LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 9

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MISSIONS, EVANGELISM. AND SOCIAL MINISTRY 9

of the LCMS (since 1900), its relationship as a partnerchurch is
an intimate one. The Brazil church is making fuller use of lay
people, promoting the recruitment of theological students to
prepare for the ministry, and increasing Bible study and
programs of evangelism training in local congregations.

This vigorous church has been expanding, not only in its
immediate environs of the major southern cities like Porto
Alegre, Sao Leopoldo. and Sao Paulo, but with a zeal for
mission outreach it has been following population moves into
the central, western, and northern regions. Congregations
have been established in the Amazon River delta (Belem) and
along the trans-Amazon highway. The Lutheran Hour, broad-
cast over 119 medium wave and 19 short wave stations, has
provided many follow-up opportunities, particularly among
the more than 44,000 enrollees in Bible correspondence courses.

As a result of the showing of “Christmas Is” on television,
the church is able to negotiate for television time to show a
series of “This Is the Life’ episodes, dubbed in Portuguese.

The Brazil church recognizes the need to provide training
for more pastors to serve its present and future needs. During
their 1982 church convention it was decided to move the
original seminary from Porto Alegre 30 miles to Sao Leopoldo,
where there is a fine set of buildings which house the Concordia
Institute and will now be the setting of one of two new
seminaries. The second seminary, to draw students from other
parts of Brazil. is located in Sao Paulo, 300 miles north of Porto
Alegre.

The Brazil] church, with a membership of nearly 180,000
souls and 117,000 communicants, is also concerned about
preaching the Gospel beyond the borders of the large country.
They have four pastors in Paraguay and two Brazilian mis-
sionaries in Portugal with an established congregation in
Lisbon and several mission stations.

The stewardship of this church is healthy and improving,
but because of its rapid growth and energetic expansion, there
has been continued need to depend on ‘“‘Partner Missouri” for
substantial help. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
is grateful for the assurance of continued assistance for a
variety of projects which are planned under Forward in
Remembrance categories.

Under the blessing of God this church will grow and center
its life faithful to Christ and His Gospel in the spint of St.
Paul's firm resolve: ‘Him We Proclaim.”

Central America and Panama

The missionaries, national pastors, and evangelists of this
part of Latin America work under an umbrella organization
called “Council of Lutheran Churches in Central America and
Panama.” The LCMS missionaries are based in Guatemala
and the Republic of Panama with national pastors and
evangelists conducting work also in El Salvador and Hon-
duras. The reader will immediately recognize the countries
that frequently appear in the news because of internal political
strife and social unrest. The missionaries, pastors, and other
workers are determined to continue sharing the Gospel of
Christ and, to the extent of their ability, to minister to peoplein
need. It is a mission area of the church which should be
remembered in prayer.

In the Republic of Panama. mission outreach to Pana-
manians, on an experimental basis since 1980, has progressed
to the point that the BFMS in its October 1982 meeting resolved
to firmly establish a new mission field of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod in the Republic of Panama. The
survey and planning by the BFMS, in consultation with its two
missionaries on the field (Merrell Wetzstein and Theodore
Kuster), show that a viable mission outreach is feasible if it can
be financed.

The Board for Mission Services realized again that the Lord
is making possible the entry through this open door because of
the open hearts and generous gifts of mission-minded members
of the LCMS to Forward in Remembrance. The board prayer-
fully resolved to authorize funding from FIR category “New
Mission Fields” retroactive to Jan. 1, 1982, for phases Land II
of a four-phase plan. The amount: $416,933 ($241,953 for
program and $175,000 for capital expenditures). The board also
stated that the goal of ‘5S new congregations planted with
combined membership of 450 by the end of 1983” be thoroughly

evaluated by the BFMS before funding is authorized for phases
Il] and IV of the outreach plans for this new field.

Mexico

The Lutheran Synod of Mexico. organized in 1968, is a small
church body of 12 congregations and a total membership of
about 1.100 members in a country that is 85". Roman Catholic.
The total number of Protestants is only 2.8" of the population.
Mexico has been prominent in the news because of rampant
inflation and unstable currency. This has affected the church
and its pastors.

In spite of such difficulties some progress can be noted. At
its 1981 convention the International Lutheran Women’s
Missionary League voted to provide $40,000 toward construc-
tion of a church and parsonage in the city of Chihuahua.
Mexico. To make this possible. with an educational building to
be included in the planning. the Board for Mission Services
allocated an additional $50,000 with the approval of the LCMS
Board of Directors. This amount was taken from the earnings
of the Mission Expansion Fund. A layman from Wisconsin
with considerable experience in construction is donating his
services as construction supervisor for this project.

In the second largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara, St. Mark
Lutheran Church is an important base for outreach to the
broad mix of English-speaking people in this cross-cultural
setting. This unique ministry was begun by the BFMS in 1980.
The Lord has blessed the work to the extent that there was a
great need for the growing congregation to haveits own church
building, parsonage. and parish education hall. Land for this
purpose was donated by an LCMS couple living in
Guadalajara.

The Board for Mission Services. with the approval of the
Board of Directors of the Synod. released $286,050 in capital
funds from FIR for World Missions. New Missions. The Board
also authorized $81,250 over a four-year period for salary of the
missionary and program expenses. In 1982 the new plant was
dedicated. Under the blessing of God, the work in Guadalajara
will continue to grow and become self-supporting within five
vears.

Venezuela

The LCMS work of the Board for Mission Services in
Venezuela is organized under the name of ‘Conference of
Lutheran Churches in Venezuela.” Nine missionaries, together
with the help of national workers. are working with their long-
range plan for building up their congregations, expanding
evangelistic work in the outlying developing areas of Vene-
zuela, and training pastors and other national church workers.
The bilingual work (English and Spanish) continues at El
Salvador congregation in Caracas. The team continues to need
additional staff to give adequate time to Collegio Concordia (a
school in Caracas with an enrollment of about 480 students.
pre-school through high school) and to mass communication—
“Christ for All Nations” radio programs and Bible corre-
spondence courses available for listeners in Venezuela, Co-
lumbia, Peru, Ecuador. Chile, Republic of Panama, Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, and also in the U.S.A.

As a part of the plans to develop the work in the city of
Maturin. where two missionaries are at work, the Board for
Mission Services, with approval of the LCMS Board of Di-
rectors, authorized the release of $122,000 from the Expansion
Fund for advance site purchases to assure permanent location
for a future church building. Maturin is a fast growing urban
development in the eastern part of Venezuela, which is attract-
ing many people from rural areas.

Europe

Europe. once the 16th century cradle and subsequent strong-
hold of the Protestant Reformation. is today a mission field
where the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, for
the most part, a difficult task. European churches which relate
to and depend on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod are
relatively small in size and few in number. Their commitment
to Christ and His Word. however. and their determination to
proclaim His saving message are. under the blessing of God,
making a positive impact on a growing number of people.