After five years of study through some very unique circumstances, both Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria at Uruk Uso and All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria, based in Ogoja, graduated nine men on 11th June 2022. Coincidentally, up until that day, each of those synods had nine men in the ministry. We praise the Lord for these men who will shepherd God’s people with the truth of his Word, doubling the ministerium of their church bodies.
Perhaps something more should be said about the “unique circumstances” of their training. For many years, teachers from the USA came four or five times per year. Those men would review the studies of the men since the last visiting teacher, teach new material at the Uruk Uso seminary, and give direction (and sometimes material) for the coming months until another teacher could come again. In the meantime, Director Paul Udo would supervise and, well “direct” the studies (I think that’s how he earned the title “Director”).
It didn’t work that way this time.
WELS was blessed to provide feeding funds for the students and materials for them to study, but no manpower. Director Udo and I tried to communicate from time to time, but internet was not always reliable, and the two of us were both going in several different directions at the same time. So it felt. It’s been a crazy five years and we have all learned much. I’d like to think that our students learned about the need to revise and adapt to get the job done—an essential skill for a blessed ministry.
Pastor Udo and I tried to do our part as well as possible, but at the end of the day, we are trusting the Holy Spirit to do the majority of the work in our Nigerian men. Maybe that isn’t so unique—in all of our worker training programs and generally in all of our kingdom-building work—we depend heavily on the Holy Spirit for success.
To God be the glory!
Submitted by Missionary Daniel Kroll
Celebration with the graduates in their graduation suits
