Children are a reflection of their parents.  Four young Lutheran children in Lilongwe recently reflected our church’s value of teaching our children the Word of God.

The Bible Society of Malawi is an interdenominational organization that exists to translate and distribute Bibles in Malawi.  Recently, they ran a children’s Bible Quiz for any Christian church in the capital city of Lilongwe.  The contest included passage recitation and dramatic performances of Bible stories.  Over 300 churches participated at the first round of quizzes.  One of those churches was Mtendere (Peace) Lutheran Church, a member of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa – Malawi Synod. Each congregation sent one pair of students in the 3-8-year-old range, and another pair in the 9-12-year-old range.  

Mtendere is a small church with about 150 in attendance each Sunday.  Our children were going up against children from the larger Reformed, Catholic, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches in Lilongwe.   To everyone’s surprise, our children made it through the first round of the context, where the 300 congregations were pared down to only 71.   Our children passed through the second round as well, where another 50 congregations were eliminated. 

In the final round, our children were competing against 21 other big congregations.  The church hosting this event was a big Pentecostal church with thousands of members and served by several pastors.   No one had expected this little unknown Lutheran church to make it to this stage.  Our children were cheered on by all their friends in the Mtendere Youth Choir, who were dressed in matching uniforms. 

As it turns out, the contest fell apart.  It seems some of the contestants were coached on the answers ahead of time.  But our children performed their stories well and recited their passages perfectly.  They showed how much Lutherans value the Word, because in the Scripture we find eternal life in Christ.  We give thanks to God for these children, their parents, their Sunday School teacher and pastor for reflecting our values to many others in Lilongwe.

Watch a video of the children telling Bible stories

Missionary Paul Nitz, Malawi

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

 Tapulumutsidwa.

I know, I know, it’s a mouthful. But even more-so, it’s meaningful. This one 14 letter ChiChewa word translates into one, four-word English sentence: “We have been saved!” It’s actually the name of a congregation in the southern region of Malawi.  Great name for a church, don’t you think?

Gilbert Mwangomba does.  He’s the LCCA pastor who serves it.   He has the privilege of making the awesome announcement again and again to the people, “Tapulumutsidwa! We have been saved from sin and guilt! We have been saved from eternal death and the grave! We have been saved from the devil and damnation!” But that’s only the half of it! Not only are we saved from the bad, we are also saved for the good.  Saved for serving God and one another!

Pastor Mwangomba has been doing that at Tapulumutsidwa where he was called and ordained in 2014. Despite the “oneness” that pastor and congregation have in Jesus Christ, Mwangomba admits, “It’s been an adjustment.”  Gilbert, his wife Monica and his five children, are “strangers in a foreign land.”

They are Malawian but they not from the same tribe as most of the people in the congregation.  The majority of the people at Tapulumutsidwa are Lomwe and Chewa.  The Mwangombas are Ngonde from the northern region of Malawi.  That means different background, different language, different ways.

Though he loves his heritage, Mwangomba acknowledges that some of the cultural practices are not in line with God’s Word.  Polygamy is rampant.  Imagine, some Ngonde men, Mwangomba shared, have up to 36 wives!  Like a thorn in flesh, polygamy is embedded stubbornly deep.  It would take a miracle to extract it! But for some, it has.  Mwangomba knows some men who have repented of their polygamy and settled down with just one wife.  Oh, the power of the gospel! Saved from sin. Saved for serving the Lord!

Tapulumutsidwa!

Tapulumutsidwa is much more than just a name.  It’s a fabulous truth to live  by, even when we are in a den full of problems.  Recall Daniel, that Old Testament man who was targeted by his colleagues then tossed to the lions.  In a way, Daniel, too, had Tapulumutsidwa written all over his life.  Saved from the big cats and saved to serve the King. By the way, Daniel’s story is one of Pastor Mwangomba’s favorites.  “I am inspired how Daniel stands up for the truth,” remarks Mwangomba.

That’s exactly what Martin Luther did!  Pastor Mwangomba compares Daniel to the great Reformer, Martin Luther: “They both stood strong on the Word of God.”  Mwangomba is excited for the celebration of the 500^th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.  So moved by the stories of Daniel and Luther, Pastor Mwangomba has chosen to prepare a Bible Study that he plans to give in late October at the church’s Reformation gathering.  Not surprising at all, he’s entitled his presentation appropriately, “Standing Strong on God’s Word.”

Daniel and Luther stood before kings and yet stood for the truth, a truth that now stands for eternity.  Just a hunch, but I think I know two people whom Pastor Mwangomba will seek out once he himself gets to heaven. Who knows, maybe they will greet each other with one word:

Tapulumutsidwa!

Missionary John Holtz, Malawi

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

​Even as God once used Aaron to assist Moses, so he moved Benford Kawiliza, a native-born pastor of considerable experience, to mentor Missionary Dan Sargent 28 years ago.  That’s how he eventually learned to speak the Chichewa language, and to understand the African culture. He has let his ministry be guided by three meaningful African proverbs.  The first is:  “Gather stick by stick to make a bundle”   Indeed, that’s how the mission field has grown – one congregation at a time until now the numbers astound: 113 congregations … 33 pastors … and since 2012, every rural congregation served by its own native-born pastor!

“If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together”  That’s the second proverb and it was also applied. It took some time, but encouraged by his mentor, Missionary Sargent patiently taught the men how to lead the congregations and the women how to teach the children.  After still more time, The WELS built a training center to further develop the abilities of promising young men from the area. 

And after still more time, the most promising of those were enrolled in the Bible Institute for three more years of training; and then, the most promising of those were recommended to the Pastoral Seminary for three more years of study, and one of ‘on-the-job’ training. And now, after all that time and teaching, God, in keeping with His promise, is giving African pastors as gifts to His African church.

The third and final proverb can also be applied to the ‘maturing of a mission church’ if you understand that African mothers use slings to carry newly born babies about on their back where the baby can feel secure and be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the mother’s walking or working.  That beautiful picture helps to explain the proverb: “The child on the mother’s back does not know the journey is long”.  And so it is with an infant church … so long as it is being carried, it can rest and even sleep!  But eventually, as it grows, it must be awakened and made to realize its responsibilities.  

As it grew, the Lutheran Church of Central Africa was helped to see and assume an ever-greater share of its responsibilities.  Already in 1980, its members resolved, under God, to gradually increase their offerings so that within twenty (20) more years the salaries of all their native-born pastors would be fully funded by the congregations.  And when that goal had been achieved, God moved them to assume 20% of the cost of their parsonages as well!

Today, only four (4) WELS missionaries are needed to help supervise that entire field.   It’s humbling to think that for the last seventy (70) years, the Lord has allowed us to take part in and rejoice over the growth of His Church in Zambia.  But it’s also exciting to know that mission planting continues … in Ethiopia, Sudan, Liberia, Tanganyika, and Kenya, because it takes time for the seed to grow and for the crop to mature. 

So with those African proverbs in mind, let’s continue to support with our fervent prayers and generous offerings ‘the sowing of the seed and the maturing of the crop’ because the question – ‘How much time is left?’ –  can only be answered by our returning Savior who said: “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Rev. 22:12)

Rev. Dan Westendorf served as the chairman of the Administrative Committee for African Missions

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