…correctly handling the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 EHV

For six days, over 30 men of varied theological and educational backgrounds came together as congregational shepherds of the Obadiah Lutheran Synod (OLS) in Uganda. What brought them together was a united confession faith adhering to the Lutheran Confessions, and a commitment to handle the word of God carefully.

In the past year, the OLS has been sharing its confession of faith with many people and throughout the country of Uganda. In response, many individuals, and groups are eager to be part of a church that focuses on the word of God.

However, as a young church body, it does not have a traditional worker training program and if it did, it would take years to prepare enough preachers to serve all the congregations. Therefore, the OLS has realized that it needs to equip and train the elders and leaders of the congregations in a way that will allow them to continue to serve as they learn.

With this goal in mind, the OLS has asked the One Africa Team (OAT) of WELS World Missions to host workshops that will train the leaders of local congregations to be better equipped to handle the word of truth carefully and share it with their congregations.

Therefore, from August 29 to September 3, Rev. Howard Mohlke of the OAT with the few Pastors of the OLS presented a workshop on basic Bible interpretation, and basic devotion/sermon preparation. The main objective of the workshop was to ensure that all participants could read the Bible and recognize the difference between what God asks us to do, law, and what he has done for us, the gospel. A second objective was that church leaders faithfully share that truth in a clear and simple manner.

Additionally, copies of a Catechism Sermon book, developed in Africa and available through Multi-language Publications were distributed to all the participants. The last two days were used to learn how to use the sermon book for personal and public study and preaching.

Over the week, the progress was evident. As the days went by, the preaching of “what God has done for us” to comfort and motivate became clearer. As a result, the temptation to preach a legalistic message faded away.

After each message was shared with the group, the group would then give feedback. That feedback always began with the simple question, “what the gospel proclaimed?” It was then followed by, “what specific promise of God was proclaimed?” It was encouraging to see such honest feedback given in such an encouraging way. No one was criticized but all criticism was given to help one another improve in their presentation of the gospel.

Little by little, Rev. Mohlke’s participation became less, as the experienced pastors and leaders of the OLS led the training and review. This to was done on purpose, so that such training could continue in the OLS without the need for an OAT missionary.

Overall, the workshop in Uganda is a great example of the work of the WELS World Missions One Africa Team. The need for such a workshop was identified by the leadership of the OLS. The workshop focused on the development of word ministry through the art of shepherding. Then finally, the knowledge and skills shared at the workshop will immediately benefit the ministries of OLS congregations.

In this way, the OAT carries out its mission of working with partners in Africa to teach the scriptures, gather the lost, and shepherd God’s people.

Missionary Howard Mohlke is the Leader of One Africa Team and 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

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (Acts 2:46)

Our Lutheran brothers in West Africa often ask out loud, “Are we together?” It’s partly because poor internet connections make it difficult to understand one another. But the question also serves the purpose of verifying group unity during the discussion of vitally important issues.

Together with Missionaries

“Are we together?” is a question that WELS missionaries in Africa can respond to with a resounding, “Yes!” Through weekly online meetings, daily email exchanges, and instant messages the missionaries living in Malawi and in Zambia strive to work closely together.

Last month, the members of the One Africa Team gathered together in Lusaka, Zambia. It was their first face-to-face meeting since 2019. This was an opportunity to renew personal relationships. We also officially welcomed new missionaries Ben Foxen and Keegan Dowling to our team. We face the exciting challenge of knitting together a new team. After 54 years of service, Missionary Ernst Wendland has retired. Several other missionaries will be returning to the States over the next several years,

Our missionaries are also working together to develop new strategies to pursue new mission opportunities across the African continent. We are not abandoning our old friends in Central Africa! Our partners’ stability permits us to consider the redeployment of some of our staff to other regions. It is a humbling privilege to be on the ground floor of these initial conversations. We are developing these plans together and trust the Lord of the harvest to direct us.

Working with Partners

One Africa Team is the face of the WELS in Africa. As such, we act on behalf of our Synod as a “granting agency.” We manage the resources that donors have entrusted to us for kingdom work. One Africa Team works with ministries that 1) share the full Word of God 2) gather and shepherd flocks with Word and Sacrament, and 3) promote local responsibility and ownership. The ministries that meet these criteria are what WELS World Missions considers “healthy” and worthy of support.

Changes to the status quo are both exhilarating and frightening. Missionaries must trust one another unreservedly. New mission families desire to be integrated into the team. Mission partners want to see that their counterparts pay attention to their concerns. We all need encouragement to stand firm against Satan’s assaults on the Gospel. Meeting together in person meets all of these needs and many more. “Are we together?” “By the grace of God, we are together!”

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

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. I Corinthians 12:27

Maksimu Musa and Johnson Balihikya are pastors in the Obadiah Lutheran Synod of Uganda. Last month they visited refugees from South Sudan at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. The purpose of this visit was to help a group in the camp organize a congregation. We pray that our Ugandan mission partners will shepherd more and more people with the Word of God.

The above is noteworthy, but how this visit came to be is worth remembering.

Two Bodies

In 2018, members of the One Africa Team (OAT) visited Uganda for the first time. They met with Christians organized as the Obadiah Lutheran Synod (OLS). Since that time and despite the delays caused by COVID fears, regular communication, joint Bible Studies, and additional visits continued.

Simultaneously, South Sudanese pastors in North America began to explore opportunities for outreach throughout the continent of Africa. One of these contacts was with a group in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Uganda.

In early 2022, the OAT scheduled a visit to OLS with two goals in mind. One was to help prepare a request for formal fellowship with Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS.) The second was to meet with the South Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo who desired to organize a Lutheran congregation. Visiting the refugee group along with the OAT members was Pastor Musa, the leader of the OLS.

We mutually decided that the Pastors of the OLS would conduct Bible studies with the group at Kiryandongo. In that this work was beyond the means of the OLS, the OAT covered the cost of the workshop. Now they have completed the first of two workshops.

Parts Working Together

The Lord used many different people and groups to make this all happen. The Lord used the online presence of the WELS to make contact with the OLS. He used WELS World Mission’s OAT to pursue that contact. The Joint Mission Council (JMO) coordinates the work of World and Home Missions. The JMO made communication between South Sudanese Christians in North America and those working in Africa possible.

Then the Lord moved the hearts of OLS leaders to share the good news with those in the refugee camp. Then he equipped them to carry out the workshop. The visiting pastors of the OLS used Nuer language materials, prepared by Multi-Language Productions of the WELS World Missions. In addition, thousands of Christians have supported our work with their prayers and offerings.

Truly the church is a body with many parts and one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Missionary Howard Mohlke lives in Zambia and is the leader of the One Africa Team.

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