OIM presentations highlight three-fold approach to mission work

The Rev. Geraldo Walmir Schüler, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, addresses the 68th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Portuguese on July 30, 2023. A translation of his speech appears on the screen behind him. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By Megan K. Mertz

MILWAUKEE — On Sunday, July 30, the Rev. Geraldo Walmir Schüler, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, reminded delegates to the 68th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) of another convention long ago: the convention of 1899, when the LCMS first considered a request to send a missionary to Brazil. A year later, in 1900, a missionary arrived in Brazil, and from his efforts, a thriving church body has grown that now partners with the LCMS through the Alliance Missionary Program.

“We want to express our gratitude to God for having given us His only Son to be our Savior, dying on our behalf on the cross of Calvary, and we also want to express our gratitude to the LCMS, for it was through her that this precious theology of the cross was brought to us,” Schüler said. Although he spoke in Portuguese, a translation of his words appeared on the screen behind him. “Thanks to this precious theology, our fathers lived and died in peace, our generation lives and will die in peace, and the next generations will have the same opportunity.”

Throughout the convention, delegates had three more opportunities to hear from LCMS missionaries and international guests, as well as to learn about the three pillars of the work of the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM): spreading the Gospel, planting Lutheran churches and showing mercy.

Spreading the Gospel

On Monday, July 31, LCMS missionary Rev. Dr. Christian Tiews, who is based in Germany, spoke about sharing the Gospel with Persian immigrants and training up men to become pastors through the English-language stream at the Luther Academy in Riga, Latvia.

Tiews told the story of baptizing two children from an Iranian immigrant family now living in Germany. When asked what would happen if those children should later walk away from their Christian faith, Tiews reminded those gathered of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

In response, Tiews recalled how an immigrant woman in the group remarked, “I love that parable. … I’m so glad, that after being lost in Islam my whole life, I finally came home to Jesus — and He welcomed me back with open arms.”

Through these efforts, Tiews remarked that his prayer — and that of the OIM — is that they are “laying the groundwork not only for a potential revival of faithful Lutheran Christianity in what was once known as the ‘Land of Luther,’ but also, God willing, for an explosion of Christianity in Iran.”

Watch videos from this presentation on Greece and Turkey .

Planting Lutheran churches

The next day, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, the Rev. Charles Ferry, regional director for the Synod’s work in Asia, explained to those in attendance that church planting and theological education are necessarily tied together, since church planting “also entails training and mentoring indigenous pastors, multiplying our effort to plant and water.”

The Rev. Dr. David Preus, LCMS missionary to Romania, then spoke about his seven years as a theological educator and church planter — first in Latin America and now in Eurasia. Preus was called to international service as part of an effort adopted at the 2013 LCMS convention to double the number of missionaries serving internationally.

During his presentation, Preus invited the delegates to “think big. Bigger than the structure and polity of the LCMS. Bigger than the health policies, the pension plan, and the entire administration. Bigger even than the fundraising and strategic planning. Think of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. … Think of these things, and together we will find our place to stand.”

Watch a video from this presentation on Taiwan .

Showing mercy

Finally, on Wednesday, Aug. 2, the convention heard from the Rev. James Krikava and the Rev. Ted Krey, former regional director of Eurasia and current regional director of Latin America and the Caribbean, respectively.

The two men spoke about how the LCMS shows Christ’s mercy to those in need. Krikava highlighted the work done among Ukrainian refugees in Europe, some of whom are currently residing in the International Lutheran Center at the Old Latin School in Wittenberg, Germany. Later, Krey talked about their efforts to care for some of the 8 million Venezuelan refugees that have fled their country for other parts of the region. The OIM worked to provide medications for diabetes and heart issues to Lutheran churches in Venezuela, so that they could distribute these life-saving medications to those in need.

“We separate ourselves from simply being humanitarian because, as St. Paul says, everything is made holy by the Word of God and prayer,” said Krey. “We pray, we preach and we serve our neighbor in his body. The church reflects this mercy of caring for neighbor in body and soul because of our resurrected Lord Jesus, who lives on in the flesh.”

After sharing a few more stories from his work, Krey concluded: “Your faithful support year after year to the mission field is bearing fruit. The words of the prophets are being fulfilled in this generation. Blessed are you for using your gifts, your bequests, your tithes for spreading of the Gospel, the planting of Lutheran churches and showing mercy.”

Watch videos from this presentation on how the LCMS is serving Ukrainian refugees in the United States and Germany .

Posted Aug. 3, 2023

2023 LCMS Convention

Under the theme “We Preach Christ Crucified,” the 68th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod met July 28–Aug. 3, 2023, at the Baird Center in Milwaukee.

There are several ways to get convention news, including:

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• reporter.lcms.org

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