Photo essay: A Confident Confession

Peter Slayton

7 years ago

Story by Peter Slayton, photos by Erik M. Lunsford

The LCMS has had a missionary presence in Togo, West Africa, since 1981. The first Lutheran church was planted soon after in Lokpano — a remote village nearly two hours outside the closest large city of Dapaong.

The ministry since then has expanded greatly, with the first local pastors being ordained in 2002 after their pastoral preparation at the Centre Lutherien d’Etudes Theologiques (Lutheran Center for Theological Studies), or CLET. The center, started by LCMS missionaries, has made it possible for partner church bodies all across Francophone Africa to prepare men for the pastoral ministry.

In order to spread God’s Word, the work includes literacy classes that take place in Lutheran churches with the goal of teaching people to read the Bible. Midweek Bible studies based on Luther’s Small Catechism that teach the faith to parishioners are becoming more common.

The work of the LCMS through CLET and the missionaries in Togo continues to bear fruit. From pastors to parishioners, the training made available through CLET has made it possible for more people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners. As the work in Francophone Africa expands, that confident confession spreads with it.

The back half of the chapel at CLET doubles as a classroom where students listen intently as class begins.

A mango tree provides shade in the center of campus where the Rev. Fred Reinhardt, LCMS area facilitator for Francophone Africa — West and Central, talks with a student.

A woman practices writing during a literacy class at the Lutheran church in Kpierik, a small village in northern Togo.

Valerie Stonebreaker, an LCMS missionary to Togo, encourages Vicar Djekoab Yantchiemaen following the Bible study on Christian doctrine he led at the Lutheran church in Lokpano.

The Rev. Darpak Kommena (left) walks with the Rev. Lare Kolani Lambon, president of the Lutheran Church of Togo, as they enter the parish in Lokpano, the first Lutheran church planted in Togo.

Parishioners pray during Bible study led by a vicar in training at CLET, at the Lutheran church in Lokpano, Togo. The materials used — based on Scripture and Luther’s Small Catechism — were developed by LCMS missionaries 20 years ago to help people understand the Christian faith.

Peter Slayton (peter.slayton@lcms.org) is manager of Social Media with LCMS Communications. Erik M. Lunsford (erik.lunsford@lcms.org) is managing photojournalist for LCMS Communications.

Posted April 28, 2017

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