ELS Officers (left to right): Rev. Michael Smith, Vice President, 
Rev. Glenn Obenberger, President, and Rev. Craig Ferkenstad, Secretary.

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) held its annual convention from June 26-30, 2022 at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. The convention essay, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word” was delivered by Pastor S. Piet Van Kampen.
 
The new president of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Rev. Timothy Hartwig, was installed during a special Sunday service. Videos of the convention, including the installation, are available at www.vimeo.com/lutheranism.

Elections were held for the positions of President and Vice President. Rev. Glenn Obenberger was elected president after completing the term of Rev. John Moldstad, Jr., who was taken to be with his Lord in Heaven in January 2021. Rev. Michael Smith was elected as Vice President of the ELS.

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod was pleased to receive greetings from many of our friends in the CELC. The fellowship that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ is truly a treasure.

Submitted by Rev. Paul Fries, ELS Communication Director

Essayist Rev. S. Piet Van Kampen

Installation of Rev. Timothy Hartwig as President of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary
In Trinity Chapel at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota

 

From June 10-12, 2022, the pastors and delegates from the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (ELFK) in Germany gathered in Trinity Church of Chemnitz for the 94th Convention. The 15 parishes were represented by two delegates each.

The doctrinal presentation dealt with “The Relevance of a Lutheran Confessional Church in a Pluralistic Environment.” ELFK’s vice president Rev. Jörg Kubitschek started in his speech with the changing conditions of the times and contrasted them with the lasting significance of biblical revelation. In the course of human history, nothing has changed about the fact that we human beings are sinners who are guilty again and again, and that God, in his grace through Christ, gives us eternal salvation. Because this message is never heard in most churches of our day, the ministry of a small confessional church like ELFK is urgently needed and in demand. How much the clear biblical Lutheran message is sought after is shown by the requests that reach our congregations again and again.

The convention heard reports on the work done in the various offices and committees since the last convention in 2021. As usual, these will be printed in the convention report booklet later. The motions addressed to the synod were adopted unanimously or by a large majority. They dealt with necessary adjustments to the salary and pension regulations and the directive on the work of the Concordia Bookstore. The convention gave its approval to the eighth part of the CELC confession “The Eternal Word” with the German title “God’s Work.”

Much time was taken up by the regular elections of the synodical council and the committee chairpersons. President Michael Herbst was confirmed in his office for a second term. In addition to Rev. J. Kubitschek, Rev. A. Drechsler, and church treasurer M. Voigt, Mr. Markus Riedel (Hartenstein) was newly elected to the synodical council. There were also new appointments for the chairmen of the Office of Church Music (Rev. A. Hoffmann), the Youth Team (Rev. M. Soucek), the Advisory Board of the Concordia Bookstore (R. Bruske), the Seminary Board of Trustees (Dr. M. Stöhr), the School Committee (Rev. M. Drechsler), and the Community Day Team (Rev. T. Hübener).

On Sunday, the convention celebrated a joyful service for the Feast of Holy Trinity in the fully occupied Trinity Church of Chemnitz. President M. Herbst preached on 2 Cor 5:18-21. In the afternoon meeting, guests from the USA (Prof. J. Danell and Prof. Souksamay Phetsanghane) and Albania (Rev. N. Bishka) were welcomed and reports were given on the mission work in the North of Germany (Rev. M. Wilde) and on the practical organization of the church fellowship with the FELS in Würzburg, which exists now for 10 years. The Chemnitz congregation was warmly thanked for their hospitality.

Submitted by ELFK President Michael Herbst

            The installation of ELFK officers in Trinity Church in Chemnitz

 

Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI) held its 17th Synod Convention on July 27-28, 2022 at the new campus of Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL is the seminary of GLI) which is located on the island of Java. The convention theme was: “The One Who Calls You Is Faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Rev. Gregory Bey, the WELS Friendly Counselor to GLI, was in attendance and shared greetings on behalf of the WELS Asia One Team (AOT). 

The delegates, some of whom attended virtually via an Internet connection, approved a few revisions to the by-laws of GLI’s constitution. They also elected new officers to the Badan Pengurus Harian (BPH), which is the synodical administrative board. Those elected to serve are:

• Chairman:  Pastor Medi Sutrisno 

• Vice-chair:  Pastor Lefinus 

• Secretary:  Pastor Bambang

• Treasurer:  Pastor Indra  

• Asst. Treasurer: Pastor Suryadi 

• Financial Officer: Mr. Mampelas 

The newly elected BPH was authorized by the convention to appoint officers for the next period of service to the Yayasan, which is the legal business arm of the church. It also serves as the board of control for the seminary.

Rev. Medi Sutrisno, the new GLI chairman, will now serve as GLI’s liaison to CELC. His contact information is:

• Cell Phone and WhatsApp:  +62 852-1719-0118

• Email:  medi_sutrisno81ok@yahoo.co.id

Some other noteworthy news:

• Pastor Agus Prasetyo, who serves at STTL as a Greek and Hebrew dosen (professor), recently was awarded the degree of Doctor of Theology. Dr. Prasetyo is also the curriculum coordinator for the seminary. 

• GLI now has 30 pastors and 5 vicars.

• STTL has 27 seminary students on campus, many of whom are graduates of SMAK Lutheran.

• SMAK Lutheran has 45 high school students on campus. 

• WELS Asia One Team is calling for a full-time Friendly Counselor to GLI. Pastor Gregory Bey retired from this position at the end of 2019. Since then, he has been filling the role on a quarter-time basis.

GLI is grateful for the fellowship it shares with all CELC members and friends. It asks that our brothers and sisters in Christ join us in prayers of intercession and thanksgiving to our gracious God and Savior for its newly elected leaders and for its worker training program conducted by STTL and SMAK. It also asks for prayers to the Lord of the Church to provide a new WELS Friendly Counselor to serve as an advisor to GLI.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Submitted by Rev. Gregory Bey

Newly elected and appointed officers of Gereja Lutheran Indonesia with Rev. Gregory Bey

Chairman Medi Sutrisno

 Dr. Agus Prasetyo

Main entrance to the new campus of STTL
 

A dear friend of the CELC, Eugene G. Schulz, entered eternal life in heaven on July 26, 2022 at the age of 99. Gene was the first treasurer of the CELC, serving in that position for sixteen years from 1993-2009. 

Long-time CELC participants will remember Gene as a congenial layman with a passion for church work, especially world missions. In his service to the CELC, he set the finances of the CELC on a solid footing in its early years. He also served as the CELC convention photographer for many years. The nice collection of early convention photos on the CELC website is Gene’s handiwork.

His service to the church in other areas included service at his home church, Atonement Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, and in various capacities for the WELS. He served on the WELS Investment Board for 27 years, and in the 1980s-1990s he and his wife were sent to most of the WELS foreign mission fields by the WELS Board for World Missions. 

Another significant component in Gene’s life was his military service. He fought in World War II in France, Germany, and Austria, and subsequently was active in veterans’ groups throughout his life, even authoring two books about his military experiences. In 2019, the French government awarded Gene the medal of Chevalier (Knight) in the Legion of Honor for his service.

Gene is survived by his wife of 72 years, Eleanore, and a large family, including five sons and sixteen grandchildren. His son Mark is the current treasurer of the CELC.  

Funeral services were held on July 30, 2022 at Atonement in Milwaukee. The sermon text was 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, and the pastor highlighted how the sting of death has been overcome through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The closing hymn, selected by Gene, was Paul Gerhardt’s “Lord, When Your Glory I Shall See.” 

We thank God for the remarkable life that he gave to Eugene Schulz, including his invaluable service to the CELC. Especially, we thank God for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life provided through Jesus, and for keeping Eugene in the saving faith until the end.

  
                Eugene and Eleanore Schulz with Ingeborg and Gerhard Wilde
                                                  Germany – 2017

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