Mariachis play, purple flowers bloom, and the smell of fresh tortillas fills the air at dinnertime: welcome to Mexico. This colorful country is more than a tourist destination; fellow Lutherans are busy spreading God's Word there.
The Lutheran church in Mexico serves 10 congregations and 20 preaching stations throughout the country. Six Mexican pastors, together with six Mexican seminary students, and three WELS missionaries oversee the work. English classes are held in Torreon, Mexico, as part of an evangelism effort. For more information on Mexico, click on the links below and visit the Mexico mission site – http://www.lutheransinmexico.com - where updates are given weekly.
In Brazil, the world's fifth-largest country, Friendly Counselor Nathan Wagenknecht, member of our Latin America Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) is working with the Igreja Luterana Brasileira (ILB) to maintain their current ministry and provide training for future church leaders at local and national levels.
This young Brazilian Church is served by two national pastors and a national vicar as well as by an evangelist and future seminary students. They are committed to faithfully applying God’s Means of Grace in the cities of Dourados (Mato Grosso do Sul), Gravataí (Rio Grande do Sul) and Presidente Prudente (São Paulo).
Missionary Charlie Flunker continues to reside in Brazil after his retirement, serving the ILB as a volunteer.
Since 1999, when WELS missionaries were pulled out of Colombia for security reasons, the Colombian national church has continued to thrive. Before the missionaries evacuated, they concentrated their efforts on training the nationals to do ministry and outreach in Bogotá and Medellín. Though not fully trained, the leaders were blessed to serve their congregations and do outreach without the missionaries present. Currently, the Latin American Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) team is responsible for maintaining contact with Colombian leaders, fostering fellowship and helping with continued theological education of the leaders. Two LATTE professors visit Colombia six times each year in order to carry out these goals under the guiding hand of the Lord.
In the Dominican Republic, one seminary professor resides onsite to continue establishing an indigenous Lutheran church through the power of the gospel in the Word and sacraments. Professor Philip Strackbein, member of our Latin America Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) is currently teaching three students who are also active in ministry. Three congregations are served by nationals in the areas of Moca, Santiago, and San Pedro de Macorís. A Haitian pastor leads Bible study sessions to a group in Santiago, DR while several men are studying Bible Information Class courses in Haiti.
LATTE stands for Latin American Traveling Theological Educators. Latin American because work is done in all of the mission fields in Latin America—Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Brazil. Traveling because visits are made to each field on a rotating basis. Theological Educators because missionaries serve as the seminary professors of the men who desire to be pastors in their national churches. The LATTE program has been functioning since 2003.
The men who desire to be pastors are very active members of their congregations. It would be a major challenge for their respective congregations, most of which are still quite small, to pull them out to a “central seminary” for three years in order to complete their seminary training. So instead, we travel to them. This allows them to keep their secular jobs to provide for their families; it allows them to continue to serve their local congregation, gaining valuable experience and already serving their brothers and sisters; and it allows them to receive seminary training—all at the same time. By forming this LATTE team of six missionary professors, each member of the team is able to specialize in certain parts of the curriculum and, therefore, better serve the students and national churches. It is a large task. We are involved in training almost 40 men—some full-time, some part- time—in seven different countries. Because it is by God’s grace and help alone that any of us can serve him, please join us in praying for His blessing on our efforts.
For the security of our missionary families, national workers, and those we are reaching with the Gospel, the Board for World Missions has chosen NOT to post information about select mission fields. The public posting of such material could endanger the people or the work being done. If you would like to know more about our activity in a specific part of the world and do not find information on our website, please contact the world mission office with your questions.
