Pastor Paul Hartman serves WELS Multi-Language Publications.  Hartman writes about former WELS President Karl Gurgel’s new role serving world missions.

Often the core doctrinal issue in a developing country is different from what might expect in the United States. Materialism and moral relativism have so permeated technologically advanced nations that Bible-believing Christians in the United States feel attacked simply because they accept the authority and truthfulness of God’s Word. American Christians may be surprised that many people in developing countries are much more likely to accept the importance of God and his authority in their lives.

Those who become followers of Jesus Christ may, in fact, be concerned that their fellow Christians in the so-called advanced nations have compromised their faith to the materialistic tenets that pervade their societies. While Christians in the latter nations are tempted to “live and let live” even where the Scriptures prohibit compromise, new Christians in developing countries may assume rigid rules of conduct that actually deny the evangelical principles set forth in Scripture. Forsaking the false righteousness of their former religions, they may import another false righteousness into their Christian faith that turns Jesus into a new law-giver rather than their Redeemer. They may ask: “Do some of the Old Testament ceremonial laws apply to Christians? Is all consumption of alcohol sinful? Must Baptism be performed in only one manner? Does a decision to accept Christ or faithful discipleship become the basis of one’s certainty of salvation? Does the New Testament lay down inflexible rules concerning dress and worship?” While some of these questions do not occur frequently among Confessional Lutherans in America, nevertheless the underlying need to distinguish clearly between law and gospel becomes apparent in other ways.

This basic need must be addressed when publications are produced in foreign languages. Who better to help Christians work through this issue than a man who has served as a Lutheran pastor for more than forty years, leading his church body as a district president and then as the president of the entire synod? Such a man has a lifetime of experience in helping Christians distinguish between law and gospel and apply them appropriately.

Join us in thanking the Lord that Rev. Karl Gurgel has consented to serve as the publications coordinator for Pakistan and Nepal. In both fields, he will help Christians make sure their materials present law and gospel clearly and effectively. Gurgel, who will serve the South Asia Administrative Committee and Multi-Language Publications on a part-time basis, replaces Rev. Harold Essmann, who retired last fall.

Pastor Paul Hartman serves WELS Multi- Language Publications.  Hartman writes about a new publications coordinator for Asia.

Publishing is a complex process. From design to translation, editing, printing, and distribution, the various stages involve a myriad of details. In terms of project management, more than twenty items should be tracked during the history of a project. When management involves working with many translators and rapidly growing fields that live twelve or more time-zones away from the United States, it became clear to the WELS Board for World Missions that it was time to call a publications coordinator for Asia.

The first person to occupy such a position would need to have considerable experience in Asia. He should be fluent in at least one of the many languages spoken in the Far East, he should understand the biblical message WELS wishes to bring to the world, and he should live in Asia. A candidate who fit this description quickly became apparent. He is Missionary Brad Wordell.

Having served in Japan for more than twelve years, Rev. Wordell was scheduled to leave that field. It appeared to World Missions that, after fifty years of seed sowing and nurturing by world missionaries, the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church (LECC) in Japan might be ready to carry out its ministry without the assistance of a WELS missionary.

If, however, Missionary Wordell were to stay in Japan he would not only maintain the close ties between the WELS and LECC, he could even invite the church to help him coordinate publishing work in other Asian fields. How would the Japan church respond to such a proposal?
The response has been heart-warming. Speaking of Missionary Wordell’s new responsibility and the possibility of his church’s participation in that work, a member said, “I have been praying that someday the LECC could send missionaries to other Asian countries. I was thinking I might not see it in my lifetime. But look! The LORD is giving us an opportunity we hadn’t even thought of, and so soon!”

We are delighted that Missionary Brad Wordell has accepted the call to serve as the first Publications Coordinator for Asia! And we look forward to our brothers and sisters in Japan assisting him in his ministry!

Missionary Philip Strackbein serves as a member of LATTE – Latin American Traveling Theological Educators.  Philip and his wife, Kathryn, currently live and serve in La Paz, Bolivia.  Kathryn writes about recent baptisms in the congregation in La Paz.

The church was decorated with white gladiolas and white carnations.  Ribbons and flowers adorned the benches.  A bowl with water and a drying towel were placed on the altar.  The guests had been invited and the service prepared.  All was ready for the great celebration.

After the opening hymn, Pastor Julio invited five people to come forward.  These five were all brothers and sisters, the oldest was only 10 and the youngest were 1 year old twin boys.  The brothers and sisters came to the front of the church, along with the witnesses, to be baptized.  After having studied baptism with Pastor Julio, the parents asked that their children receive this wonderful blessing of baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the gifts of faith and eternal life.  What joy for us and for the angels in heaven to see the Holy Spirit creating faith as promised, in the hearts of these little ones.  May God be praised!

After the ceremony, all were invited to participate in a meal with the family.  We were also treated to some typical Bolivian dances presented by the children.  The dances were very traditional and the children dressed in typical costumes.

We are thankful for the spiritual blessings of this day, when we were reminded of the work of the Lord among us through the blessings of baptism, and also for the blessing of fellowship with fellow believers.

Missionary Nathan Wagenknecht serves as a professor on the LATTE Team.  LATTE stands for Latin American Traveling Theological Educators.  Wagenknecht writes about a new round of seminary classes throughout Latin American countries that WELS serves.

The new year has come, and with it the beginning of new classes for LATTE.

Some students are starting an online doctrine course called Escatología–the study of what the Bible says (and doesn’t say) about the end times–with Professor Retberg.  Another student, nearing the end of his formal seminary studies, has started an intensive four-week study of the book of Isaiah with Professor Schlomer.  A few will continue examining the Augsburg Confession with Professor Strackbein.  And still others are just starting a class on the history of the Christian church.  It is my privilege to teach this class on Church History.

And I’m looking forward to it.  I’m looking forward to getting to know Henry, Jairo and Raul, three student-pastors in Colombia whom I haven’t yet met face-to-face, but will soon get to know over Skype.  I’m in León, Mexico; they’re in Medellín and Quibdó, Colombia.  We’ll study together across the Internet.

I’m also looking forward to reviewing the lessons we can learn from history.  I marvel at how God has preserved his church over the centuries.  I appreciate how past Christians have fought to defend Scripture’s truth against subtle false doctrines.  I learn from them how to recognize and fight false doctrine today.

The new year has come.  And as we begin a new class on Church History, we ask God to help us learn lessons from the past.

Dave Malnes serves Truth in Love Ministries.  Truth in Love Ministries reaches out to Mormons across the U.S. with the gospel of Jesus.

Inviting One Million Mormons to hear the gospel: The first phase of accomplishing this aggressive vision is winding down. We rejoice in the number of Mormons who have accepted our invitation. We are confident that many of the 160,000 Mormons who live in the areas where we launched the campaign received at least one invitation to come to our website.

A favorite story we received from the campaign came from a family who purchased a copy of The Maverick Magazine, a popular regional magazine in the White Mountains of Arizona.  On the back cover of the magazine was our advertisement that prominently displayed our message to Mormons. A family living in Snowflake, AZ purchased a copy and the Lord took it from there.

They wrote, “I left [the magazine] on the kitchen table while I went to church to do some work.  In the meantime, a Mormon friend of my wife, a young mom, came over to chat.  The friend started talking about how she and her husband were not satisfied with the LDS church and have been “shopping around” for a Christian church.  [My wife] took the opportunity to show her friend your ad in Maverick Magazine, and proceeded to tell her friend how she is already perfect in Christ.  Her friend completely agreed with her thoughts on Christ and with the message of your ad.  She has long felt that the LDS church is leaving out Christ and that the Bible should be a bigger part of their church experience.  She also agreed that ‘worthiness’ has been a real struggle for her.”

This is a great example of media providing an opportunity for Christians to engage Mormons.  Both had attended our seminar and were prepared to give an answer to a Mormon they had befriended. We pray for many more opportunities like this in the coming months.