“Chin up, Daniel.”  I didn’t see the person encouraging me. The voice from the crowd lifted my spirits.

I was nearing the end of a long race in Cape Town, South Africa. So sore. So weary.

But the person who spied my name on my running bib gave me new energy. He or she used my name.

It was hearing Daniel. That spurred me on. Likewise, I want to encourage you to run with perseverance the race marked out for you and to encourage others in Christ.

Can you hear me calling out your name? Across the ocean, a voice urges you, “Chin up, ___________.” Insert your name. I am praying God re-energizes you by the Spirit of his risen Son.

So how does it work these days to be a missionary on the WELS One Africa Team? You never know. Here are a few recent stories.

Joseph

First, picture Joseph, a black South African. He was my Uber driver the day before the race. Besides driving people around Cape Town, South Africa, he is an administrator and evangelist at his church.

I asked Joseph, “Would you like free training in God’s Word so that you can teach others better?”

“Yes!” he said.

I shared a few details about the TELL network. While in the car I sent him a quick WhatsApp message: “Tellnetwork.org … Free Bible teaching classes.”

(In the States, you may text friends. Your One Africa Team missionaries usually WhatsApp others. About 2.5 billion people use WhatsApp worldwide. It is Africa’s main messaging platform.)

Ten hours later, Joseph replied back on WhatsApp about TELL, “I communicated to these people and am busy answering some questions.”

“Is really very nice teachings.”

Lovemore

Next comes Lovemore. Not joking. That’s his name. He’s my barber in Lusaka, Zambia.

When I was in Pretoria, South Africa after the race, trying to get a visa to Cameroon, Lovemore wrote me on WhatsApp.

“Hi Sir good morning. I saw the link you sent me but am having difficulty to login.”

He meant the link I had sent him on his phone to start TELL Network classes before I left for South Africa.

TELL starts with self-guided courses. It goes on to live Zoom-based classes. It’s about learning God’s Word so you or a friend can teach it to others.

You can tell friends about TELL too. Tell the person who cuts your hair about TELL. Who knows where it will lead?

(By God’s Spirit: Love. More!)

Anonymous

That same Monday morning I also entered the High Commission of the Republic of Cameroon in Pretoria. There another man encouraged me. I wish I asked him his name.

Here is what happened. I found out at the consular services window that I had not brought enough Rand, the South African currency. I had R2500, per a recent email from the High Commission.

The fee, though, had just gone up to R2750. They do not take card payments.

I apologized to the official at the window. I promised I would come back with the needed money the same morning. My plan was to walk to an ATM 20 minutes away.

Then a tall Cameroonian man who never met me before took a second look at me and my clerical collar. He paid the difference (about $14).

“Merci beaucoup,” I said over and over. “Thank you very much.”

Mike

That night I had supper at a local pizza restaurant. The waiter recognized me from the previous time I had been there in 2022.

Was it my clerical collar again? Mike said, “Oh, yeah, you told me about those TELL classes.”

“Did you try them?”

“Yes, I took several.”

Mike is outgoing, so I took a chance to probe. “Can I ask you a question?” I said. “Do you have a suggestion how to make TELL classes better?”

He thought hard. “No,” he said, “I can’t think of anything. They’re just perfect for me.”

Joseph, Lovemore, the anonymous man at the embassy, and Mike: All four encouraged me in the Lord so much.

“Chin up, Daniel!”

Innocent and Happy

As I got to the airport for the last leg of the trip, my waitress at the coffee shop had her name on a tag: Innocent.

The flight back was on a small plane with one attendant. Her name was Happy. She took the time to ask me about which church I’m from. (Was it the collar, a third time?) She told me her grandmother goes to a Lutheran church I visit now and then in Lusaka.

“Chin up, Daniel!”

Jesus is Innocent, and he took your place on the cross, so your name is Innocent too.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and he was happy to tell women that his scared disciples were his brothers.

Happy? In Jesus, you will be so delighted when he reappears and judges you innocent by his blood. You will reign with him on the new earth. Our joy in Him and in all who love Him will only grow.

Joseph, Lovemore, the anonymous donor, Mike, Innocent, Happy. Do you hear what they are saying to you from far away?

Don’t quit now. The finish line is close. Keep witnessing, keep encouraging, and keep praying. Jesus is coming soon. “Chin up, ______________.”

Missionary Dan Witte lives in Lusaka, 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

Missionaries Benjamin Foxen and John Roebke received a warm welcome to Tanzania last month, as part of One Africa Team’s Four-Stage Outreach process.

We landed just south of the equator and felt the heat immediately. Visiting Tanzania at the end of its dry season is not the thing to do if you’re looking for cool weather.

Missionary John Roebke and I came to Tanzania to continue discussions with a local Lutheran church body, the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC). We want to see if our church bodies share the same Scriptural beliefs and practices. We hope that one day we will be able to work together united in faith.

AMEC’s leader, Bishop Baltazar Kaaya, met us at the airport late at night and showed us to our lodgings. The next day he gave us a tour of a couple of congregations up in the foothills of Mt. Meru. As we drove, he explained how the lack of rain had been starting to affect their crops. “We’re praying for rain so that our people will have food to eat,” he said. Eventually, though, the dry areas began to give way to more green. Bishop Kaaya explained, “As we get higher on the mountain, we find areas that receive more rain.” It was quite a contrast.

Later in the day, we had the opportunity to witness an interesting piece of culture. The elders of a village recognized a man as the new leader of his family. This was a celebration somewhat reminiscent of a new pastor’s ordination or installation. All the other family heads gathered to speak their blessing upon this man in the presence of the entire clan. Many people were gathered. Though we felt a little out of place at this event, we were treated as honored guests. We were even asked to speak blessings of our own as if we were part of the clan.

Throughout the week, the Tanzanian people continued to show us their warm welcome and hospitality. The church members gave us places of honor at their worship services. They made us feel at home with them, and that feeling increased. As the week progressed we saw familiarity in how the people approached the Word of God. In our daily workshop sessions, we explored that Word together. We used Luther’s Small Catechism as a guide to see whether we were on the same page. We found a group of people committed to the truth and zealous to put it into practice.

AMEC is a group of almost 100 Lutheran congregations in northern Tanzania. Most of the congregations are concentrated near Mt. Meru, with a few more around Mt. Kilimanjaro to the east. They are reaching out to other areas as well. AMEC’s newest effort is in the coastal business center of Dar es Salaam. Islam is the dominant religion in this area, but the pastor there is working to bring the soothing peace of the gospel to the city’s people. It is living water for thirsty hearts!

At the end of our time together, the workshop participants surprised us with another warm gesture. They presented us with shukas, the traditional garment of the Masai people. Many of the people in this area of Tanzania belong to this ethnic group. It was a wonderful gift that expressed a profound truth: they wanted us to be part of their “tribe.” This is something that we want too! And what a blessing it was to see all the things on which our churches agree!

The weather isn’t the only thing keeping Tanzania warm. The faith of these people is a warm welcome in this cold world. It is faith in the same God we serve and worship. We pray that our visits with the people of AMEC will continue to bear the fruit of a common faith watered by God’s Word.

Missionary Ben Foxen lives in Zambia and coordinates One Africa Team’s Outreach efforts across the continent.

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

The difference between new and old brooms is summarized in a proverb. “The new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners.” The meaning is that while youth brings energy to a situation, people with experience bring more knowledge.

A fresh set of eyes helps you see things you’ve overlooked or grown accustomed to. The Africa Regional CELC gathering in Lusaka, Zambia this month brought together both new and old WELS mission partners. The former brought fresh perspective and energy. The latter brought experience and encouragement. The exchange was invaluable for all.

A Practical Conference

The agenda set real-life ministry issues before the delegates. The first presentation addressed the pros and cons of church-run businesses. One of the “new brooms” represented at the conference was the LCMC-Kenya. Its president, Rev. Mark Anariko Onunda, delivered a paper on this topic. He wrote, “Our churches are poor and the poverty of the church workers leads to a crisis of the spirit.” Generally speaking, African pastors are poorly compensated by their members, due to various factors. Many African pastors operate small business ventures to help support their families. Some are more skilled at managing their time and money than others.

The first community of believers chose seven deacons to manage the financial affairs of the church. They left the apostles free to give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (Ac 6:4). Rev. Onunda noted that skilled laypeople can run church businesses well,. Pastors should concentrate on the spiritual needs of their flocks.

Training Shepherds

One Africa Team Leader Rev. Howard Mohlke led a Bible study on Christian service, both private and public. The number of organized African congregations is much higher than the number of ordained clergymen available to serve them. Many view the term “pastor” as a title of respect rather than as a calling to serve. Rev. Mohlke noted that the word “pastor” is a verb that means “to shepherd”. The shepherd’s job is to care for the needs of the sheep. All Christians have the gifts and responsibility to personally serve one another as members of Christ’s body. Some Christians have been called to serve in public ministry on behalf of the congregation. The essence of their work as public ministers is the same as that of all Christians. It is a humble, Spirit-filled service that focuses people’s attention on the Gospel of Christ.

The LCCA Zambia is one of the “old brooms”. One of the WELS’ oldest Gospel partners in Africa, Rev. Davison Mutentami is its President. His presentation touched on the kind of training needed for a healthy church. In his words, “Africa has been invaded by prophets and preachers from all walks of life. Africans have been invaded by teachings that are likely to deny them a chance to receive the true message of salvation by grace.” Many churches are led by people with no formal or informal Biblical training. Several African governments are considering legislation to require that pastors obtain a degree from an accredited institution.  

But training should not be limited to members of the clergy. One size does not fit all. There are many local church leaders who would benefit from training tailored to their needs and abilities. The curriculum of many Lutheran seminaries is a treasured heritage to be sure. However, there are other practical skills to learn that will benefit both pastors and their congregations. One of the delegates, a layperson, made the following insightful comment. “Theological education’s purpose isn’t to turn a man into a gospel minister, but to help him do gospel ministry.” That kind of training will certainly result in a healthy church.

A Layperson’s Perspective

An accountant by trade and a former Treasurer of the LCCA Zambia, Mr. Zororai Shoko delivered the fourth presentation. He very effectively demonstrated the need for financial accountability and transparency in the church.  Mr. Shoko made his case by citing examples from both the Bible and recent case studies. He wrote, “whenever a person in power – especially the power of handling finances – tries to avoid transparency and accountability, the Church is in danger.”

When Mr. Shoko served as the treasurer of a local congregation, members asked to borrow funds from the general offerings. He refused, even though this had been standard practice in the past. Some congregations did not have bank accounts, but offerings were handled single-handedly either by the treasurer or the pastor. This lack of checks and balances has damaging consequences for the pastor and the church. According to one study, in 2019 Christian organizations were estimated to have lost $68 billion due to fraud. In the same timeframe, donors were expected to give $60 billion for worldwide mission work.

Part of the reason for low offerings is a spiritual problem, but another is the lack of accountability. Fiscal malfeasance is endemic in the government. Nevertheless, Mr. Shoko remarked that “people expect more from the church than from the government.” The solution to these problems is simple. The church must establish clear procedures for counting, depositing, and accounting for funds entrusted to them. In the absence of such procedures, sinful human beings will take advantage of the opportunity. Mr. Shoko shared this final anecdote: A thief was asked if he would give up stealing. His reply? “Not if they remain so careless.”

Prayer Requests

Delegates from each of the seven synods attending the CELC Africa Regional meeting presented a brief history of their church bodies. They also mentioned requests for prayers. May I ask you to join me in praying for our African brothers?

• The Lutheran Church of Cameroon: pray that God end the current war that has led members from seven congregations to flee the region
• The LCMC-Kenya: pray that God will relieve the current famine and grant peaceful relations between various ethnic groups in the country
• The LCCA-Malawi Synod: pray that God will empower the leaders of the congregations and the synod as a whole to use offerings in a transparent and accountable way
• Obadiah Lutheran Synod (Uganda): pray that God will help them train church leaders and build up their church body’s infrastructure
• The LCCA-Zambia Synod: pray that God will grant pastors the courage to serve under extremely difficult circumstances and give the church body spiritual growth
• All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria: pray that God grant church members spiritual maturity
• The Lutheran Church of Ethiopia; pray that God grant more faithful leaders and financial stability for the church
• Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria pray that God bless the church body’s leadership to serve both God and the members faithfully

May God bless the efforts of both new and old brooms to sweep souls into His Kingdom everywhere!

Missionary John Roebke 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