LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 35

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
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Karama Academy (primary school)—Kibera, Kenya (missionary)
Church workers’ children’s scholarship fund in South Africa (funding)

In the next triennium, OIM hopes to additionally recruit missionaries or provide funding to the following:
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number of ways. We are implementing these emphases through the
five strategies listed below:
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Lodwar Mission Station primary school in Kenya (funding)

The Eastern and Southern Africa Area strives to support the church
bodies with whom we have relationships, re-establish historic ties
that were not maintained through personnel transitions, and establish
new relationships with emerging churches. Individuals, congregations, districts, RSOs, and entities of the LCMS who are operating
independently can be a God-glorifying complement to the work of
the LCMS as a Synod through OIM. Unfortunately, those same independent mission efforts can also support heterodox groups or foster
conflict within the autonomous church bodies with whom we have
a relationship and thus act at odds to our synodwide endeavors. This
area calls for a unification and collaboration between independent
efforts and the work the Synod has tasked OIM to do or a clarification of the intended role of OIM in missions abroad.
This area is in a time of rebuilding. A significant number of missionaries have been called to this field in the last triennium who are
currently deploying. Their impact among our partners is not yet felt as
many new missionaries are still in the partner-building phase of missionary service and those who have deployed are largely engaged in
language study. The impact of their service will manifest in the coming triennium, although their mere promise and presence on the field
is a great encouragement to the church bodies with whom we work.
There are also challenges in staff expansion primarily because there
is no parallel budget increase to provide program dollars for the direct
work or complementary projects that enhance the effectiveness of the
missionary. The Eastern and Southern Africa Area is a point at which
the effectiveness of additional missionaries is compromised because
material support is not made available for their work. Despite this,
we have scores of open opportunities we are eager to fill, trusting
that provision will be made by the church as God’s harvest workers
arrive on the field.
Asia Region—(Regional Director position currently vacant)

This region’s report is submitted by Mr. Darin Storkson, former
Senior Regional Director for Asia, who recently accepted an appointment to serve in LCMS Church Relations.
The largest region of international mission, Asia, encompasses
three of the world’s four largest populations: China, India, and
Indonesia. Over three billion people inhabit the region. Opportunities
abound to proclaim the Gospel of Christ so the Holy Spirit may call,
gather, enlighten, and sanctify His saints.
The last triennium brought numerous blessings to the region.
The regional staff capacity increased significantly with the addition of a business manager to oversee business affairs throughout
the region. The first regional chaplain was recruited and deployed
to the field to enhance our capacity to provide for the spiritual needs
of our missionaries. The position has been very well received and is
being implemented in other regions as well. A missionary care coordinator has also been appointed, further increasing missionary care.
Missionary care is at an all-time high.
Even though the triennium began with five vacant area director
positions, four of the positions have been filled. Finally, a communications director was recruited and deployed as well.
In addition to regional staff, a number of missionaries also
accepted calls and have either deployed or are preparing to deploy,
including theological educators in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Sri
Lanka.
As we work to implement the six mission emphases of the OIM
mission strategy, we do so by supporting our partner churches in a

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Church Planting: A major strategy in North/South Asia and Bangladesh
Supporting Existing Church Partnerships: A major strategy in Thailand,
Philippines, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea
Theological Education: A major strategy in Cambodia, Japan, Korea,
and Hong Kong
Mercy Work: A strategy used across the entire region as needed
Lutheran Education: A strategy in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and
Papua New Guinea

Opportunities
Great progress has been made with the India Evangelical Lutheran
Church (IELC), which is aggressively working to root out simony and
corruption in the church by placing their assets under better management. They have asked for the continued support and assistance of
the LCMS in this task. The LCMS has also increased support for the
seminary in Nagercoil to historic levels. We look forward to a renewed
relationship with the IELC.
Numerous opportunities for church planting have risen in Asia.
Since the last triennium was spent finding and deploying regional
staff, we have increased capacity to support missionaries who work
with partner churches in church planting. These include opportunities to partner with Lutheran church bodies in Bangladesh and Burma.
Opportunities to plant churches in regions unfavorable to the
Gospel have also arisen, and we have worked to capitalize on them.
We continue to receive requests to support theological education
throughout the region, especially in Cambodia, Japan, Korea, and
Hong Kong.
In celebration of the upcoming Reformation anniversary, we have
been supporting the Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod in translating the works of Martin Luther into Chinese.
At the request of the Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod, the
regional chaplain started Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hong Kong,
an English-speaking congregation of the LCHKS that serves missionary staff and expatriates.
As other international church organizations continue to encourage
unscriptural mores and teachings, Lutheran church bodies across the
region have begun to seek the partnership and support of the LCMS.
This trend will only continue in the upcoming years. We have a great
opportunity to guide potential church bodies throughout the region.
Challenges
While numerous projects are taking place across the region, missionary staff members on the ground are the most important blessings
we have. Our missionaries not only direct the projects throughout the
region, but through their proclamation of Word and distribution of
the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit extends His Church. The abundance
of opportunities in the face of continued missionary shortages is the
greatest challenge in the region. Please continue to pray and seek for
means to find, fund, and deploy missionaries to Asia.
More missionaries also means increased logistical obligations.
This has been partially mitigated by the appointment of a missionary
care coordinator in the field, yet increased missionary deployment
will continue to add to these obligations. We give thanks for God’s
gifts in the last triennium, and we also ask for you to continue to pray
to the Lord of the harvest, that He continue to send and provide support for workers in the Asian mission field.
There has never been a better time to be involved in confessional Lutheran ministry in Asia. Our existing sister churches desire
our active engagement and partnership in joint Lutheran ministry.
Lutheran World Federation member church bodies that are not in
fellowship with the LCMS are hungry for scriptural, confessional
teaching and fellowship. The last triennium has brought fellowship
requests from church bodies in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Burma, and
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