LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 10

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10 MISSIONS

able impact on this Asian nation with about 2.3% of the
population Roman Catholic and 10% of the population
Protestant.

Missouri Synod work in Korea was begun in 1958. At the
beginning the primary emphasis was on mass communication
(Lutheran Hour, Bible correspondence, Christian periodicals
and literature, etc.). In recent years the Lutheran Church in
Korea (LCK), Rev. Won Sang Ji, president, made a decision to
move ahead aggressively in planting churches. There are now
10 congregations and mission stations served by 10 national
workers and 3 ordained expatriate missionaries. The church
now has 1,309 members, a 30% increase during the biennium.

The Lutheran Church in Korea has a 10-year plan for
mission expansion which states a goal of having 30 congrega-
tions by 1987. This goal necessitates a stepped-up program of
recruiting and training full-time workers for the church. This
goal happens to coincide with recent government requirements
which make it mandatory for private schools to upgrade their
academic standards, staffing standards, entrance qualifica-
tions, and plant and ground facilities. The Lutheran Church in
Korea looks to its partner, the LCMS, for encouragement and
assistance. Our partner in Korea also needs qualified seminary
professors and an additional evangelistic missionary. The
door is open. The time to move forward is now.

The Philippines

Population: 47.4 million; population growth rate: 2.4%.

The Lutheran Church in The Philippines (LCP), Rev.
Thomas Batong, president, comprises four districts. God
blessed the LCMS misison work, which began with the arrival
ofits first missionary (a Filipino), Rev. Alvaro Carino, in 1946.
Since that time the church has grown to nearly 12,500 members.
Its 85 congregations and nearly 90 outstations are served by 33
pastors, 123 evangelists and layworkers and 13 missionaries.

In addition to its strong congregational emphasis, the
church has a variety of ministries such as mass media,
medical, agriculture, and social welfare, most of which are
self-supporting except for the cost of national pastors and
evangelists provided by the church. In 1978 the LCP called
three of its pastors to teach in its seminary in Baguio City.

The LCP has a vision for mission; and while the doors are
open, it desires to move out into more unreached areas of The
Philippines. For this reason it has boldly asked that 14 new
missionaries (for replacements and for new work) be sent by
the Board for Missions. However, because of equally urgent
requests from other partner church/mission fields, and because
of the shortage of personnel and support funds, the board has
resolved to try to send five new missionaries to The Philippines
in 1981. Once again as we desire to move Forward, we are
reminded of our Lord’s words: “‘The harvest is plentiful but the
laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send
out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).

Taiwan

Population: 17.8 million; population growth rate: 2.0%.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod began work in
Taiwan in 1951. Eventually, under the blessing of God, this
mission effort grew into the China Evangelical] Lutheran
Church (CELC), Rev. Chyu Tai Kai, president. It is a full-
fledged partner of the LCMS. The CELC consists of 21
congregations and 6 mission stations served by 25 national
pastors. From the Board for Missions there are three mission-
aries and four Volunteer Youth Ministry workers who are
assisting the CELC with their urgent need and stepped-up
efforts to reach the young people of Taiwan. The CELC
numbers more than 2,400 souls and over 1,500 communicants.
Concordia Middle School in Chia Yi has an enrollment of more
than 1,000 Chinese students, with 30 teachers and 14 office
staff. This year the school begins its 15th year of providing a
good education in a Christian setting for these young people.
The CELC also participates in “Joint Lutheran Television
Taiwan” and assists with the work of sponsoring Lutheran
radio broadcasting with the help of the International Lutheran
Laymen’s League.

Thechurch is concerned about reaching and winning young
people for Christ. It has requested that five more VYM workers
be sent for a two-year assignment. The CELC needs our
prayers and encouragement to intensify its mission efforts and

to recruit committed, qualified young men to prepare for the
ministry. Calling to remembrance God’s many blessings in the
past, the CELC is determined under the leadership of its
president, Rev. Chyu Tai Kai, to move forward through God's
open doors.

Latin America

The impact of the increasing numbers of Hispanic people
here in the United States of America helps to increase our
awareness of the many millions of Latin American peoples
who comprise the citizenry of the countries which make up
Central and South America. We cannot speak of God’s open
doors nor become excited about moving forward without
remembering that God’s boundless grace in Christ Jesus is
meant to be proclaimed also to this important region of the
world. In the brief descriptions which follow is an overview of
what The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has done and is
planning to do in its forward thrust in misson.

Argentina

Population: 27.1 million; population growth rate: 1.6.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod began work in
Argentina in 1905 among German immigrants in the agricul-
tura] areas of the northeastern region. The LCMS-related
church there comprises the Argentina District of the LCMS,
Rev. Leopoldo Gros, District President. This District has
reached out into many of the large cities of the northern half of
Argentina and into the neighboring countries of Paraguay
(1935), Uruguay (1936), and Chile(1960). Although much of the
work in Argentina still reflects a strong German ethnic
character, the church/ District has been moving more and more
into the mainstream of the Spanish-speaking society.

In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, with only
5% of the 27 million inhabitants claiming to be Protestant, the
Argentine District has grown 2.4% in baptized membership to
27,455 and 1.4% in communicant membership to 17,397 during
thé Tast biennium. This includes the two congregations in
Chile, the five in Paraguay, and the two in Uruguay. Ten new
congregations have been organized, now totalling 149, but the
number of pastors has decreased to 56.

Eight congregations became self-supporting this past
biennium. The District seminary at Buenos Aires initiated a
recruiting campaign and added new course offerings in the
evenings for lay people. It now has a total enrollment of 15 lay
persons and 18 preparing for the ministry. Currently there are
2,255 pupils who are enrolled in 9 congregational day schools.

The Argentine District is determined to meet the challenges
of motivating and utilizing more of the laity in the evangeli-
zation of Argentina; of training a greater number of pastors
and lay people; of reaching and involving the youth in
meaningful service for the Lord; and of assuming a greater
proportion of the financial support needed for the total work of
the church.

Forward is the direction as the church in Argentina begins
to emphasize greater participation in Bible study. For this
purpose new courses are being designed to be used for lay
training at the seminary and for use on the congregational
level throughout the Circuits of the District. The District
President is making pastoral visits to all congregations,
encouraging them to set goals and objectives for more effective
ministry and for mission outreach.

Brazil

Population: 120 million; population growth rate: 2.8":

Eighty years ago God led the LCMS into Brazil. What first
had become a District of the LCMS became at last a partner
church, its name the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil,
Rev. Dr. Johannes Gedrat, president. The official documents of
protocol were signed in 1980. This is a first. From a small
LCMS mission beginning among German immigrants in 1900
the Brazilian church has now spread from the southern tip of
the country northward into a number of strategic cities and
locations.

Becoming more and more Brazilian, the church has been
following frontier people into the central, west. and northern
regions. Pioneer congregations have been founded in the
Amazon River delta (Belem), along the trans-Amazon high-
way, and on the western front in places like Rondonia, Cacoal,