LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 18

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18

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

the next five years, the OIM seeks to recruit 140 workers in order
to meet the requests of our partners and our strategic goals. Over
the next five years, about one-third of the missionary population
is eligible to retire. This, along with the plethora of new opportunities, requires collaboration with many. Thanks be to God that
there has been great collaboration with many, including LWML;
CUS Schools; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne; Office of National Mission; Concordia
Plans; and a great number of RSOs, congregations, and individuals.
Since the last convention, there has been a significant effort on
the part of the LCMS Board of Directors and the Synod’s officers
to bring tools and technology to support the work of the OIM. This
includes leveraging internal shared services to ensure that the work
is being done in an orderly way that does not put the mission at
risk. Such tools allow the OIM to do its work and have confidence
that it is properly supporting missionaries, carrying out its work in
compliance with U.S. and local laws, and ensuring transparency.
In the years ahead, the OIM will continue the work that the
church has called it to do. Delegates to the 2026 LCMS convention can expect to hear encouraging reports on new work, expanded
theological education, and the translation of new resources into a
variety of languages. Let us together give thanks to God for His
faithfulness and provision. As the OIM continues to Spread the
Gospel, Plant Lutheran Churches, and Show Mercy, you are invited
to continue walking with your missionaries as they carry out the
mission of the church to the ends of the earth.

B. Latin America Caribbean (LAC) Region
The OIM LAC region is comprised of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. The mission work of the LCMS in
the LAC region began in Brazil in 1900 and has expanded to more
than 18 countries, continuing without interruptions for the past 123
years. Brazil is an example of a daughter church, fully matured,
in that she now plants churches and forms pastors in Portuguesespeaking Angola and Mozambique.
These efforts have been realized through sons and daughters of
the LCMS, who were and continue to be sent as missionaries to
build schools, plant churches, and form national pastors and church
workers. Work to establish a Lutheran church body in a specific
country tends to take three generations (70 years), with missionaries constantly transitioning roles within that country until they are
sent elsewhere.
The Lord has provided alliance missionaries (pastors from
LCMS partner churches) for over two decades to serve on our field.
This initiative has expanded in the last three years. As a fruit of
our work, places that were once mission fields are now partner
churches. They are sending their pastors, often third-generation
Lutherans, to serve as missionaries, working alongside our LCMS
missionaries to Spread the Gospel, Plant Lutheran Churches, and
Show Mercy.

B.1. Spreading the Gospel
Teaching the Gospel is throwing the Gospel seed out far and
wide. This is always at the forefront of any mission initiative that is
serious and sustained. The sower must go before and with abandon
sow his seed as his love is for all types of soil. This is done through
a variety of mediums such as literature, professors, continuing education courses, Luther Academy, and missionary ventures.
2023 Convention Workbook

VDMA is a digital initiative of OIM LAC to provide Lutheran
literature to 400 Lutheran Latino pastors across 22 countries. Since
its inception nine years ago, more than 40 books on systematics,
preaching, history, exegetics, and Bible studies, and hundreds of
academic journal articles, have been provided to pastors. A team
of 24 translators continues to partner with Concordia Publishing
House, Luther Academy, Lutheran Heritage Foundation, and others
to provide good solid literature for the church’s mission.
Additionally, in collaboration with our partner churches of the
Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay), the Himnario Luterano was produced and financially supported by Lutheran Heritage Foundation and OIM LAC. The rights to this hymnal are with
our Chilean Lutheran church partner who initiated this work. This
hymnal contains all three of the Divine Services as found in Cantad
al Señor and Culto Cristiano, as well as the Deutsche Messe of Luther. Additionally, all of Luther’s hymns are included as well as the
liturgical psalter, Small Catechism, and a few different rites. This
hymnal also passed LCMS doctrinal review. An initial printing of
20,000 hymnals saw distribution to 20 countries and 3,000 to the
LCMS. A second printing of 25,000 copies is expected to be ready
by June 2023, with 5,000 copies for the LCMS.
A Spanish-language daily devotional called La Palabra de
Dios Permanace para Siempre (The Word of the Lord Endures Forever) was launched in January 2023 in partnership with Lutheran
Heritage Foundation. It includes hymn stanzas from Himnario Luterano, the daily assigned reading, a liturgical order, a daily devotion, and daily prayers.
Luther Academy courses continue to be taught twice a year
in Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
These continuing education courses are taught in countries where
seminaries do not exist and are meant for the strengthening of the
Lutheran ministerium in their knowledge of the Gospel.
In the Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica Luterana (ICEL) of Bolivia,
as a result of teaching numerous Luther Academy courses since
2010 and graduating six men from our seminaries (Concordia Argentina and Concordia Dominican Republic), the OIC LAC has
recommended this national church with Norwegian roots to engage
in conversations with LCMS Church Relations toward becoming a
partner church. Additionally, in March 2022, their remaining ministerium was ordained by our partner Lutheran church representatives of IELB Brazil, with a quia subscription to our Lutheran confessions. LCMS observers were present alongside delegates from
their national convention. Formal talks between LCMS and ICEL
were held for the first time in St. Louis in April 2023.
An initiative called Abundant Life has been launched, which is
meant to serve our OIC LAC field and partner churches in the area
of marriage, family, and sexuality through materials such as devotions, workshops, and Bible studies.

B.2. Planting Lutheran Churches
The planting of Lutheran churches is done because our triune
God has determined that as He has sent His Son, so He sends His
Church to bring His means through the Church for the furthering of
His kingdom. As the Word is proclaimed, the Spirit works on hardened hearts and works repentance and faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Churches must be planted because this is where Jesus
is found. Here He disciples His people through Word and Sacrament and sends out the baptized in their vocations as His witnesses.