LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 19

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MISSIONS 19

10. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
Major Developments

The beauty and joy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Ghana (ELCG) lies in its variety of forms as it proclaims the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to those living in Ghana. The five congre-
gations gathering men, women, and children through worship
services, Sunday schools, and Bible study groups are concen-
trated in the three urban areas of Accra-Tema, Kumasi, and
Takoradi-Sekondi, while in the North, more than seven preach-
ing stations located in villages form part of our work in the
Bimoba tribal area.

Each ELCG congregation has developed forms of ministry
on the basis of unique needs or possibilities in its own area.
Trinity congregation makes special efforts to witness to North-
erners working in Tema, in addition to providing a Ghanaian
Lutheran nurse for a community organization project. Since
the leaders of splinter “indigenous churches” lack training,
St. Paul’s congregation (Accra) has been active in teaching Bible
courses to such leaders—so that the Gospel might shine more
clearly in these churches. Being the only church in a large
housing development, the Kumasi congregation lays emphasis
on training the young through its Sunday school program.
Lutheran village work in the South, due to the efforts of the
Takoradi-Sekondi congregations begun in 1972, looks very
promising.

The past biennium has seen the beginning of a youth organi-
zation in the ELCG and her member congregations; translation
of the Lutheran Hymnal into the Fanti language; the opening
of an agricultural station at Bunkpurugu (Northern Ghana).

Major Problems

The shortage of professionally trained workers is a major
problem. Holy Trinity congregation (Kumasi) has been without
its own pastor for over 2 years. However, the ministry of Word
and Sacrament has regularly continued and the work of the
congregation has not stopped. This is due to the strong emphasis
in the ELCG of equipping the laity for ministry.

Plans and Hopes for the Future

Beginning in 1973, annual 2-week lay leaders workshops will
be conducted in each congregation for all the members.

The ELCG maintains cordial relations with other church
bodies. Its work with the Islam in Africa project through the
loaning of a worker is a positive sign of this cordial relationship,
for it awakens churches to their responsibility of witnessing to
Muslims. The ELCG is also participating in church union talks
with five other church bodies. The ELCG appreciates such op-
portunities to share its understanding of the Gospel with fellow
workers in Christ’s mission.

Osei Agyeman, Chairman. ELCG
(Mr. Cobbinah is the new chairman of the ELCG, elected
in March 1973)

11. The Middle East Lutheran Ministry
Major Developments

The call to be God’s people in the Middle East is one that
has been keenly felt by the Middle East Lutheran Ministry
(MELM). Interestingly, this call for the MELM is in the very
area where our Lord lived and worked—in the Middle East
where today more than 90 percent of the people are not fol-
lowers of Christ; —in the Middle East where God’s call is as clear
and imperative as it was nearly 20 centuries ago.

But God’s Spirit is active among His people in the Middle
East. There is talk daily of renewal by Christians in Lebanon,
Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and North Africa. With packed churches
for Sunday worship, active midweek Bible classes and enthu-
siastic youth groups, the Christian churches indicate renewal is
more than talk or “hibr ’ala waraq” (ink on paper).

The Middle East Lutheran Ministry thanks God that it has
been asked to play a part in the renewal and revival. It serves
as a ministry to and through the Christian churches here.

As a ministry to the Arab Christian churches, the MELM
has been deeply involved in the last 2 years in the following
projects:

— correspondence courses that use inductive methods:

—new Arab Christian hymns on records and cassettes for

radio and private use;

—creation of a Middle East Communications Fellowship of
Christian studios and producers for exchange of radio ideas
and techniques;

—village projects which concentrate on a specific congre-
gation or Christian group:

-—research surveys to determine the complexion and
strengths of the Christian presence in certain areas of
the Middle East.

As a ministry through the Arab Christian churches, the
MELM has reached out to the non-Christian Muslim majority
of the Middle East with the witness of the Gospel. In its ministry
through the churches, and not apart from them, the MELM in-
volves Arab Christians in Christian witness to Arab Muslims.

Thus, in the last 2 years, the Middle East Lutheran Ministry
has been deeply involved in the following projects:

—a correspondence course that is designed to bring Chris-

tians and Muslims into witness and discussion;

—new Arab Christian songs that use typical Arabic melodies,
not Western Christian tunes;

—specific Christian radio programs written on Muslim
themes:

—several village projects which bring Muslim and Christian
youth together for discussion and witness:

~a simplified IBM survey to determine the complexion of
Islam in certain areas of the Middle East.

The American missionaries have served mainly in the areas
of setting long-range objectives, advising the ministry projects
to and through the churches, developing a mission theology con-
sistent with Middle East Christianity, studying modern mission
approaches to the Muslim, and experimenting with new pos-
sibilities of ministry and mission.

Major Problems

As in so many things, where the challenge is greatest, there
the problems are also most acute. Nationalistic feelings and
self-determination greatly aid the Christians in the Middle East.
At the same time they stand in the way of real growth.

The mail carrying our correspondence courses often is
stopped or becomes unreliable. Constant jamming for two weeks
on one of our radio program outlets has shown us how critical
and precarious things can be. The departure to the West of long-
term staff members reminds us of the constant “brain drain”
from these countries because of political instability.

Plans and Hopes for the Future

But the blessings and positive challenges continue to over-
whelm and take our attention. A TV ministry through the
churches has begun. A cassette ministry to the churches is on
the horizon. And more.

In all of this, one thing is very clear. God through His Spirit
will guide. God will touch people in the Middle East to carry on
His work as well as people outside the Middle East who will sup-
port the work through their prayers and gifts: Through these
people the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be clearly told in the land
where He Himself lived—and continues to live!

Dennis Hilgendorf, Chairman. MELM
12. Argentine District of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod

Major Developments

Thanks to the fine offerings of the thousands of little friends
of Jesus in North America it became a blessed fact that during
1971 and 1972 practically all of the mission fields and parishes
in Argentina and Paraguay not having a motorized vehicle were
supplied with one. In Argentina only three pastors are still with-
out a car and any moment their parishes come to a decision to
take care of this need, their arms receive the necessary support.

Your fellow Christians in the Argentine District are express-
ing their gratitude to the little friends of Jesus in U.S.A. in
contributing their share (40 to 50%) in this so wonderful project
“getting Argentina rolling.”

A most exciting news is that the buildings of two of the three
parochial mission schools in construction are firmly standing
with open doors and letting the little ones come in and draw
our missionaries into their homes to bring Christ to their folks.
The one has an enrollment of 75 in its second year and the
other one has 35 in its first year. The large parochial mission
school in Valparaiso, Chile, is still growing, and a surprise it is
that during the years 1971 and 1972 the enrollment went up from
280 to 443. Also in Montevideo, Uruguay, the St. Paul’s parochial