A Surprise Visit

WELS Missionaries made a surprise visit to a group of Christians living in rural Cameroon. It is a surprise that the missionaries even made it to their destination.

Missionary Dan Kroll and I visited one of our outreach groups in Cameroon. This was a surprise for them and for us. The WELS had not approved any missionary travels outside of Douala prior to this, due to security concerns.

Surprise Permission

We have been in contact with this group for 5 years. The church we went to see was Holy Trinity congregation. The Lutheran Church of Holy Trinity is in village called Fondonera, in the mountains of Cameroon. We left from Dschang, which is the big city close to Fondonera, early Sunday morning.

This type of ministry was new to me and something that our team has not done in recent years. We had a long day of “beating the bush” and rough traveling outside the city. Our journey started early in the morning. We went down the wrong path at the beginning of the day and got stuck. Some locals passing by helped dig us out and push the truck.

While on the road, we got stuck a few times in the mud, where again locals helped dig us out. This made our trip take nearly 6 hours to arrive at our destination.

Joyful Arrival

Once we finally arrived, we were greeted by the congregation singing a welcoming song. They were so happy to see us. Their surprise was that we came to visit at this time. The roads are at their most challenging state for travel in that region. We were able to speak to the congregation and give words of encouragement. One woman from the congregation stood up and talked to us about the ministry there. She inquired about online training and learning in the future. We have encouraged the leaders of Holy Trinity to enroll in the TELL Network.

We were not able to stay very long because of the threat of rain. If it had rained, it would have been challenging to return to Dschang before nightfall. Even though it was a long and rough day of traveling, we made it there and back safely. We thank God we were able to surprise the members of Holy Trinity and encourage them. With the Lord’s continued blessing, their ministry will continue to grow!

Missionary Jake Vilhauer lives in Zambia.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news, and receive updates. Learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts at https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa

A New Bishop in Tanzania

The Apostle Paul once wrote to Timothy, “This is a faithful saying: if a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” (1 Timothy 3:1, NKJV). In other translations, the word “bishop” is rendered “overseer.” Regardless of the term used, the role carries the same weight: to care for Christ’s church, to faithfully teach God’s Word, and to lead with humility—much like a father guiding his family. Paul’s words remind us that this is indeed a noble calling.

A Historic Day in Arusha

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, just outside Arusha, Tanzania, a significant milestone was reached. After 17 years of faithful service, Bishop Baltazari Kaaya of the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC) consecrated Pastor Judah Pallangyo as the newly elected bishop. Bishop Pallangyo has long been a dedicated servant within AMEC, having served both as a pastor and as Secretary of Theological Training.

AMEC and WELS: A Growing Relationship

In recognition of the growing relationship between Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and AMEC, Missionary Howard Mohlke was invited to attend the consecration. The relationship between AMEC and the WELS began in 2020 through online conversations with Pastor Makundi Davis, leader of the Kilimanjaro District. The following year, WELS Missionary John Hartmann visited Tanzania, marking the beginning of a deeper partnership.

Over the past four years, WELS missionaries and members of the Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR) have met regularly with AMEC leaders, pastors, and elders. These meetings have focused on studying Scripture together and exploring whether a shared confession of faith exists—one that could be publicly affirmed through a declaration of fellowship.

A Pause for Reflection

Originally, it was hoped that a formal declaration of fellowship could be made at the 2025 WELS Synod Convention. However, as is often the case in ministry, plans can shift. Bishop Pallangyo has requested more time to revisit the statements of faith with AMEC’s pastors and elders before moving forward.

While this delay may be disappointing to some, it is also understandable. A new bishop stepping into such a pivotal moment naturally wants to ensure unity and clarity among his church leaders.

Looking Ahead with Hope

Even now as of this writing, further meetings for study among the pastors and elders of AMEC are scheduled, as well as meetings to discuss the future work of the WELS Mission Team with AMEC. We pray for God’s guidance and blessing on these discussions and on the future of AMEC’s relationship with WELS. May this new chapter under Bishop Pallangyo’s leadership be marked by wisdom, faith, and fruitful collaboration.

Missionary Howard Mohlke lives in Zambia and is the One Africa Team Leader

Seeking and Strengthening Synods in Uganda

What do you get when you add together 3 Ugandan synods, 2 missionaries from the One Africa Team, and 1 representative from our WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR)? A spiritually uplifting and productive cross-country journey!

At the beginning of April, Missionaries Foxen and Mohlke traveled to Uganda, rented a car, and struck out on unfamiliar roads to meet with representatives of two church bodies, or synods, who were seeking a relationship with WELS.

A Synod in Western Uganda

The first of these was the Confessional Lutheran Synod of Uganda (CLSU), headquartered in Ibanda in the hilly regions of western Uganda. The area was extremely pastoral, with beautifully green pasturelands and lots of cows. The leaders of the CLSU proved to be equally pastoral—very attentive to the spiritual needs of their people and eager to meet those needs to the best of their ability.

We visited a number of the local congregations and also got to see the site of their functioning seminary—a simple two rooms which housed a small library and a number of crowded bunks for students. A nearby church hall serves as their classroom.

The CLSU serves about 3,000 members with the gospel. Their seminary program has 7 students who will be graduating this December, with another 12 students ready to join the next intake.

A Synod in Central Uganda

After our time in Ibanda, we set out on the road again and headed east for 8 hours to arrive in Jinja in central Uganda, on the north banks of Lake Victoria, one of the sources for the Nile River. Here, we met with representatives from another synod, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Uganda, or ECACU for short. Though smaller than the CLSU (they serve about 950 members), we found them to be no less eager to share the truth of God’s word with others in their communities.

A large focus of their strategy for reaching out is schools, which they organize in communities that lack them, then organize congregations out of the people making use of the schools. Their largest school serves about 300 children.

Our visits with the leaders of both ECACU and CLSU were very encouraging when it came to discussing our respective beliefs about Scripture and their focus on gospel ministry. We are looking forward to continuing discussions to see if fellowship with these synods will be possible.

The Obadiah Lutheran Synod

After our time was done with ECACU, we drove back to the airport, where I dropped off Missionary Mohlke and picked up MLC Professor Nicholas Schmoller, who also serves on the WELS CICR. The two of us then drove further east, past Jinja to Bugiri, where our brothers in the Obadiah Lutheran Synod are located.

We were meeting with them to help them organize a written confession of faith which would be used as they apply for membership in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), the worldwide fellowship of churches that WELS is a part of. We spent three days with Pastor Musa and other leaders of the OLS, studying Scripture and putting on paper articles of faith especially important to them for their churches, communities, and context. The Lord blessed our work and allowed us to accomplish everything in the time we had available.

So, after 16 days on the road and about 1,300 kilometers driven, what did we have to show for it? New friendships established, old ones reaffirmed, and more opportunities to marvel at the grace of Lord Jesus, who makes us his coworkers in the ministry of his gospel! May he continue to bless our work with these three Ugandan synods!

Missionary Ben Foxen lives in Zambia