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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you&ldots;" -- 1 Peter 1:3-4 With the words and melodies of our favorite Easter hymns still ringing in our hearts, we are gathered to consider the Lord's Great Commission to spread the Good News of His resurrection. We proclaim a salvation built upon a Savior who died for our sins and rose from the dead, never to die again. This message of a risen and reigning Lord and Savior is the unique message of abundant mercy of which we are called to be ambassadors. In a world full of everything made corruptible, defiled, and temporal by sin, we share a message of living and eternal hope. We are privileged in sharing a message of total and complete reliance on God the Father, who not only loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son, but also continues to keep His children in the faith by His almighty power. The world is full of messengers and messages. There have been many who have lived extraordinary lives and delivered stirring messages of earthly hope. All these men and movements have one thing in common with our Lord. They have all died. We proclaim a Savior who lived and died and rose from the dead. What a privilege to proclaim the message of living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Zion, Lawrenceville (Atlanta) GA: From Pastor Nathanael Mayhew: "Zion recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its formal organization as a congregation, but its beginnings go back much further. We thank the LORD for the blessing of His Word around which He continues to gather and feed His flock in the greater Atlanta area. Last September we conducted a seminar on the Bible and in October we hosted an outreach seminar sponsored by the Mission Board. We plan to prepare more seminars on important topics in the future, both for the edification of our own members, as well as people in our community. We also have put a lot of work into a new website for our congregation (www.zionlutheranlawrenceville.com) featuring a growing Bible study library of many topics. If you are ever in Atlanta for a weekend, please join us on Sunday morning!" Ascension, Batavia (Chicago), IL: "The state of Ascension, Batavia is good," writes Pastor David Baker. Now that they have occupied, the church which they built several years ago, they are on the verge of becoming self-supporting. "It is our hope and prayer that the CLC Board of Missions will be able to re-direct our subsidy reduction to other areas where the Gospel will be preached and souls saved." The congregation has raised funds to add a church steeple onto their church, with the goal of completing it before fall. They have received two new members so far this year, and expect a new adult instruction class to begin soon. Mount Zion, Detroit, MI: For many years there has been a small CLC presence in the Detroit area, always worshiping in homes or rented facilities. For the first time, there is now the prospect of this group beginning outreach work with the benefit of their own church building. Mt. Zion has placed a bid, which has been accepted, on an existing church in the Madison Heights suburb of Detroit, in the amount of $200,000. Financing has been approved through the CLC Church Extension Fund. An increase of subsidy of $500 per month is being planned by the Board of Missions, in order to make this purchase possible. The building is older, but in very good condition. It is in a pleasant residential neighborhood, and is centrally located for existing Mt. Zion members. After the purchase, the church basement will be renovated so as to serve as an apartment for Pastor and Mrs. Schaller. In this way, the church's monthly budget will not be dramatically increased, compared to their former situation of renting both parsonage and worship space. The members of Mt. Zion are eager, not only to finally have a place of their own for worship, but to have the opportunity to serve people in their new neighborhood with God's true Word. Grace, Live Oak, FL: Grace congregation has been busy with outreach activities. Pastor Karl Stewart writes: "Activities to be completed this year include a church website, a booth at the county fair, Easter placemats, the placement of two more church signs, a booth at the 'Christmas on the Square' festival, a float in the Christmas Parade, restarting the pericope lay reader program, quarterly women's Bible studies, Family Fun Days, Family Work Days, a devotional book by the pastor, and sending a welcome folder to the new people moving into the area. We will keep our ad in the local newspaper and continue with the Pastor's devotional articles." Grace has been able, for some months, to cover their own monthly expenses, with Pastor Stewart working in a secular position as well as doing his pastoral duties. Their intent for this year is to remain a CLC mission, but to keep their subsidy from the CLC at or near zero, as the Lord enables them. Gift of God, Mapleton (Fargo area), ND: From Pastor Matthew Gurath: "Gift of God Lutheran Church continues to be the only congregation in Mapleton, ND. It doesn't appear that this will change in the future either. This is both a privilege and a serious responsibility, given the fact that the majority of our community, as far as we can determine, is unchurched. We ask for your prayers that people will come to hear the Word and God and that the present members receive these people in Christian love." CLC North Port, FL: The congregation at North Port, FL is in distress due to Pastor Paul Larsen's health troubles. He is suffering from severe pain due to a pinched nerve in his back, and has been unable to conduct services since the beginning of Lent. Retired Pastor Keith Olmanson served the group during Holy Week, and the following Sunday. Through physical therapy Pastor Larsen hopes to return to the pulpit before long. He does not yet know whether his condition will require surgery. We pray for the Lord to bring him relief, and a return to mobility and strength. Berea, Sioux Falls, SD: Beginning in August, the congregation took on the large task of adding on to the parsonage portion of the church/parsonage. With the offerings, prayers, and hard work of the membership, the main part of the project was concluded just in time for the newest member of the Pastor's family to take up residence. As of this writing, all but a few minor details have been completed on the parsonage addition and renovation project. Most of the project has been paid for through member donations. A new project has since arisen, with the needed replacement of the heating system for both the church and parsonage. The congregation has received approval for a CEF loan to complete this, as well as the balance of the building project, which will be rolled into their current CEF note. Pastor Gurath writes: "The Lord is indeed in control of all things, His loving hand guiding us all the way. That has been evident in the year 2007 here at Berea, especially during the final five months of the year...Our great God has accomplished what we could not hope to do alone. As a result, the called servant of the Word has a place for his family to live while the work of spreading the Gospel continues in this quickly growing city in Southeast South Dakota." Ascension, Tacoma, WA: Pastor Paul Naumann reports the group at Ascension is busy with many outreach plans and activities, including newspaper ads, outdoor banners, fliers, Internet promotion, and direct mail advertising. The efforts are producing contacts. Ascension has made itself a proving ground for a variety of community evangelism efforts, as it is the birthplace of the "Tacoma Outreach Menu," an organized collection of outreach ideas which has been provided to all of our CLC subsidized congregations. Through a bequest, money has become available for expanding the parking lot. St. Paul, Vernon, BC: Pastor David Reim reports that St. Paul has had several good contacts lately, through visitors to its Sunday services, and that this has been a boost to the congregation. Pastor Reim writes: "One other very positive thing here. Our outreach committee is proceeding with new life and zeal. We are developing a logo to put on all our advertisements and correspondence. We are working on a web site for our congregation. We are also producing a congratulation card that will be sent out to all new parents with a note about baptism, offering to give more information for interested parents. We have several other ideas, like producing a series of sermons either on CD or DVD that could be given out to friends and acquaintances, perhaps even making some available in public places like we are currently doing with the past issues of the Spokesman." Shepherd of the Valley, Weslaco, TX: Pastor Roland Gurgel reports that Shepherd of the Valley is pursuing outreach through a promotional DVD, and through the TVBS program, which will be distributing church fliers this summer. He writes: "While our growth has not been according to our desires and prayers, we have grown this past year; our attendance has increased and we are doing some landscaping of the church grounds. We remain confident that the Lord will grant us growth according to His good pleasure." In view of pressing budgetary needs, the Mission Board is presenting a budget to Convention that includes a substantial cut in subsidy for Shepherd of the Valley. It is our hope that the congregation will be able to continue with the services of Pastor Gurgel in their midst, even with this reduced support. Traveling Vacation Bible School: Prof. Ross Roehl, TVBS Committee chairman, reports: "God willing, the TVBS program will once again be used to further His kingdom work this summer. Despite the financial upheaval resulting from last Convention's actions, we plan to move forward with a full program. Thanks go out to the congregations and individuals that stepped forward as volunteers to help the TVBS program. Without them, we could not be serving the hundreds of young people that we are able to serve." This summer, flier and teaching teams will serve in Weslaco and Spring, TX, Iron River, Cadillac, and Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA, Middleton, WI, and Detroit Lakes, MN. Gethsemane Lutheran of Saginaw will be staffing one trip on their own, as will Immanuel, Mankato. Financial support comes from various sources - congregations being served, congregations who sponsor a sister congregation, congregations who contribute funds, and individuals who supply crafts, materials, and other necessities. Messiah, Eau Claire provides printing services. $2500 comes from the Mission Board budget. There are currently 34 volunteers, including chaperones. The TVBS Committee donates many hours to organization, assembly of crafts and lessons, trip planning, and communication, among other things. Grace, Fairbanks, Alaska - This congregation, led by Pastor Jay Hartmann (who also has full-time secular employment) has again indicated its desire to become a subsidized CLC mission. The Mission Board has responded by citing budgetary constraints, which prevent us from offering this support. They will continue under their current arrangement, and keep us informed of their progress. Committee on Domestic Fields (CDF): This committee works under the Board of Missions to enhance our efforts for our home missions. Over the last two years, the CDF has worked on implementing a plan to promote Christian outreach with a seminar on personal evangelism. Each subsidized congregation has been visited by Mission Board representatives, with the exception of Mt. Zion, Detroit, which will host the program on the Sunday following this summer's Convention. Mr. Marlin Beekman of Eau Claire has been a part of most of these visits, presenting ideas for contacting Christians and non-Christians, in an everyday manner, to witness for the Gospel. This has been followed by a round-table discussion on use of the ideas in the "Tacoma Outreach Menu." The visits were received favorably, and we feel it has been very beneficial for all concerned. Mr. Beekman plans to present this seminar to self-supporting congregations also, upon request. In the future we would like to establish ongoing communication with the local outreach committees of our mission congregations, and share information on outreach projects that the local churches have found to be effective. During the next biennium, we intend to have a 3-man Committee on Domestic Fields: Mission Board member Larry Hansen, Pastor Walter Schaller, and Mr. Marlin Beekman. We thank Teacher David Bernthal for his participation on the Committee during the past biennium.
Personnel We rejoice that the Lord has provided a second, full-time foreign missionary for the CLC, in the person of Pastor Matthew Ude. In January, 2008, he and Missionary David Koenig visited our affiliate churches in western Africa. They arrived, along with Mary Koenig, in Chennai in February. Since that time, Pastor Ude has moved into a separate apartment in Chennai, and has been introduced to many of the districts of the BELC. He also spent three weeks in Nidubrolu, teaching at the CLCI seminary and accompanying Jyothi and Nireekshana Benjamin on visits to congregations, and on evangelistic outreach meetings to other villages. Although he was sidelined with a serious water-borne illness for a time, he has since recovered his strength and cheerful vigor. He has begun personal study in the Telugu dialect, which is the language of Andhra Pradesh State, and intends to seek formal instruction so as to learn the language of the people he serves. Discussions are ongoing with the Benjamins, of the CLCI, on the possibility of building an apartment onto the CLCI compound in Nidubrolu, so that Pastor Ude can focus his efforts on the CLCI, while Pastor Koenig remains primarily with the BELC. In order to better serve our African affiliates, and to ease the burden on David Koenig, the Mission Board has asked several men to be regular visitors to our brethren there. Pastor Ude intends to visit Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo in connection with his travels between India and the U.S. The Mission Board has called Pastor Nathanael Mayhew to be our part-time missionary to East Africa. The intent is to have him make an annual visit to Kenya and Tanzania, for a period of 4-5 weeks. He will be considering this call in consultation with the members of his congregation, who are being asked to make a considerable sacrifice in order to allow him to serve overseas. Pastor Todd Ohlmann is our called part-time missionary to India, which he has been visiting on an annual basis. In view of the fact that we now have two full-time missionaries in India, it is our intent to have Pastor Ohlmann serve there every other year, during the time when he leads the Mission Helper Program of volunteers on their biennial trip. In the intervening years, we would like him to lead a Mission Helper trip to our East African churches. Pastor Ohlmann will be traveling to India this May, where he will work with Missionary Matthew Ude, visiting congregations of the BELC. Pastor Koenig intends to continue with an annual visitation to our brethren in the Congo. Summary of Some of the Overseas Work during the Past Biennium During the past two years the Lord has provided many opportunities to further His kingdom overseas. Many of these needs have been met through the offerings made to the CLC General Fund. and the Mission Development Fund. Many other needs have been left undone or postponed. At the request of the Board of Missions, Missionary Koenig has submitted the following summary of needs which have been met over the past two years. Self-Help Loans '06 and '07 (Self-help loans are modest amounts that are given to pastors to enable them to provide an ongoing income for the support of their families. This may be in a small business or trade, or through agriculture or animal husbandry.) " In the BELC in '06-'07 we have made loans of $7676. Repayments of loans have allowed us to loan out $1,000. " In the CLCEA Pastor Jeremiah paid off his loan in Jan. '07 and this will allow for a loan to be given to another pastor in the CLCEA. " In the BELC we purchased 8.2 acres for rice production to help at least 60 pastors. " In Togo, Pastor Kossi has now paid off most of his $500 loan for sugarcane farming. " $500 was given to Pastor Gideon in Ghana to assist him in commercial driver training. " One loan each was given to Martin, Malyi, and Panpani in the amount of $500 in the CLCEA in Tanzania. " 24 loans at 10,000 naira (about $90) each were given to all NCLC pastors and the graduates in January 2008.
"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." - Galatians 6:9
Pastoral Training '06 and '07 " The CLCI Seminary in India has 32 men enrolled, 6 graduated in 2006, 12 graduated in 2007, and 14 will graduate in May of 2008. " St. Peter's seminary in Tanzania has 15 men enrolled. " Martin Luther Bible Institute in Efa, Nigeria has 3 men enrolled. " 8 men are studying in Etago, Kenya through correspondence courses. " A two-year evangelist school in the BELC in India began classes in February 2007 with 15 students enrolled. " In the ELCC in the Congo, the CLC visitation team conducted classes in 2006. Monthly pastoral Bible studies will begin in November 2008. " Crown of Glory Lutheran Church in Ghana plans to send men to the NCLC Bible Institute in Nigeria in the near future. " 203 pastors continue monthly meetings in the BELC. These men are all in doctrinal agreement with us. We estimate that up to 104 men could be ready for fellowship in '08-'09, and 66 more in '09-'10. " A two-day seminar in Etago, Kenya was held in 2007. Hopefully, this will be a yearly event with monthly studies conducted by local leaders. " The CLCK in Kenya held an annual pastoral seminar in 2007, with monthly studies having begun in January 2008 in two different areas.
Catechisms Printed and Distributed in 2006 and 2007 " Tamil 500, Telegu 550, Hindi 500, English 650+, Kisii 129, Luganda 70, Masai 220, French 10, Swahili 650
Bibles Distributed in 2006 and 2007 " Telegu 1450, Telegu New Testaments 1100, Tamil 900, Tamil New Testaments 300, Hindi 60, Swahili 197, Luo 10, Kisii 10, English 31, Masai 36, Kikuyu 28, Kannada 1, English 34 Translation Work in 2006 and 2007 " In the BELC in India Mueller's "My Church and Others" and other doctrinal pamphlets have been translated into Hindi. " In the CLCK in Kenya Mueller's "My Church and Others" has been translated into Kisii and will be sent to the typesetter soon. " In the CLCEA in East Africa they have appointed a committee of 3-4 men to work on translation. " In the LCEA in East Africa translation work has begun on "My Church and Others." " In the ELCC in Congo the Augsburg Confession and doctrinal pamphlets have been translated into Swahili. " "My Church and Others" has been translated into Kisii, printed, and distributed. " Work on translating Luther's Catechism, along with 14 doctrinal pamphlets into Kamba and Kikuyu, has begun in Kenya. " The LCEA in East Africa has revised and enlarged the Swahili hymnal and it is ready for printing
Church Building Assistance in 2006 and 2007 " The CLCI in India is given $1000 annually in support for prayer shed construction or Gospel meetings. " The BELC in India has received $20,768 in funding to assist in the construction of church building in 18 congregations. 30 requests were received. " We provided assistance for a roof on one church building in Togo, Africa " In the CLCK in Kenya $4675 in funding was provided to assist four congregations with building and roofing projects. " In the CLCEA in East Africa $175 was given to assist three congregations with church building projects.
Notes on our Overseas Affiliates and Projects CLCI, India - The CLCI is a robust and active church body. The hub at Nidubrolu houses the seminary, orphanage, and three families of the Benjamins. Evangelistic meetings are regularly held in villages where there is little or no other witness for Christ. The annual, week-long VBS program involves many hundreds of children, some of whom are of Hindu and Muslim background. Pastor Jyothi Benjamin is looking forward to having more direct involvement in the seminary and CLCI congregations by Missionary Matthew Ude. The Seminary will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in May, when 14 men will graduate from the program. Pastors Matthew Ude and Todd Ohlmann will be present for the occasion. BELC, India - There are now fourteen districts of BELC congregations, with seven lead pastors who form the BELC's "Executive Council." There is one full-time evangelist school operating in Nagalapuram, under the direction of Pastor D. Paul. Each of the other six lead pastors conducts one or more monthly seminars, to train present and future pastors for service to BELC congregations. The aim of the entire effort is two-fold: to broadcast the Gospel of Christ crucified, especially to the many thousands who lack other witness to Christ, and to strengthen the current and future pastors in their knowledge of the pure doctrine of the Word. NCLC, Nigeria - Though we no longer have a full-time missionary in Nigeria, the leaders of the NCLC continue to train new pastors and maintain their current congregations, as well as fostering outreach efforts in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Badagry. Pastor Patrick Johnny has returned from the Muslim city of Bauchi, where he had worked to establish a congregation, which was not successful. A new outreach to the city of Bayelsa is being considered. Pastor Patrick Udo and Pastor Edwin are the faculty of the Bible Institute. They recently graduated three men from the seminary, who will receive assignments to congregations. They are considering three new applicants for the coming year. East Africa - The CLC is working with sister churches in East Africa which are growing in numbers, and spreading in Kenya, Tanzania, the Congo, and Uganda. It is growing geographically, and in number of souls (see the figures on page 4). These four church bodies now number 6007 souls, up from 4086 souls last year. More effort is needed in East Africa to build an orthodox church in a proper and orderly way, and to oversee the training of pastors and seminary students. While there is a hunger for proper biblical training, at the same time there is also the ever present danger of the men being led astray by false teaching due to a lack of in-depth training in the Word. While there are numerous Christian churches working in East Africa with far more financial resources than we have, the LCEA and Etago CLC have continued with us, from a beginning relationship in 2000. The CLCEA and CLCK have continued with us from a beginning relationship in 2004. There is an ongoing and ever-growing need to help train pastors through a theological education by extension (TEE) program including: a two-day seminar in Etago per visit, a one-day seminar among the Masai of the CLCEA, which could be expanded, monthly seminars at Nairobi and Muranga by CLCK men (with the missionary to participate when present), and a need for seminars in the Mombasa, Uganda area. Also needed is a pastoral conference, in Tanzania, for the CLCEA and the LCEA each year, with the missionary delivering the studies. St. Peter's Seminary (LCEA) at Himo, Tanzania is in need of more teaching and supervision, which could be supplied by a full-time missionary. Our presence is also needed to address problems and struggles at the seminary, and to help resolve difficulties between our sister churches when they arise. Our opportunity for work in Uganda needs more effort than the periodic visits by the head of the CLCEA. Stress on reaching out to Masai and Muslim people by a missionary would help keep the focus on the purpose of the church. In summary, there is a great deal of important work to be done, some of which is going very slowly and other work which is not being done at all. Because of budgetary constraints, the Board of Missions is attempting to address these needs with the stopgap measure of annual visits by a part-time, visiting missionary. We would ask our CLC members to prayerfully consider these urgent needs, with a view to calling a fulltime foreign missionary to East Africa as soon as possible. Mission Helper Trip to India, 2009 - Plans are already underway for the summer of 2009, when Pastor Todd Ohlmann will lead a group of CLC volunteers to help conduct VBS programs among the people of the BELC and CLCI. The many CLC people who have made this trip in previous years have gone at their own expense, or have been sponsored by other individuals or congregations. They have found it to be hard work, but a very rewarding experience. Our Indian brethren have treasured their presence among them. Those who are interested in applying for this trip should contact Pastor Ohlmann, at 314-517-0177, or by email: ToddOhlmann@clclutheran.com. Project KINSHIP - Sponsors from congregations of the CLC support orphans and seminary students in both India and Africa. In addition, offerings for Project KINSHIP are used for building projects and others needs that support the orphanages and seminaries among our foreign affiliates. At present, in India there are 17 seminary students sponsored in the BELC, 32 seminary students in the CLCI, and 30 orphans in the CLCI. In Africa, 12 LCEA seminary students are sponsored in Tanzania, and 7 NCLC orphans are sponsored in Nigeria. There will be 14 students graduating from the CLCI Seminary (India) in May. Pastor Jyothi Benjamin plans to select 20 new applicants for next year's enrollment, which would increase the student body by 6, for a total of 38 students. KINSHIP will be seeking sponsors for the new students. With the help of certain CLC ladies' organizations, annual Christmas gifts are sent for each of the sponsored orphans, as well as for the 93 AIDS orphans of St. David's Academy in Etago, Kenya. KINSHIP has completed the building of 5 classrooms for the Etago AIDS orphan school, and will seek to add 1 per year, for a total of 8, at approximately $2,500 each. $175 per month is now being sent to support the operation of the school. "Reach the Children" Collection - Several years ago, collection boxes were distributed to CLC congregations for children to contribute for overseas VBS programs. These collections have, over the years, supported VBS programs in India and Africa. Pastor Jyothi Benjamin organizes an annual VBS in Nidubrolu, India, which was attended by almost 1200 students, over a one-week period in December of 2007. He writes, "I want you to know that your prayers and investment is making a life-changing difference in the lives of people here in India." Pastor Benjamin expects to have 2000 children attending in 2008. We encourage our CLC pastors and people to make use of the "little red" collection boxes, to involve our children in helping other children to learn of Christ! Committee on Foreign Fields (CFF) - Like the CDF (Committee on Domestic Fields), the CFF's purpose is to specialize in certain areas of our mission endeavors, in this case overseas, in order to supplement and enhance the work of the Board of Missions. The areas of work on which the committee will focus in the coming year will be the Mission Helper Program, and information services (publication and promotion of our mission efforts in print media, Internet, and video). The CFF for the next biennium will be comprised of Pastor Todd Ohlmann, Pastor Nathanael Mayhew, and Mr. Rick Nelson. We thank Pastor Michael Schierenbeck, Mr. Peter Evensen, and Mr. Steve Leinberger for their past service on this committee. Budget for the next fiscal year - With a modest increase proposed for FY09, the Mission Board will be able to begin funding our second foreign missionary, Pastor Matt Ude, from our budget, instead of from the MDF. As directed by the '06 Convention, we have covered the cost of his move and initial service from MDF funds. This will continue through December of 2008, and will be moved to the regular budget thereafter. We are thankful to our Lord for the response of our CLC people to the needs of the General Fund, so that we can accomplish this without severe cuts to other parts of our program. MDF -- The Mission Development Fund has been a key source of resources for expansion of the Lord's kingdom in our overseas work (see the summary of overseas work, above). During the coming year, there will be a very great need for generous contributions to this fund. For the local pastors in India and Africa, who receive no salary from us, there is a need for self-help loans, church building assistance, and sound Christian literature of all kinds. We provide the BELC pastors with a single, large sack of rice for their families each year, and a small Christmas gift of money. Training school graduates are provided a bicycle for use in their ministries. A vehicle for use in the BELC is a priority. Emergency funds for medical assistance are handled through the "Missionary Discretionary Account." Please remember the needs of the MDF, for our brethren who are poor in temporal things, but rich in desire for the pure Word of God. Respectfully submitted by the CLC Board of Missions,
Pastor Todd Ohlmann, Secretary -- Mr. Jack Mayhew -- Mr. Larry Hansen -- Pastor Bruce Naumann, Chairman
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