Soon after beginning service in Jamaica Rev. Obot Ite, a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria and funded by the LCMS, put his faith in God when he set out to plant the island's second Lutheran church in downtown Kingston.
The need to hear of our Savior is universal. To not hear of Him, to not hear of what He has done for us, is to be lost for all eternity.
Santa Ortiz, the pastor's wife of a Lutheran congregation near the capital of the Dominican Republic, describes her church's need for more members willing to serve the church as deaconesses.
Throw together some cornmeal, a little bit of meat, a few plantains, and a lot of oil and you've got yourself an empanada!
Since its inception in 2017, Concordia the Reformer Seminary has focused on preparing men to be evangelists, shepherds and teachers. In that time, numerous well-trained theologians have graduated and are pastoring congregations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Some 50 men currently attend residential and online pastoral formation classes. The deaconess program has produced nearly 100 graduates, with 70 more women enrolled. In addition, online pre-seminary courses are ongoing, and a Lutheran teacher training program is planned.
The Venezuelan Lutheran Church faces many challenges due to the ongoing socio-political crisis. Millions have migrated to other countries, including well-educated and professional Lutherans. Nevertheless, the Church remains a bulwark to encourage those who stay and struggle to feed, clothe, educate and care for their families. Through Juan de Frias Bible institute and Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic, the Church forms new pastors and church workers.
VDMA is a Latin acronym that translates, “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” During the Reformation, this motto united Lutherans in solidarity against their adversaries. Five hundred years later, the VDMA Project unites a different group of Lutherans: Spanish-speaking pastors and seminary students throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
LCMS efforts in Uruguay, known as South America's most atheistic nation, began among German and Slovenian immigrants in the 1930s. Current team efforts consist of Alliance Missionary Maicon Schieferdecker who works with a local parish pastor and a Brazilian school chaplain. The Lutheran landscape is a mix of urban, rural, and school ministries.
With the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses, the Lutheran Mission in Spain pursues a unique second chance to bring the truth, freedom and joy of the pure Gospel to Spain, five centuries after the first Lutheran Reformation in Spain was snuffed out by the Spanish Inquisition.
Concordia the Reformer Seminary and Mercy Center (CMSCR) in the Dominican Republic, opened its doors in 2017, paving the way for an influx of new Lutheran pastors for Latin America. The institution, noted for its rigorous coursework and practical, church-planting emphasis, draws students from countries across Latin America. These future pastors have left homes, families and livelihoods behind for the sake of the holy ministry.
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