16 minute read
Extraordinary Measures in Extraordinary Times
Jen-Yi “Irene” Paul (far right), an LCMS missionary to Taiwan, holds Sunday school outside the church in May. Although most activities have continued in Taiwan during the pandemic, many people now wear masks.
THE SYNOD’S MISSIONARIES SERVE IN NEW AND CHANGING WAYS AMID THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
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As the world grapples with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, billions of people have been impacted in one way or another — including The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) 100-plus missionaries. Throughout this changing situation, the LCMS Office of International Mission has walked alongside them, offering counsel and assistance at every step of the way. After careful consideration, more than 90 percent of the Synod’s missionaries opted to stay on their foreign fields and continue serving as best they could. Here are a few ways they have continued their ministry during the various restrictions and lockdowns.
LCMS missionary Rev. Adam Lehman and his family join their neighbors every evening to applaud essential workers for their service in Seville, Spain.
— Rev. Adam Lehman
Moving Online in South Korea
International Lutheran Church (ILC) in Seoul, South Korea, was among the first Lutheran churches to have to adapt to the emerging coronavirus pandemic. In late February, LCMS missionary Rev. Carl Hanson, who serves as pastor of ILC, realized that services were going to have to move online. Not only were public gatherings being restricted, but he was worried about the health of his Korean and expat members — some of whom travel several hours via public transportation to attend the church.
On Feb. 26, Hanson enlisted his daughters’ help to create a video devotion for Ash Wednesday. By the following Sunday, he had created the first of many prerecorded worship services.
Each week, the organist records herself playing the hymns on her piano at home. Different members then record themselves reading the Scripture passages and singing, and Hanson edits them all together with the sermon and liturgy and posts them to ilcseoul.org.
The congregation also has continued having Bible studies, fellowship events and game nights — all online.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Hanson said, noting that the online format has enabled the congregation to reconnect with former members who moved away. While they used to have about 100 people in attendance on a Sunday, they now get between 400 and 800 views each week.
“As wonderful as all this is, we still long for and need to see and encourage one another face-to-face,” he said. At the time of this writing, Hanson was looking forward to holding the first “socially responsible” in-person service on May 24, although online services will continue for the foreseeable future.
Uniting the Scattered in Spain
Spain has been among the hardest-hit countries during the pandemic, and its government declared a nationwide lockdown on March 14 that was only just starting to ease up by mid-May. During this time, the Synod’s two missionary pastors to Spain — the Rev. David Warner and the Rev. Adam Lehman — continued their work from their respective homes in Cartagena and Seville.
“The Lutherans in Spain are spread out, but interestingly that has kind of been a blessing for us during this time of quarantine,” Lehman said. “Because of the spread-out nature of the Lutheran church in Spain, all of our services were being streamed via Zoom and Facebook Live even before the quarantine. This means that we were not ‘starting from zero’ and trying to figure out how to use technology to reach our people.”
Instead, they were able to expand their online community by adding online coffee hours and office hours to their slate of services and Bible studies. This allowed Lutherans in different parts of the country to spend some time with their pastors and each other.
Despite the tough restrictions during this time, the Lehman family enjoyed joining their neighbors in a nightly round of applause for essential workers, while the Warners gained a newfound appreciation for taking out the trash.
As Spain begins to reopen and the mission team makes
LCMS missionary Rev. Dr. Michael Paul teaches catechism class prior to worship at Qianjia Lutheran mission station in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
plans to safely gather for worship again, Warner said, “The Lord is our Rock and our Refuge, an ever-present Help in trouble. Clinging to Christ by His Word and Spirit, we know He will bring us through.”
Connecting with Puerto Ricans
2020 has been a less-than-ideal year for short-term mission. With the earthquakes and then the pandemic lockdown, four short-term mission teams were forced to cancel their trips to Puerto Rico.
LCMS missionaries from the Synod’s world regions brainstormed ways for people to serve without ever leaving home. The result of their discussion was an online project to pair native Englishspeaking volunteers with students desiring to practice their English.
Members of the canceled trips, members from past short-term teams and Concordia University System students were invited to participate. They received an overwhelming response, and 42 volunteers were matched with students from Ponce and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Other volunteers were connected with students in Russia and the Czech Republic.
Orientation sessions for the five-week program were held in early May to introduce volunteers to the LCMS’ churchplanting work in Puerto Rico and help them understand how teaching English functions as a bridge into the community. If the program proves beneficial and viable, it may expand to include other countries served by LCMS missionaries.
The program “has been one of the wonderful, creative ideas to come out of COVID-19
Jen-Yi “Irene” Paul (left) shares a Mother’s Day carnation with a neighbor. The carnation distribution was a way to reconnect with neighborhood women during the pandemic.
A man glances at a sign welcoming guests to an English camp at Fuente de Vida (Fountain of Life) Lutheran Church, Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 2019. After LCMS short-term mission teams were canceled due to the pandemic, the Office of International Mission launched an online English conversation project that matches volunteers from the U.S. with students in Puerto Rico and other locations.
isolation,” said volunteer Hilary Tew, who tutored a woman in Puerto Rico. “I hope the LCMS will continue these virtual missions opportunities even after people are able to resume meeting in person, because it is a great way to connect with and help people in the community who might not attend in-person ESL classes.”
Continuing Ministry in Taiwan
Even as many countries implemented strict measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, life in Taiwan continued as normal — albeit with a few more face masks than before.
“Because of Taiwan’s experience with the SARS virus of 2003, the government, health officials and general public were quite prepared to respond to this pandemic,” said the Rev. Dr. Michael Paul, an LCMS missionary to Taiwan.
In-person services have continued in the China Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC), the Synod’s partner church on the island, although Paul now wears a mask while distributing communion, during Bible class and while talking to students at the CELC’s seminary. His congregation also has started livestreaming services for those who have been discouraged by their employers from attending public gatherings.
“The biggest challenge … has been the difficulty to meet with non-Christian neighbors,” Paul said. “People are less willing to have social interaction with those beyond their family and close friends.”
Paul’s work also includes developing Lutheran resources in Mandarin. During the pandemic, use of these materials has increased, especially in places where worship is restricted or prohibited.
“There is a very great need for a stronger Lutheran voice in the Chinese church worldwide,” he said. “The pandemic has helped in a little way to let that voice be heard a little more loudly.”
Boosting Morale throughout Latin America
Most missionaries will agree that living away from family is difficult in the best of times. With lockdowns and curfews in many countries, the Synod’s missionaries are sheltering in place with various restrictions. Concern for the long-term effect on the mental health of these workers is paramount.
The Latin America and Caribbean region’s humancare team took a proactive approach by organizing a Spirit Week. Missionaries came together virtually for some light-hearted fun, submitting photos of themselves and their children dressed up for the daily themes, such as sports day, twin day and retro day.
Spiritual care also has been stepped up with daily written devotions and a prayer service in video format shared by the regional chaplain. In addition, six online Bible study groups are available for the missionaries.
Game nights, lettering workshops and hymn-sings have offered even more opportunities for social interaction. It is our prayer that, through this ministry, not only will the overall physical health of the community ‘‘ improve but, most importantly, by God’s grace the church will also grow.”
— Sarah Kanoy, shown here treating a young patient during a Mercy Medical Team clinic in 2016
A favorite among the missionary children in the region is a weekly craft time, which includes an online game and Bible study.
“It is fun to play games with missionary friends from all over. And it helps to know that I am not the only one struggling right now,” said Abigail Warren, who lives in the Dominican Republic with her parents and two sisters.
More morale-boosting activities are planned for the future, with the goal of enhancing the mental and spiritual health of the Synod’s workers in the field.
Promoting Healthy Habits in Africa
Since 2016, LCMS missionary nurses Stephanie Schulte and Sarah Kanoy have been walking alongside local Lutheran churches in Africa, providing care and health education to those in remote areas. The Community Health Evangelism (CHE) lessons they teach — which pair a health concept with the Gospel — have become even more important during the time of COVID-19.
In February, Schulte taught several CHE lessons in Dapaong, Togo, including a lesson on how to prevent the spread of viruses. Schulte and Kanoy also recently worked alongside Deaconess Miriam Kimath of the Lutheran Church in East Africa to lead a weeklong CHE training seminar in Kahe, Tanzania. Together they trained 15 local church leaders on how to teach these lessons to others. And during the lockdown, Schulte and Kanoy taught 21 missionaries about CHE via video conferencing.
One popular CHE lesson explains what germs are and how they make people sick. It also includes instructions on how to build a “tippy tap” — a handwashing station constructed from locally available
materials — for those who don’t have access to indoor plumbing.
Since then, the newly trained CHE leaders have taught these lessons to others throughout their communities. As a direct result of their hard work, approximately 20 new tippy taps and 10 new latrines have been built.
“In addition to increasing the health knowledge of their communities, they are sharing the Gospel and inviting people to their local Lutheran churches,” said Kanoy. “It is our prayer that, through this ministry, not only will the overall physical health of the community improve but, most importantly, by God’s grace the church will also grow.”
Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of Lutherans Engage the World and chief copy editor for LCMS Communications.
Jana Inglehart is an LCMS missionary and regional communications specialist for the Latin America and Caribbean region.
Deaconess Miriam Kimath of the Lutheran Church in East Africa cares for her community, such as by helping LCMS missionaries Stephanie Schulte and Sarah Kanoy lead CHE training in Kahe, Tanzania. | LEARN MORE | Read more stories from the field at international.lcms.org.
Assisting Church Workers Impacted by the Pandemic
BY MEGAN K. MERTZ teacher at a Lutheran school who was unexpectedly furloughed. A A school secretary struggling to afford groceries now that the office is closed. A pastor who can’t quite make the mortgage payment this month.
These are a few examples of the ordained, commissioned and lay church workers who could receive a special Soldiers of the Cross— Amplified grant from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) to help cover their expenses amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of May 31, $492,402 had been distributed in 334 grants to workers across the Synod.
Since 2004, the Soldiers of the Cross program has delivered emergency financial support and pastoral care to rostered professional church workers in crisis. In early April, as churches and schools across the country were shutting down to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, the program’s scope was expanded. Now any employee of an LCMS church, school, Recognized Service Organization or institution can request a one-time Soldiers grant through their district.
A pastor in Florida who received a grant shared the impact it had on his life: “With the funds from Soldiers of the Cross, we were able to pay for our mortgage and utilities for a month, which took some of the stress off me [and allowed me] to regroup and focus on productive measures to sustain our ministry … . Thank you again for your support.”
Initially, $2.5 million was earmarked for this COVID-19 response — $1 million from Lutheran Church Extension Fund and $1.5 million from the LCMS, pulled from contributions previously given for Soldiers of the Cross, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, and LCMS Disaster Response.
The LCMS also is encouraging ongoing donations to help even more workers. Through the end of May, God’s people have already responded to that call by providing $400,000 in additional funding for more grants, with another $438,570 to coordinate “after care” services likely to be needed by exhausted LCMS clergy when the pandemic is over.
In addition, some districts are underwriting at least 20 percent of each grant given to its workers. For example, the Minnesota South District is drawing from its Worker Wellness fund to supplement the grants — many of which have gone to its preschool and day care teachers, who have been among those hit hardest by furloughs and layoffs.
“In this tumultuous time that we’re going through as a country, we’re also seeing that affecting our church workers in very tangible, financial ways,” said the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, director of LCMS Disaster Response, who is currently overseeing the grant program. “This is a way that we can help our church workers who are going through a financial hardship.”
again for your support.” — A pastor in Florida
Angela Athumani Haji uses a homemade handwashing station during a recent Community Health Evangelism training seminar held in Kahe, Tanzania.
BY MEGAN K. MERTZ
Grants Aid African Churches in Stemming the Spread of COVID-19
Handwashing has been touted as the best way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But for people who don’t have regular access to soap and water in public places, this can be a challenge.
In April, the LCMS approved a grant of $6,250 to the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church—Sierra Leone to help combat the transmission of COVID-19 by increasing public awareness of the need for safety measures such as handwashing and by providing funds to build 154 handwashing stations (one at each church and school). Part of the grant also was used to print and distribute educational materials on good hygiene amid the pandemic.
The LCMS first began working in Sierra Leone in 1983. Since that time, the country has been ravaged by civil war (1991–2001) and an Ebola epidemic (2013–16). There are currently 126 Lutheran congregations with about 4,000 members, 28 schools, 156 teachers and 5,159 pupils.
The Rev. Daniel F. McMiller, executive director of the LCMS Office of International Mission, said the Lutheran church in Sierra Leone “has suffered greatly … grown quite well and is living at peace. It is also minimally supported from the outside, which is a great blessing and no small factor in its peaceful nature and its focus on the establishment of sound teaching and practice rather than political interests vying for power and influence over material assets coming from the U.S. … This [grant] is a great endeavor at modest cost that will save money and — most importantly — lives in the future.”
As part of this educational effort, members of the Sierra Leone church are using the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) curriculum, which pairs health concepts with the Gospel.
“The church leaders there have translated the COVID-19 lessons that the CHE website has shared into several of the local languages and are now in the process of installing handwashing stations and providing training both on how to use them properly as well as how to stop the spread
Churches in 14 countries benefited from your donations, through grants for education and handwashing facilities.
of COVID-19,” said Stephanie Schulte, an LCMS missionary nurse who serves as mercy medical coordinator for West and Central Africa.
“I just love seeing them take this project to heart,” she continued, “and it perfectly aligns with the CHE philosophy.”
Because you choose to give generously, the LCMS is able to supply similar grants, of varying amounts, in Burundi, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo.
In Madagascar, the Malagasy Lutheran Church used the grant to help prevent COVID-19 transmission in its North of Nania Synod region. This area has a high incidence of people impacted by malnutrition and undernutrition, which makes them particularly susceptible to contagious diseases.
Since churches in Madagascar had been closed since March, the awareness campaign helped pastors and church workers serve their communities in a new way by distributing informational flyers. As they shared the guidelines from the World Health Organization, they also were able to share the Word of God.
In addition, a few of the grants given out to these African churches also included food provisions, since people in some areas — especially urban areas — were finding it difficult to feed their families amid the lockdowns, curfews and travel bans that some countries put in place.
“Churches are concerned for their congregants and the surrounding communities who are suffering. The grants will assist them in providing some relief … while also preventing the spread of the virus,” said Shara Osiro, an LCMS missionary and regional communications specialist for Africa.
EASTER 2020
ON APRIL 12, 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, LCMS congregations celebrated Easter Sunday through livestream and recorded videos. These screen captures provide a glimpse of the Synod rejoicing in the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
