Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2019 · 67th Convention, Tampa › Page 23

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 23

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

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

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