# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S23 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS •• Cayman Islands (LCMS mission)—An international congregation called Safe Harbour Lutheran Church proclaims the Gospel to the people of this Caribbean UK territory of just over fifty thousand people. Without a full-time missionary pastor since 2017, the congregation has been served by retired pastors volunteering their time for 3–5-month periods on island. It is the prayer of the people of Safe Harbour that a new full-time missionary pastor would be called to serve them and assist in reaching the island of Grand Cayman with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. •• Chile (partner church)—Chile sits nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, extending 2,670 miles from north to south. The Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (Iglesia Luterana Confesional de Chile (ILC-CHI) began from one church and school in the northern Chilean port city of Valparaiso. Since 2010, it has been the fastestgrowing confessional Lutheran church body in South America. New mission starts in the capital, Santiago, extended the national footprint of the ILC-CHI. Partnering with LCMS Disaster Response, the ILCCHI served Chileans affected by a series of natural disasters, including the 2010 Chilean earthquake, fires, and flooding. This has resulted in new congregations and mercy centers. The congregation in Talca, Maule department, is a direct result of the ILC-CHI’s disaster response and has given birth to another congregation in nearby Constitucíon and has begun planting a third congregation in the city of Concepcíon. In the Valparaiso area, a devastating fire in 2014 left the Cerro de la Cruz neighborhood of 2,500 homes almost destroyed. The ILC-CHI has begun serving the neighborhood and recently dedicated a new mercy and community center. The ILC-CHI is a model for faithful, loving response to natural disasters, showing Christian mercy and sharing the Gospel with those affected. •• •• Cuba (exploratory)—As a result of historic political situations, the LCMS does not currently have officially recognized partnerships that are active in Cuba. However, recently there have been invitations to renew relationships with a historic partner church body, the Iglesia Evangélica de Confesión Luterana en Cuba (IECLC). The IECLC currently has three house churches and one group that would like to form a congregation. The churches are in the provinces of Isla de Juventud and Artemisa. The IECLC also has interests in reestablishing the Martin Luther Institute of Theology (Instituto Teológico Martín Lutero), for the training of pastors. Dominican Republic (LCMS mission)—Missionaries have served here for 13 years. Currently there are five missions, two Lutheran days schools, and a seminary. Concordia Seminary the Reformer and Mercy Center serves as a regional seminary, forming men both residentially (10) and online (25) from 14 different countries. A regional deaconess program, which initiated in the fall of 2018, serves 115 23 women in Panama, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic. The online program is in conjunction with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is a Spanish-English SMP program. There are two Dominican pastors, with a third to be ordained in September this year, and four deaconesses. The seminary faculty of eight consists of two Argentinians, one Venezuelan, and two LCMS professors. Additionally, the seminary has four adjunct professors in other countries. •• Guatemala (partner church)—We rejoice that a partner church of many years now participates in outreach to their brothers in Honduras. Dr. Abdiel Orozco, President of the Lutheran Church in Guatemala (CONLUT), has participated in the Honduras Foro since its inception. Reverend Ignacio Chan was elected as the new president as of January 2019. Luther Academy classes and deaconess courses in Guatemala include invited participants from the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua and Lutheran missionaries in Honduras. CONLUT meets at the end of January to discuss the possibility of forming a FORO to advance work in Guatemala. Their leadership also wants to discuss opening a medical school in Guatemala in collaboration with a benefactor in that country. •• Haiti (partner church)—The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH) ordained 11 of its pastors in July of 2017. These men received their formation from their seminary in Leyogone, which is largely directed by their theological director, who uses pastors and professors from the LCMS to teach classes. It is estimated that more than 500 LCMS congregations work with the Haitian Lutheran church and many other denominations in Haiti. Disaster Response worked in 2018 in coordination with Ministry in Motion to put 50 roofs on pastors’ houses and congregations that had lost them due to a hurricane. Numerous wells have been drilled in front of Lutheran congregations too. •• Honduras (LCMS mission)—The third Honduras FORO meets in early February 2019. Born and launched from the formative work of the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua, the Honduras FORO has already helped to improve communication between the church workers in Southern Honduras, LCMS supporting congregations in the U.S., Lutheran Church in Canada leadership, Lutheran Church in Nicaragua, and Lutheran Church in Guatemala (CONLUT). Rocky Mountain District is a partner to the work here. As we focus more attention on the joint effort in Southern Honduras, we hope other LCMS congregations will join to support this work. Members of the mission in Comayaguela are presently working to establish a national church body recognized by the government of Honduras. •• Jamaica (LCMS mission)—The mission work of the LCMS in Jamaica is led primarily by an alliance missionary, the Rev. Obot Ite. Obot, his wife, Abasifreke, and their young daughter, Abasifon, have served in 2019 Convention Workbook