Team missionaries and the family of believers in Africa in your prayers. We thank God for all the blessings poured out on mission work in Africa, and we pray he continues to bless this work in the years to come.

 

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