Pastor Willard Chipembere emphatically invited us into the parsonage at Chisomo, Thyolo (31 May 2021). He was excited. He couldn’t wait to show us something in the house. Because I had been there before, I had an inkling of what it was going to be. Walking down the hallway we came to a room from which came a lot of chirping. Chickens! Not just one or two but 100! Pastor Chipembere picked up one tiny chick in his hand and presented it to us with great joy. He then continued to explain more about his chicken business, and with a wave of his hand, he showed us all that was under his roof. Mind you, these were not just in an outbuilding, they were in his home. His face shone. Eyes glimmered. Voice, exuberant. He was filled with great joy.

I have known about his passion for chickens for years now. Though I didn’t get a picture of him that day with the little chick in his hand, I did some years ago with ones that were much bigger and more mature than chicks at the time. After showing us his pride and joy, we then hit the road. We were on our way to a Professional Development Class at the base of Mount Mulanje in the Southern Region of Malawi.

The Word and his Work

Five of us got together to work on learning about and designing engaging Bible Studies. Along with the other participants, Pastor Chipembere designed and presented his draft Bible Study to our pastors’ group. As eager and joyful as Pastor Chipembere had been to tell us about his chickens, he was even more excited to eventually present his newly crafted Bible Study to the church councilmen of his three congregations. He had something especially important and relevant to share. And he took it seriously. In fact, at the class, he wrote on paper what was already inscribed on his heart: “It is my responsibility as a pastor to teach Bible Studies!”

He not only took his work and responsibility seriously but also joyfully. As he was working on designing his Bible Study, he dug into 1 Timothy 3:1-10 and Ezekiel 11:1-12. He wanted to highlight the Godly qualities and lifestyle of a leader in the church.

Pastor Chipembere looked forward to reviewing our course material, reading deeper, and reworking his draft Bible Study; he especially was excited to finally present it to the congregation elders. In his hands was not a chicken to eat – but a Bible study to digest and share. After the class was over, we drove to Pastor Chipembere’s house and dropped him off. No doubt his family – and his feathered friends – were excited to see him.

The News and the Questions

Several days later, on Wednesday, 9 June 2021 the news was spreading as quickly as it came: Pastor Chipembere was called home to heaven. On that day he had taken his motorcycle for a ride. He was suddenly killed in a terrible traffic accident. A head-on collision. The funeral was the next day (10 June 2021).

This time when I saw him, I was actually viewing him, as were the other funeral attendees. This time his face was lifeless. Eyes closed. Voice silenced. But the church? Deafening with the sounds of grief. I can only imagine the questions swirling around in the pained hearts of the family, friends, congregation members, and community:

Was this God’s will? (Did God will him to die this way?)

Why him? (He was a pastor, ordained in 2006, who devoted his life to the full-time gospel ministry!)

Why now? (He was only 51 years old and was supporting a family).

I don’t know all the questions the family and others were asking, but don’t we, too, wonder how to answer all the questions that do get asked by people who have endured similar grief and pain? How does one offer comfort? The same way Pastor Chipembere would have done: with the Scriptures and the sure promises of God.

JESUS CHRIST: The Answer and the Comfort

Though at times in the church and at the outside funeral gatherings there were sounds of mourning and pain, there were also words and hymns of Hope and Promises and Good News: Jesus was the Answer and the Comfort!

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25).

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor.15: 55-57).

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…” (Romans 8:28).

God’s Pride and Joy

During the funeral, it hit me: while we were grieving the loss of an LCCA pastor and while the family was mourning the loss of a husband/father, heaven was celebrating a homecoming! Not a loss, but a gain!

I can just imagine Jesus enthusiastically ushering Willard Chipembere into his House with a wave of his scarred hand, “Come in! Come in! I want to show you something…” Or better yet, “someone.” Here’s Paul. And here’s Elijah. Meet Lydia. And, oh, let me introduce you to James and John. And here’s…“well, here’s… my Father!” Or maybe with every newcomer to heaven He will begin with His Father!

“To him who is able to…present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy!” (Jude 24)

Stunning. Jesus has presented each and every one of his servants to his Father. Father, here’s Willard Chipembere! Look at Jesus. His face shining. Eyes glimmering. Voice exuberant! Jesus filled with great joy presenting yet another one of his blood-redeemed brothers. This time…Willard Chipembere.

Presented without fault. (Sins paid for by Jesus) Presented with great joy. (What an introduction!) Presented by God Himself who knows what it’s like to die a terrible death. And did so willingly, taking our own faults upon Himself. What Jesus achingly uttered about Jerusalem years ago he still desires today: “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37)

One day it will be your turn and your time to finally reach home. To join the ultimate gathering. A longing fulfilled. Ushered in by Jesus. And as Jude (verse 24) assures, Jesus will…Present you…with great joy.

Missionary John Holtz lives in Malawi

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

Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8)

It’s natural to share the Gospel with the members of our family household. We have many opportunities to apply God’s Word as we spend time together with people we love. However, it can also be very difficult to share our faith with our family, because no one knows our weaknesses and failures better than the members of our own household.

Nearly one out of two Ethiopians are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the historic faith of the Ethiopian nation. Although there is freedom of religion in Ethiopia, Christians of other Protestant denominations make up a very small minority. Yet in spite of these significant cultural challenges, the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia (LCE) is growing, as its members share their faith one household at a time.

The Household of Lam Nhial Luak

Lam Nhial Luak is an ethnic Nuer Sudanese who was born in Ethiopia and lived in the Gambella refugee camp. In his late teens, Lam became a Christian and began preaching God’s Word to his fellow refugees. His church elders sent him to Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary, where he observed how some senior pastors and teachers played up their ethnic and tribal identities to the point where it caused bad feelings and divisions among the students.

Lam was ready to leave after two years at Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary when he met Dr. Allen Sorum, the director of the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. At his advice, Lam completed his degree at Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary, and then in 2020, he enrolled at the LCE’s school of ministry, Maor Lutheran Theological Seminary, located in the city of Bishoftu.

Lam moved to Bishoftu with his household. His nephew Akot Tut Luak was baptized and confirmed along with three of Lam’s own children. May God use these young Nuer Christians to help Lam build the Lutheran church in Gambella.

The Household of Col. Berhanu Merka Bedecho

Colonel (ret.) Berhanu Merka Bedecho has been the Chairman of the General Assembly of the LCE since its beginning. Col. Berhanu Merka served in the Ethiopian Air Force in Bishoftu until his retirement. His consistent Christian life and example led his brother Yohannes Merka Bedecho and sister-in-law Tsehay Godana Halala to visit and join the LCE.

Coming from a Calvinist background, Tsehay and their two children were baptized in the LCE. Yohannes is also an officer in the Ethiopian Air Force and works as a soldier, nurse, and pharmacist helping soldiers on the war front in Ethiopia and in neighboring South Sudan as part of the Peace Keeping Force for the past two years.

The Household of Berhanu Badebo

Berhanu Badebo is currently serving in the Defense Force of Ethiopia. Coming from a Muslim background, Christ brought him to faith about fifteen years ago. After hearing the preaching of an evangelist from the Lutheran church near his home village, Berhanu Badebo was baptized and immediately deployed to the war front in northern Ethiopia. During a recent short leave from military duty, he saw the LCE’s sign and cross with Luther’s seal on top of their G+4 building.

The four members of the Berhanu Badebo household joined the LCE. Berhanu Badebo confirmed his faith as a Lutheran and then returned to the war front. After careful and lengthy instruction his wife Hana Adem Wako, who also comes from a Muslim background, confirmed her faith in Christ in the presence of her husband and their two children. Hana is very happy that the Holy Spirit led her to confess Jesus as her Savior.

The Household of Kebede Getachew Yigezu

Rev. Dr. Kebede Getachew Yigezu is the LCE’s founder and President of Maor Lutheran Theological Seminary. Like the teaching household of Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:24-26), the members of the Kebede’s household are actively involved in leading instruction classes for new members of the LCE. Rev. Dr. Kebede’s son Efrem, who is currently studying for the ministry at Maor Lutheran Theological Seminary, led Berhanu Badebo through 32 lessons of Adult Instruction Class. Rev. Dr. Kebede’s wife Genet Degefa Edea met with Berhanu Badebo’s wife Hana twice a week to teach her Luther’s Catechism. Rev. Dr. Kebede himself taught Lam’s three children and his nephew, as well as Yohannes and Tsehay. We join with the LCE in celebrating the historic confirmation of these seven new members and ask God to continue building up the household of believers in Ethiopia (Gal. 6:10).

Missionary John Roebke lives in Malawi and is the Director of Communications for One Africa Team

Learn more about WELS mission work in the United States and in other countries around the globe at https://tasteofmissions.com/

I serve as the One Africa Team liaison to the LCMC Kenya, one of WELS’ partners in Africa. COVID has kept me from visiting the churches in Kenya for the last 18 months. Nevertheless, God has been giving me many opportunities to assist and support our Gospel partners in East Africa.

Online Teaching in Kenya

16 national pastors and 17 national evangelists serve 46 LCMC churches in Kenya. In 2019, eight of those evangelists began taking courses towards earning a diploma to serve their church body as ordained pastors. The Pastoral Studies Institute of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary committed funding a 3-year course of instruction that included in-person visits by WELS teachers before COVID, and online instruction since the start of the pandemic.

In December 2020 I began teaching Koiné Greek online to these students. When I studied Greek many years ago, my teachers taught me a lot of grammar in a very short time. This is a method of teaching “dead languages” that has served generations of WELS pastors well. However, it presupposes that the student has a good understanding of how grammar works.

My Kenyan students are gifted language learners and are able to speak 3-5 different languages, including English, Swahili, and local tribal dialects. However, due to their limited educational background, we decided to use a conversational approach to teaching Greek. Incidentally, teachers are using the same method at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Malawi.

Biblical Language Center is an online school for teaching Greek and Hebrew as spoken languages. The website hosts videos and quizzes that encourage students to learn the same way that children learn – by listening and repeating what they hear. Each student has an account they can access at any time during the week. I host a live session with the students once a week on Google Meet. I use the time to set the stage for a section of the video content.

For example, to teach vocabulary about farming I filled a tub with dirt and used puppets and spoons to pantomime the actions of carrying shovels, digging and planting vines. I ask the students in Greek what the puppets are doing, and they must respond with the appropriate forms of the verbs and nouns. Compared to the way I learned Greek many years ago, we are making very slow progress. On the other hand, my students are able to speak simple Greek sentences using the correct grammar – something that I never was able to do until now. They have made truly amazing progress.

Building Projects in Kenya

WELS and LCMC are also partnering to provide houses of worship for several congregations. Some congregations have been able to raise funds locally to purchase property and to begin building the walls of their churches. With funds provided by WELS donors, LCMC congregations are able to complete the construction of simple worship facilities.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is located in the village of Ponge, near the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. The congregation of 85 members had been worshipping in rented school property and also under shade trees. After an elderly female member of the church donated the land for a permanent structure, the group quickly began raising the walls of their new church.

Samson Mambo, one of the students currently enrolled in the diploma program, serves as the congregation’s Evangelist. He visits sick church members and prays for them. Evangelist Mambo also teaches Sunday School, leads Bible class, and preaches sermons. The congregation is made up of teachers, builders, drivers, electricians, and small-scale farmers. With the funds from WELS, the congregation completed the construction of their church walls, poured cement pillars to support the roof, cut down trees to build trusses, and purchased iron sheets and nails for the roof.

On May 23, 2021, President Mark Onunda of the LCMC Kenya presided over the dedication of the new worship facility. A large group of people from the community joined the members of St. Paul in thanking God for this new house of prayer in Ponge. You can watch a video of the celebration on One Africa Team’s YouTube channel.

There are another five churches in Kenya waiting to receive assistance in constructing new worship facilities. I thank God for the opportunity to facilitate these projects and to “hold up the prophets’ hands” (Ex. 17:12) as OAT liaison to the churches in Kenya.

Missionary John Roebke lives in Malawi

Please join us for Taste of Missions, an online missions experience, from July 11-17, 2021. Get to know more about WELS home and world missionaries like you never have before, and experience mission work firsthand through short video updates, live Q&A sessions, activities and recipes for the entire family, daily devotions, and a live worship service where we commission new missionaries on July 17. You may register at no cost at https://tasteofmissions.com/