NALC leaders meet with leaders of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Thiswas one of several significant meetings between NALC leaders and the leaders of African church bodies held inJanuary. The EECMY is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world with 6 million members.

NALC NewsN o r t h A m e r i c a n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4

NALC leaders consult withLutheran leaders in AfricaBy Pastor David WendelAssistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism

Bishop John Bradosky and the Executive Staff ofthe NALC boarded a plane (yes, all four on oneplane!) just after the New Year to travel to threecountries in East Africa for important conversationswith leaders of four Lutheran church bodies.

Bishop Bradosky, Pastor Mark Chavez, NALCGeneral Secretary, and Assistants to the BishopPastor Gemechis Buba and Pastor David Wendel

traveled to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania for almosttwo weeks of high-level meetings.

The trip was initially planned to facilitate a face-to-face meeting between the NALC and our first andonly Full Communion partner, the EthiopianEvangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY).

In conversations with President Wakseyoum Idosaof EECMY during his visit to the 2013 NALC

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NALC Bishop John Bradosky speaks at a worship service of the Maasai people in acongregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

NALC leaders pose with Maasai leaders inside of theirnew church building which is being constructed nearKitumbeine, Tanzania.

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Convocation last August,it became clear thatfurther discussion wasneeded to understandwhat this relationshipmeans and how it willmove forward betweenthe two partner churches.

Because the NALC issignificantly differentfrom other existingLutheran church bodies,the nature of the FullCommunion partnershipwill be different —intentionally so. Forexample, the NALC doesnot receive, nor will itsend large sums ofmoney to partner churchbodies to sponsorministry projects, whether in Africa or elsewhere.The NALC seeks to foster relationships between itscongregations and Mission Districts and Christiansin other parts of the world so that mutualconversation, education, mission and ministry mayhappen on a one-to-one basis as a result of thoserelationships.

To more fully grasp the nature of the NALC, it wasnecessary for the NALC Bishop and staff to travelto Addis Ababa for meetings with President Isoda,the EECMY General Secretary Berhanu Ofgaa andother EECMY church leaders.

Because EECMY celebrates “Orthodox Christmas”on Jan. 6, the meeting was held on Friday, Jan. 3,after the NALC staff arrived in Ethiopia thatmorning. In spite of the demands of internationaltravel, the meeting was positive, helpful, excitingand set a course for developing this church-to-church relationship as we move forward. The nextstep will be to appoint a team of four persons (twofrom each church body) to communicate andcoordinate directly.

On Saturday the NALC staff traveled to Arusha,Tanzania, where they were able to visit with Dr.Steve and Bethany Friberg in Ketumbeine village,near the Tanzania-Kenya border. Dr. Friberg hasserved as a Lutheran medical missionary in thisarea for a quarter of a century, developing amedical clinic and clinic for women and children inKetumbeine, as well as 15 satellite clinics amongthe Maasai.

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N A L C N e w s 2 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4

Participants in the meeting between leaders of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,were, from left: Ambassador Richard Mariki, Pastor MarkChavez, Bishop John Bradosky, retired Presiding BishopHans Mwokobana, Pastor David Wendel, and GeneralSecretary Brighton Killewa. The ELCT is one of the largestLutheran churches in the world with 6 million members.

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Due to the work of German and Swedishmissionaries in this area, many of the Maasai areLutheran, so Bishop Bradosky and our staffworshiped on Sunday morning in a Maasaicongregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin Tanzania (ELCT).

This particular congregation wanted to welcomeour delegation because Bishop Bradoksy had beenpart of a mission team work group some time agowhich provided the funds for the roof of theirchurch building.

The NALC staff were warmly welcomed by theelders who had roasted a goat as “refreshments”for the Bishop and staff before the worship service.More roasted goat was shared after the service,with chai.

They also visited a larger church building beingconstructed nearby to replace the existing buildingwhich they are outgrowing!

Sunday afternoon, the NALC delegation had a tourof several Maasai villages to view their old mudhuts with thatched roofs as well as the new designfor their homes with more space and metal roofsthat won’t leak during the rainy season.

This project is especially meaningful to the NALCbecause much of the funding has come from theMaasai women’s bead project, featured at the 2013NALC Convocation. More than $2,000 was raisedat our Convocation by sales of their beaded jewelryand other items which went directly to the purchaseof materials needed for building the new homes forthe Maasai.

This change in home design is significant in that itreflects the changing culture of the Maasai frombeing nomadic, to more settled in one location withmore permanent homes. The Maasai expressedgreat appreciation for the support of the NALC!

As the NALC staff were preparing to leave Arusha,they were able to visit the Tumaini University-Makumira Seminary of the ELCT, being welcomedby Dr. Joseph Parsalaw, vice-chancellor of theseminary. (ELCT Presiding Bishop Alex Malasusais the chancellor of the seminary.)

The staff were also able to meet and visit with theAssistant to the Bishop of the Kenyan EvangelicalLutheran Church (KELC), the Rev. Johnes Melijio,who was studying at the seminary and whoarranged an additional visit in Nairobi with BishopZacharia Kahuthu of the Kenyan EvangelicalLutheran Church, one of two Lutheran churchbodies in Kenya.

The group had planned to travel to Nairobi, to meetwith Archbishop Walter Obare of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) who hadexpressed interest in such a visit during hisconversation with Pastor Wendel in Fort Wayne lastSeptember.

Archbishop Obare has been a bold and faithfulLutheran leader, especially as he consecrated thefirst bishop of the Swedish Mission Province, whosemotto is, “Bringing the Gospel Back to Sweden.” Inspite of much criticism, he consecrated the firstbishop so that other pastors committed to the truthof Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessionscould be ordained in Sweden for the sake of reformand renewal of Christianity in Sweden.

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NALC leaders pose during their visit to the Lutheran JuniorSeminary in Morogoro, Tanzania. The Ulugulu Mountains arein the background.

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ELCK is also of interest to the NALC because itis a full member of both the Lutheran WorldFederation and the International LutheranCouncil, the international group affiliated withthe Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod andmany of its partner churches.

The NALC-ELCK meeting took place themorning of January 8 in the ELCK offices atLuther Plaza in Nairobi. That afternoon, themeeting between NALC leaders and KELCBishop Kahuthu took place at the Hilton Hotel inNairobi.

The next day the NALC delegation flew to Dares Salaam for the final meeting with leadershipof the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzaniaat the Lutheran Center.

While the NALC has only one “Partnership FullCommunion Agreement” (with EECMY), a“Memorandum of Understanding” with ELCT wassigned at the 2013 NALC Convocation. While not aformal “church-to-church” agreement, theMemorandum is a first step in the development of arelationship between the NALC and ELCT.

The presence at the 2013 NALC Convocation ofBishop Peter-Israel Mwakiolili of the ELCT KondeDiocese and Ambassador Richard Mariki, GeneralSecretary of the ELCT Eastern and CoastalDiocese, followed two invitations to BishopBradosky to speak at ELCT events in Tanzania.

As with the meeting with EECMY, the topic fordiscussion in Dar es Salaam addressed the uniquenature of the NALC and the goal of developingrelationships for mission and ministry, rather thansimply providing funding for projects.

Also discussed was the Lutheran Junior Seminaryat Morogoro and the many needs there, aspresented at our Convocation by Pastor HerbHafermann, longtime missionary to Tanzania.

After the meeting, the NALC staff made the long(and arduous!) driving trip to Morogoro to visit theschool, meet the director and learn about theprogram. At the foot of the beautiful UluguruMountains, it is a high school for 600 students. It is

now suffering because of cuts in financial supportby Lutheran church bodies in North America andEurope.

Visiting the Junior Seminary, it became obvious thatthere will be no “quick-fixes,” but what is needed isan integrated team approach to long-termdevelopment and sustainability. The developingrelationship between the NALC and ELCT will seekto address these needs and may include a majorconference in Morogoro in the summer of 2014,involving leaders of both churches.

All in all, the visit of NALC Bishop and staff to threenations and four national church bodies in eastAfrica brought forth great fruit and accomplishedour goals. Such relationships and conversationshappen best face-to-face, and the willingness of ourExecutive Staff to make such a trip indicates ourcommitment to these relationships, our desire to beinvolved and engaged with the global Lutherancommunity, and our desire to be a church body thatbuilds relationships which are mutually respectful,supportive and faithful.

As the church leaders of EECMY, ELCK, KELC andELCT have pledged to pray for the NALC, let usalso remember to pray for them — for their bishops,presidents, pastors, leaders and all the followers ofJesus who are part of the Body of Christ in thesevibrant, growing Lutheran churches!

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Pastor Eddy Perez prepares to broadcast his twice-weekly ministry outreachradio program. Reaching listeners from central Florida to north centralCuba, this ministry has been an important evangelism tool of IglesiaLuterana San Pedro in Miami, Fla.

Radio Ministry of Pastor Eddy PerezBy Pastor Dennis Nelson

Pastor Eddy Perez of Iglesia LuteranaSan Pedro in Miami, Fla., was born inCuba in 1968. He became a followerof Jesus in January of 1992. Thatsame year he received a Doctor ofMedicine degree in July and wasmarried in August — so he considers1992 “a very blessed year.”

Soon after coming to Christ, hebecame involved in ministry, but theCuban government did not like hisbeing a pastor as well as practicingmedicine. He faced such severeopposition from the government thateventually — in the year 2000 — hefled Cuba and came to the UnitedStates.

In the United States he wasintroduced to the Lutheran Church.He became a Lutheran pastor in 2005and has been serving Iglesia LuteranaSan Pedro in Miami since 2009.

Pastor Perez serves on the Steering Committee ofLutheran CORE, is dean of the Caribbean andHispanic Mission District of the North AmericanLutheran Church. He is also currently completing aterm on the NALC Executive Council.

Pastor Perez remembers the importance of theradio during his childhood in Cuba. The governmentmaintained strict control over all of the media,whether it was the radio, television, or thenewspapers. “The only thing we could hear was thenews the government wanted us to hear. If wewanted to be informed of what was going on in theworld, even in Cuba, we had to rely on foreign radiostations,” he said.

He remembers growing up listening to radiostations that were broadcasting from the UnitedStates. “Even though I was not living in Miami, Iknew what businesses in Miami were advertising onthe radio,” he said.

When he was a high school student, he was invitedseveral times by local radio and television stationsto be a part of their programming under strictsupervision of the authorities. On a number ofoccasions he would read a book and then sit on apanel that would discuss that book.

“The Lord used all of that training. At that time I didnot know the Lord. I was not a Christian, but theLord was working in my life, preparing me for thiswork. I also lost the fear of being in front of amicrophone and a camera,” he said.

Because the same control over the mediacontinues in Cuba today, Pastor Perez is veryexcited about the opportunity he now has to reachCuba, as well as Cuban immigrants here in theUnited States, with the message of salvation. Hesaid, “To me it is a tremendous joy.”

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Pastor Eddy Perez

Pastor Perez and congregation members lay hands onand dedicate a memory stick containing audio of theradio ministry.

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Two years ago, in 2012, he was given theopportunity to begin a program on a small, local,radio station. He called his program Tiempo deAlabanza, which means “Praising Time.” Initially hewas given the 10 p.m. time slot on Saturdays. Soonhe was given an earlier time of 7 p.m. Eventually hemoved into the 6 p.m. slot — opening the block ofChristian broadcasting on that secular station.

At the same time, he was given the opportunity ofconducting a second program for no additional cost,on Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. to midnight. Fortwo years he preached the Word of God, playedChristian music, invited people to church, and gavepeople the opportunity to call in and receive prayerministry over the phone.

Even though the station was broadcasting with only1,000 watts of strength so that it could only beheard in the immediate area, Pastor Eddy’sprogram received very positive reviews and becamea tremendous evangelism tool for the congregation.

Eventually, however, Pastor Perez heard that thestation was being sold and that the new ownerwould not be continuing with the Christianprogramming block. At the same time, he alsolearned about another station that had timeavailable for purchase. This other station was muchstronger, broadcasting not with 1,000, but with50,000 watts of power. It could be heard over amuch wider area, from central Florida down into the

Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and even into northcentral Cuba.

Pastor Perez was very excited to hear that thisstation was broadcasting to Cuba with the samestrength — 50,000 watts of power — as the stationthat he had been listening to as a child in Cuba. Healso said that because there are relatively fewstations that broadcast from Cuba, it can be relativelyeasy to pick up a foreign broadcast in Cuba.

Pastor Perez feels that God was giving him furtherconfirmation when he heard what broadcast timeswere available: two o’clock and three o’clock in theafternoon.

It is Pastor Perez’s ministry goal to reach Hispanicimmigrant families here in the United States,particularly younger families, so he saw theavailability of these two times as converging with hisministry priorities. He said, “At other times youngfamilies are on the Internet or are watchingtelevision. At two o’clock and three o’clock, peopleare picking up their children from school. The onlytime they are listening to the radio is when they arein their cars.” So he was especially excited to beable to purchase the time from 3:10 to 3:30 p.m. onTuesdays and Thursdays.

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N A L C N e w s 6 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4

Pastor Eddy Perez and his wife, Yuddy.

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“Reaching Cuba and reaching young families areboth extremely important to me. People in Cubarely on U.S. radio stations to bring them the news.Now we can also bring them the Good News ofJesus,” he added.

The new radio station’s name is Vida, which means“Life,” and it broadcasts at 1080 AM. Pastor Perezis currently on the air two days a week and ispraying for time availability five days a week. But amajor factor is the cost. He had been paying theprevious station only $75 a week for two hours ofprogramming time. The cost for broadcasting on thenew station is $350 per week for two 20-minutetime segments.

The previous station was much less expensive, butthe program was only being heard in the areaaround his church in Miami. With the new stationhis program is being heard all the way from centralFlorida to north central Cuba. Regarding theincreased cost, Pastor Perez shared, “Many peoplewill say, ‘That is impossible.’ I would say, ‘Nothing isimpossible for God.’”

Wanting to get the word out about the opportunityand the need, Pastor Perez was planning to write aletter. A close friend, Pastor Raymond Scheck,recommended that he make a video instead. PastorPerez wrote the script for the video and theninvolved his two daughters. His older daughter,Elisabet, did the videotaping, while his youngerdaughter, Debora, did the producing. Pastor Perezsaid, “It was a real blessing to me that my entirefamily was working together with me.” You mayview the video on You Tube. Pastor Perez alsowants to thank Pastor Rebecca Heber of OasisChurch in Lake Mary, Florida, for assistance withtext editing.

In the video Pastor Perez asks for help in threeways. First, he asks that people pray for thisministry. He knows that nothing will beaccomplished if God’s people are not praying.Second, he asks that people talk with theirneighbors, friends, co-workers, and family membersto find out what problems people are facing. PastorPerez wants his messages to address from aChristian perspective the real life issues with whichpeople are having to deal. He began the new year

with a series on how to overcome fear, because hehad heard from someone that many people at thisperson’s workplace were facing many fears. Thethird issue addressed on the video is financialsupport, asking people to donate if the Lord lays itupon their hearts to do so. Pastor Perez shared how this radio ministry hasbeen a tremendous evangelism tool, as it has beenreaching many Spanish-speaking people, includingyoung families and recent immigrants from Cuba. Ithas also been a powerful means of outreach topeople in prison. Among the known listeners aremale inmates in a state prison, as well as both maleand female inmates in federal prisons in Miami.“Inmates have sent me letters and Christmas cards.One even made a bracelet for me,” he said.

Pastor Perez concluded our conversation bysaying, considering the cost of broadcasting on thenew station, “If it were just me, I would say, ‘This isimpossible.’” Then he added, “I did nothing to be inthis place. If I had not been persecuted in Cuba, Iwould not be here in the United States. If the otherstation had not closed, I would have just stayed withthe smaller station. I am now able to do so muchmore and reach so many more people than I wouldhave been able to do if I had just stayed in that littletown in Cuba.”

Pastor Perez and his radio ministry are worthy ofour prayer and financial support. Gifts may be sentto 3360 W. Flagler St., Miami, FL 33135. You maycontact Pastor Perez at 305-445-0626 orpastoreddyperez@yahoo.com.

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Called to bear witness to the LightAs disciples of Jesus, we who have been gathered,enlightened, redeemed and sanctified have alsobeen called and entrusted with the most importantresponsibility of our lives: to bear witness to theLight in word and deed, to make disciples of allnations until the whole world knows and has thechance to believe in Jesus.

The Apostle John writes about the personal andinternalized nature of our mission. “That which wasfrom the beginning, which we have heard, which wehave seen with our eyes, which we have looked atand our hands have touched — this we proclaimconcerning the Word of life. The life appeared; wehave seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim toyou the eternal life, which was with the Father andhas appeared to us. We proclaim to you what wehave seen and heard, so that you also may havefellowship with us” (1 John 1:1-3).

This is no easy task for those who live in theseprecarious times. However, the world for thoseJohn is addressing was just as precarious. He toldthose who read his letter that they were living in thelast hour. Many would pull people away with falsegospels. People would be attracted to lies, whileothers engaged in deceit. They would deny thatJesus is the Christ and proclaim they could stillbelieve in God and be “spiritual.” John made it clearthat if you deny the Son you cannot know theFather.

My letter next month will deal in greater detail withthe precarious position of the Church in NorthAmerica. We must take consolation in the fact Godis able to use a remnant in far more powerful waysthan any political majority. These times call for usto be confident and assured of the truth of our faith. John writes, “But you have an anointing from theHoly One, and all of you know the truth. I do notwrite to you because you do not know the truth, butbecause you do know it and because no lie comesfrom the truth” (1 John 1:20-21).

Paul also reminds us of how important thatanointing is. “For we do not wrestle against fleshand blood but against the rulers, against theauthorities, against the cosmic powers over this

present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evilin the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

We recognize that some of our missionaries are onthe front lines of such oppression and opposition,but the truth is that such opposition is closer tohome than we care to recognize or admit. Whilemany live in denial — acting as though nothing haschanged — others have acquiesced to the values ofculture, abandoning the content of the Gospel wewere called to proclaim. Many more are unsure ofwhat Christians believe, uncertain about the natureand identity of Jesus. Most in the church are notequipped or prepared to share their faith with aneighbor or friend. Far fewer have a consistentmethod or process for making disciples of thosewho do come to faith in Christ.

As exhausting, disheartening and challenging asthese times are, it is still a great privilege to becounted worthy to be called by Christ to proclaimHim no matter what we must suffer.

A faithful response in these difficult times does notconsist of simply making a financial contribution andslipping back into the comfort of our familiarbehaviors. Instead, the deeper and more costlychallenge is to put ourselves on the front lines, notjust our pastors but every disciple of Jesus in everycongregation of the NALC.

This greater challenge will draw us closer to Christand to one another. It will call us to be betterequipped to share our own faith and to takeseriously the command of Jesus to make disciplesof all nations. It will encourage us to strengthen our

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From the Bishop

Bishop John Bradosky

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Continued from Page 8

relationships through prayer, the power of the HolySpirit, and the joy of life in Christ.

So today, I would like to renew my invitation andchallenge to our congregations in the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church. As a church and as amovement, we have adopted a congregationalvision for mission we call “1+1+1.”

That call is for every congregation to see itself onthe front line of the mission field, to support amission effort at the local level (in the immediatecommunity of the congregation), to support onenational mission within North America so wecontinue to expand our witness here, and tosupport one global mission partner.

The truth is that we have more opportunities toexpand our mission than we have resources tosupport those opportunities. I long for a time whenwe have sufficient resources to respond withimmediate action to meet the needs of thosestruggling to faithfully proclaim Christ in word anddeed.

This is not a request for financial support. Mychallenge is for us to grow in our passionate love forJesus and in our obedience to His command, suchthat we put ourselves on the front lines of thisspiritual battle — the front lines of proclaiming HisKingdom.

I have been privileged to know numerousmissionaries during my ministry. They have onething in common. They are willing to risk everythingfor Christ and the proclamation of His Gospel. Whenwe get to that point, money will not limit our work.

Please check out the Great Commission Society’sweb pages for more information — www.thenalc.org/great-commission-society.

Don’t just pray for our missionaries. Pray for themissionary zeal of every disciple of Jesus in theNorth American Lutheran Church. Pray for everymember of your congregation. Pray for strength andassurance so the Lord can use you on the frontlines of mission, in your community, throughoutNorth America and around the world.

With you following the One who commands us to“Go Now!”

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Congregational reports reveal Mission-Driven churches

We believe that the mission of the Church is topreach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ.We believe that making disciples — in ourcongregations, in our communities and nations, andaround the world — must be a priority of the Churchin the present age.

Mission-Driven is one of the four core values of the North American Lutheran Church. From its beginning, the NALC has encouraged congregationsto make disciples “in our congregations, in ourcommunities and nations, and around the world.” Inother words, they are to do mission!

Congregations are encouraged to relate to at leastone domestic and one global mission. The 2013congregational reports indicate a majority of NALCchurches are taking this request to heart and areMission-Driven!

The reports indicated that NALC congregations areinvolved in a wide variety of missions around theworld. Global mission fields were widely spread withthe highest percentage in Africa, followed by Asia,Central and South America, and Europe.

Almost two-thirds of the congregations reported thatthey had or planned global mission people-to-

people experiences. Missionaries had visited andspoken at many of the congregations, and a third ofthe congregations had already done or planned todo mission trips. These people-to-people contactsand experiences in turn promote higher interest andparticipation in mission!

“It was very encouraging to note that more than halfof the congregations reported that their globalmissions were less than two years old. In otherwords, NALC congregations are increasinglyhearing and acting on the call to become Mission-Driven not just at home but abroad!” said a reportfrom the International Missions Team.

48 percent of congregations reported more long-standing global mission projects — some of themdecades old. This suggests that global missions,once established, can become an important part ofa congregation’s DNA.

“Whether relatively new to the global mission fieldor experienced, the indications are that globalmissions have taken root and are growing in theNALC. God be praised for His blessings that areallowing NALC churches to be a blessing to the restof the world and to make disciples for Christ!” thereport said.

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Here are the dates and locations that have beenset for a series of seven regional conferencesfocusing on House Church Ministry. Moreinformation about each event will be available onthe NALC website as details are finalized.

February 21-22 - West CoastSt. Timothy Lutheran Church - San Jose, Calif.

February 28-March 1 - Canada St. Albert Lutheran Church - St. Albert, Alberta

June 13-14 - Pennsylvania Zion Lutheran Church - Pittsburgh, Pa.

August 8-9 - Iowa

September 11-13 - SoutheastHoly Trinity Lutheran Church - Gastonia, N.C.

October 31-November 1 - Texas

November 6-8 - NALC Mission FestivalUpper Arlington Lutheran Church - Hilliard, Ohio

House Church MinistryBy Pastor Gemechis BubaAssistant to the Bishop for Missions

We are at a great turning point in the history of ourjourney. For evangelical Christians, especially forLutherans, and particularly for us in the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church, the Lord has blessedus with a good vision so we can continue in thisjourney.

In Matthew chapter 16, we hear Jesus teaching: “Iwill build my Church.” Jesus is not outsourcing thework of mission planting to others. He is the chiefbuilder and architect. We are called to bewitnesses. Jesus never spoke of “plantingchurches” but rather of raising up disciples.

The 2013 NALC Convocation adopted a resolutionto grow to at least 1,517 congregations by 2017. So we have to start working hard! That’s less thanfour years away!

Our first step as we continue in this spirit ofdeveloping from the ground up is to renew all of ourcongregations. That may seem like backwardsthinking! However, we have to be strengthened tosuch an extent that our congregations can startgiving birth to new congregations and housechurches.

Our ultimate goal is not the typical “AmericanDream Church,” having a building and a pastor. Our dream is bigger than that. Our dream is givingbirth to more and more congregations and bringingup more and more disciples

One of the visions, goals and dreams is to plantmore and more house churches because it’sfinancially responsible and Biblically sound, in thestyle of the New Testament life. This is what’s doneall over the world and what we can achieve.

Our plan is to hold training events in various regionsall over North America to train up to 2,000 people— an average of six people in every congregation.

You did not read the last statement incorrectly. Ourgoal is to send out missionaries from our localcongregations into our neighborhoods andcommunities. Just as we read in Scripture, Jesussent the disciples out two by two, and so our visionis for each congregation in the NALC to commissionthree pairs of people to begin local house churches.

We are not sending people out unequipped for thisjourney. Through these regional conferences, theMission Office of the NALC is developing mentorswho have gone down this road before and a prayerteam that is meeting monthly to specifically pray forthis mission. We will continue the work of equippingdisciples to witness and testify to what Jesus hasdone for us on the cross and the joy of the emptytomb. Please continue to hold this movement inprayer and join us in the adventure!

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From Ashes to Easter A Lenten Devotional Booklet for NALC Members and Friends

First, I would like to thank all those who made useof the Advent 2013 Devotional Booklet, “Come,Lord Jesus” I prepared for members and friends ofthe NALC.

I would also say that I appreciate having receivedso many comments from those who were blessedby the devotions. When such a resource is madeavailable, you never know if anyone makes use of itand what their experience has been.

Encouraged by the reception of the Adventdevotional booklet and because many have asked,I would like to share with you that a resource fordevotions during Lent has been prepared and willbe available prior to Ash Wednesday (March 5). The booklet is titled, From Ashes to Easter: ALenten Devotional Booklet for NALC Members andFriends.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with adevotion for Easter, each day provides a shortScripture verse taken from the longer readingsassigned in the Lutheran Book of Worship DailyLectionary.

The LBW provides a two-year series of daily readings different from the three-year lectionary forSundays and festivals. We are currently in Year 2of the daily lectionary and each day of thedevotional booklet begins with a verse from thosereadings. The complete reading is listed in thebooklet, even though the devotion normally focuseson a verse or two. A meditation/reflection based onthe reading follows, concluding with a brief prayer.

Trusting that most folks will be attending Sundayworship hearing the assigned Scripture lessonsproclaimed within the congregation, devotions arenot provided for Sundays during Lent. It is alsoworth noting that Sundays are properly “in Lent” — not “of Lent.” In other words, Sundays are alwaysfeast days and not fast days, as Sundays arealways celebrations of our Lord’s resurrection. As Isay in the introduction to the devotional booklet, this

is a Lenten “loophole” if you need one — no needto keep the Lenten fast on Sundays!

How might one make use of the Lenten devotionalbooklet? The simplest approach would be to keepthe booklet on your nightstand or kitchen table to beclose at hand for reading the daily devotion in themorning or nighttime, by yourself.

However, I have heard from many NALC folksabout other ways that they made use of the Adventdevotions! Many used them as family devotionswithin the household. One pastor and spousegathered their children, adapting the devotions tobe more kid-friendly. NALC congregationalwomen’s groups used them as shared Adventdevotions, several Bible-study groups used them astheir Bible studies during Advent, and onecongregation used them as part of their mid-weekAdvent services.

Although many of our NALC members and friendsdid print out the devotional booklet in regular orlarge-print versions, I was surprised how many letme know that they never printed them out but keptthem on their smartphone or computer in e-format,having them always available electronically.

In short, there are many way to use the Lentendevotions in the booklet — so long as you open thebooklet and use them!

And that really is the point of providing suchdevotional booklets; it encourages folks to read the

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Ministry Matters

Pastor David WendelAssistant to the Bishopfor Ministry and Ecumenism

N A L C N e w s 12 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4

Great CommissionSociety website

enables mission The Great Commission Society (GCS) of theNorth American Lutheran Church has launched apresence on the NALC website to providecongregations and individuals with a listing ofmission partners and projects they can supportdirectly.

Visitors to the Great Commission Society site —thenalc.org/great-commission-society — canstudy and learn about the exciting work beingdone locally and throughout the world.

The Great Commission Society is made up ofpeople who are passionate about making andmobilizing disciples for Christ’s mission in theworld.

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Word of God, to meditate on it, digest it, take it toheart, and offer up a prayer in response!

If the NALC in all its parts — congregations,members, families and households — are to berenewed in faith, obedience and discipleship, it willonly happen by remaining in the Word of God — dwelling in the Word richly (Colossians 3:16).

There is no other way for the Church to berenewed, refreshed and yes, resurrected, than bythe Means of Grace shared among us!

Because Lutherans admit they find it difficult toremain in the Word of God regularly, my hope andprayer is that these little devotional booklets willhelp our members and friends to develop a pattern— a habit or a custom during Advent and Lent —that will carry on through the remainder of the year. I commend the Lenten devotional booklet to you forjust that purpose.

As before, an email will be sent to all congregationsannouncing the Lenten Devotional booklet andinstructing you how and where you can find it. It willbe available at www.thenalc.org as downloadablePDFs in large-print and booklet formats for readingand printing.

Nominations sought for NALC positionsNominations for leadership positions in the NorthAmerican Lutheran Church are being sought by theNALC Nominating Committee.

All NALC congregations and pastors will receivedetailed information and nominating forms by emailbefore the end of February.

The 2014 NALC Convocation July 24-25 inCharleston, S.C., will elect members of the NALCExecutive Council and Court of Adjudication as wellas members of the Board of Regents for the NorthAmerican Lutheran Seminary.

The Convocation will elect two pastors and one layperson to the Executive Council. One of the clergypositions will fill a vacant position on the council.

One pastor and one lay person will be elected tothe Court of Adjudication.

The Convocation will elect the nine persons to theNorth American Lutheran Seminary Board ofRegents. Because this is the first time electingmembers of the Board of Regents, all positions willneed to be filled. However, in future years, threemembers of the board will be elected to six-yearterms every other year.

Please consider prayerfully if God may be callingyou to serve in one of these positions or if God issuggesting to you another person to nominate.

The Nominating Committee has set a deadline ofApril 12 for nominations to be received. For moreinformation, contact Pastor Michael Tamorria atnominations@thenalc.org. Nomination forms maybe sent to that same email address.

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Celebrate Water Sunday on March 23NALC congregations areencouraged to considercelebrating Water Sunday onMarch 23.

Water Sunday is a Sunday thata congregation dedicates totalking about the global watercrisis and taking a specialoffering to provide safe waterto people around the world.Offerings may support WaterMissions International — oneof the ministries featured at the2013 NALC Convocation.

March 22 is the United Nations’ World Water Day.The next day is recommended for Water Sunday.

The lectionary readings for March 23 correspondwith the water theme. March 23 is the Third Sundayin Lent. The Gospel reading for that day is John4:5-42 — the story of Jesus’ encounter with theSamaritan woman at Jacob’s well where He speaksof “living water.” The Old Testament reading isExodus 17:1-7 — the story of the Lord providingwater from a rock for the Israelites in thewilderness.

“We want your congregations’ eyes to be opened tohow God is at work through the ministry of safewater and how God can use them to tangibly impactthe world. Join a movement of churches across thecountry committed to not just talking about theproblem, but solving it,” said Kevin Herr of WaterMissions International.

The global water crisis is a silent killer. Half of theworld’s hospital beds are full of people sick fromwater related illness. Diarrheal illness is the secondleading cause of death worldwide. While you rarelyhear about it on the news, the crisis is urgent,causing the death of one child under the age of five every 21 seconds.

We can save lives by providing safe water to peoplein need. Then, by meeting the physical need forsafe water, we provide a platform for local ministries

to build relationships and share the Living Watermessage of Jesus Christ.

Water Missions International is a nonprofit Christianengineering ministry that transforms lives throughsustainable safe water solutions in developingcountries and disaster areas. Since 2001, WaterMissions International has responded to the world’slargest natural disasters and daily tackles theworld’s single biggest cause of illness — lack ofsafe water and sanitation — by providing safe waterand access to the Living Water message to morethan two million people in 50 countries. Through theprovision of safe water, doors are opened totangibly share the love of Christ with people in needaround the world.

Water Missions International implements safe waterprojects with full-time, indigenous staff membersin 10 countries: Haiti, Honduras, Belize, Mexico,Peru, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania andIndonesia.

Water Missions International has received CharityNavigator’s top rating seven years in a row, a ratingonly achieved by 2 percent of charities.

Water Missions International will provide freeresources to help congregations hold a WaterSunday. For more information visit watermissions.org or contact Kevin Herr at 843-769-7395 or Kherr@watermissions.org.

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Pastor Mac de Waal poses with one of the RCMPemergency workers he ministers to as part of hischaplaincy work.

Forty Mile Lutheran ParishBow Island and Foremost, Alberta

Forty Mile County in southeast Alberta is a ruralcommunity that is economically based onagriculture and the oil/gas industry. The Forty MileLutheran parish consists of two congregations —Zion Lutheran Church in Bow Island and TrinityLutheran Church in Foremost — inside the county.

Both towns are experiencing significant populationchanges. The people who grew up and farmed inthe community are slowly leaving due to retirement,health conditions, etc. They are being replaced byMexican Mennonites fleeing the drug tradeviolence. That leaves the congregations with ashrinking membership and little prospect for growth.The parish is struggling to discover its place inGod’s work in this community.

One thing the parish has done is to free theirpastor, the Rev. Mac de Waal, to offer chaplaincyservices to emergency workers. He is a chaplain forthe Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is able tospend time ministering to them.

His ministry of presence among them allows for anopportunity to witness a life directed and sustainedby Christ. When opportunities present themselvesto directly talk about Christ or what life looks likeunder His direction, they are taken.

Attempts are being made to expand that service toother emergency personnel. The congregations

support this ministry by prayer and financial backingfor any material items the pastor may need to dothe work. They also feel more connected andconscious of the emergency workers in theircommunities and provide a level of continuity intheir witness of Christ to these people.

To learn more about Forty Mile Lutheran Parish,contact Pastor Mac de Waal atpastormac@telus.net or 403-952-7817.

Journey with LWR this Lent Lutheran World Relief is encouraging congregationsto join in a special journey together this Lent, caringfor Jesus in “the least of these.”

LWR is asking congregations to spend this Lentcollecting items for Personal Care Kits.

Personal Care Kits include a towel, toothbrush,comb, nail clippers, and two bars of soap.

The kits are often given to those who have losteverything. The very simple gesture of giving aPersonal Care Kit can give someone theencouragement to start anew, starting with a bath.You can share God’s grace and love by providingthat simple comfort.

Information on the LWR Lenten project and how toprepare the kits is available at www.lwr.org.

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Amy Schifrin

2014 Theological ConferenceRightly Handling the Word of Truth: Scripture, Canon and Creed

“Rightly Handling the Word of Truth: Scripture,Canon and Creed” is the theme of the 2014Theological Conference July 22-23 at The Citadelin Charleston, S.C. The annual theologicalconference is sponsored by the North AmericanLutheran Church and Lutheran CORE and is heldbetween their Convocations.

Speakers for the Theological Conference include:

+ Dr. Robert Benne, Jordan Trexler ProfessorEmeritus and Research Associate at RoanokeCollege in Salem, Va. He has earned degreesfrom Midland Lutheran College and the Universityof Chicago. He is the author of several booksincluding Good and Bad Ways to Think aboutReligion and Politics and Ordinary Saints: AnIntroduction to the Christian Life.

+ The Rev. Dr. Mark Granquist, AssociateProfessor of Church History at Luther Seminary inSt. Paul, Minn. He has earned degrees from St.Olaf College and Yale University Divinity Schooland a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago DivinitySchool. He is the co-author of The AugustanaStory: Shaping Lutheran Identity in North America.

+ The Rev. Dr. Stephen Hultgren, Lecturer in NewTestament at Australian Lutheran College inAdelaide, Australia. He has earned degrees fromGustavus Adolphus College and Luther Seminary.He has a Ph.D. in New Testament from DukeUniversity. He is a member of the Lutheran-RomanCatholic Dialogue in the United States.

+ Dr. R. David Nelson, a Lutheran theologian, whoserves Baker Publishing Group as AcquisitionsEditor for Baker Academic and Brazos Press. Heearned an M.Div. at Beeson Divinity School,Samford University, and a Ph.D. at King’s College,University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

+ The Rev. Dr. Christopher Seitz, Senior ResearchProfessor, Wycliffe College, Toronto School ofTheology in the University of Toronto. He hasdegrees from the University of North Carolina,

Virginia Theological Seminary and Yale University. He was Professor of Old Testament at Yale and atSt. Mary’s College, University of St. Andrews inScotland. He is the author or editor of 16 booksincluding two commentaries on Isaiah. His otherbooks include The Character of Christian Scripture:The Significance of a Two-Testament Bible.

+ The Rev. Dr. Amy Schifrin, Director of the NorthAmerican Lutheran Seminary and its SeminaryCenter at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge,Pa. She has earned degrees from Arizona StateUniversity, Northwestern University, LutherNorthwestern Theological Seminary, and TheGraduate Theological Union.

+ Dr. David Yeago, Professor of SystematicTheology for the North American LutheranSeminary House of Studies at Gordon-ConwellTheological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. He hasdegrees from The College of William and Mary,Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg andYale University.

Stephen HultgrenMark Granquist

R. David Nelson Christopher Seitz

Robert Benne

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Reflections and ObservationsFull-time ministry for me began as a lay ministerfocusing on youth ministry and evangelism. Threeyears later I returned to seminary for my senior yearand was ordained in 1981. All told, 35 years inministry. During that time I served congregations inCalifornia, Wisconsin and Oregon. In the late 1980sand early 1990s, I also worked with synods andchurches as an evangelism consultant (26 synodsand hundreds of congregations). In addition, thereis my Lutheran heritage as a third-generation pastorwith roots going from the NALC back to the ELCAand, before that, the American Lutheran Churchand the Lutheran Free Church.

Given all this, I can say with some confidence that Ihave learned a few things about Lutheran cultureand ministry in the American context. In fact it’ssobering when you reach the age where recenthistory is not just something you’ve read about; it’ssomething you lived through.

Now for the point behind this personal, anecdotalinformation. I have four observations regarding howchurch life and ministry has changed over these last35 years. I hope my background information willlend some credibility to my observations.

First observation: The countless predictions overthe last 35 years of mainline Protestant declinehave come true. What can I say? Author LyleSchaller (among others) warned us. I mentioned ina previous column that the peak in Americanmainline Protestant church attendance was back in1964. It’s been all downhill since then. My personalconviction is that at least five common mainline(and Lutheran) congregational practices havecontributed to our decline:

+ A professionalized model of the ordained ministrythat discourages lay leadership and ownership.

+ A bias against contemporary worship music,judging it as inappropriate for the worship setting.

+ Seminary educations that emphasize theory overpractice and where there has been a continuedtheological drift away from orthodox, BiblicalChristian teaching.

+ Not enough congregational ministry initiatives thatintentionally focus on reaching those who are notyet a part of the Body of Christ.

+ Our tendency to reinforce the public perception ofLutherans as parochial while increasing numbers ofself-identified Christians describe themselves asnondenominational.

Second observation: The evangelical churchsubculture — which includes nondenominationalcongregations as well as Pentecostal andtheologically conservative denominations — hasrelative institutional vitality when compared to mostmainline denominations. I believe this is due to twocharacteristics found among many evangelicalchurches and often absent in most mainlinecongregations:

+ Evangelical churches are more likely toemphasize the need for non-believers to convertand be transformed by their faith. One part of this isan emphasis on becoming Christ followers and lessof a focus on formal membership. As our culturebecomes increasingly unchurched this emphasisactually appeals to people who need a reason toattend. Custom and denominational loyalty nolonger motivate most Americans to consider churchinvolvement.

+ Evangelical congregations — when it comes toministry practice — tend to be more innovative thanmainline congregations. This is especially truewhen it comes to ministry strategies that effectivelyconnect with the unchurched.

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In Pursuit of theGreat Commission

Pastor Don Brandt

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Third observation: American culture is becomingincreasingly secular. No surprise here. Factorscontributing to this include:

+ Fewer Americans belong to voluntaryorganizations of any kind.

+ The digital age allows for social connectionswithout actual face-to-face encounters.

+ News and entertainment media has becomeincreasingly hostile toward organized religion ingeneral and Christianity in particular.

+ A public view of morality that is more and more atodds with Christian, Biblical teaching; resulting inthe public perception of Christians as intolerant andjudgmental.

Fourth observation: Our secular culture’s litmustest regarding whether Christians are intolerant iscurrently focused on issues related to humansexuality. In one sense we should not be surprisedthat our secular culture’s “push-back” against thechurch has become focused on sex. Sex, after all,seems to be something of an obsession inAmerican culture. We keep hearing that thesecontroversies are about equality and individualrights. However, I tend to believe that theunderlying value driving much of our secularculture’s priorities on this issue is, at least byBiblical standards, sexual promiscuity. So weshould not be surprised when there are objectionsto any worldview which advocates for more Biblical,traditional sexual morality.

I have been monitoring the developments within thePresbyterian Church (USA) these last two years.Their move toward changing denominational policyin regards to ordination and marriage, as well as theresulting conflict, has been remarkably similar towhat happened in the ELCA. And what most of usexperienced in the ELCA — starting in 2009 — wasremarkably similar to what happened in theEpiscopal Church beginning in 2004.

How do we account for the amazing similarity inregards to the issues in three denominations — allwithin the period of approximately eight years?

I believe it is because these changes were, to alarge degree, driven by our culture.

However, one of the challenges for NALC, LutheranCORE, and LCMC congregations is not to slip intothe trap of defining their mission in reference to thissingle controversy. In other words, we need to bedefined primarily by what we are for — includingfaithfulness to Scripture and the Great Commission— rather than by what we are against.

So what about your congregation’s ministry? Areyou keeping the changing American ministrycontext in mind as you lead your congregation andplan for the future?

Pastor Don Brandt serves as pastor of OurSavior’s Lutheran Church in Salem, Ore. You maycontact him at DonB@oursaviorssalem.org.

Canadian RockiesTheological Conf.“Strong Medicine: The Lutheran Doctrine ofVocation as Antidote to the Lethal Me Culture ofToday” is the theme of the annual CanadianRockies Theological Conference May 5-8 inCanmore, Alberta. Featured speakers are Dr. UweSiemon-Netto and the Rev. Dr. Walter Sundberg.

Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto is the Executive Director ofthe Center for Lutheran Theology and Public Life inCapistrano Beach, Calif. A native of Leipzig,Germany, he has been an international journalistfor 53 years. In mid-career, he turned to theology,earning degrees from the Lutheran School ofTheology at Chicago and Boston University.

Dr. Sundberg is Professor of Church History atLuther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He has earneddegrees from St. Olaf College and PrincetonTheological Seminary. His books include Worshipas Repentance and The Bible in Modern Culture.

More information on the conference is available atwww.thenalc.org. or by contacting Pastor PhillipGagnon at pastorphil@me.com.

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