After returning from Nigeria and witnessing firsthand the blessings that the Lord is pouring out on the work there, Pastor Koelpin took a few moments to share some impressions of the ministry there.

"What would you say is the most exciting aspect of the work at this time?  The greatest blessing?

The most exciting aspect  is the new awareness and determination of both Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria (CKLCN) and All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria (ASLCN) to reach out to their countrymen.  CKLCN is starting real urban ministry in Port Harcourt and All Saints is branching out to new urban areas 250 miles north of where CKLS is located.  All Saints is also opening new congregations.

The greatest blessing is that ten students are being trained at the seminary in the village of Uruk Uso.  Uruk Uso is located in southeastern Nigeria about 50 miles north of the Gulf of Guinea. For the first time the majority of students (7) are from All Saints rather than Christ the King.  All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria is a church body in our fellowship that numbers about 5000 souls, but has only two pastors.  It is located about 250 miles north and east of Uruk Uso. Seven additional pastors for All Saints will fill a huge need.  The seminary students are up at 5:30 a.m. while it is still dark.  They sing  hymns during their morning worship in the most beautiful African harmony.  About two hundred yards from the seminary, also in the village of Uruk Uso, is the central church of Christ the King.  Three mornings a week almost a dozen women gather in the dark in the church altar area to pray.  Many of them are on their knees with their heads bowed all the way down to the floor.  The prayers are both private and communal with one of the women serving as prayer leader.  On Sunday over 500 worshippers gathered from nearby parishes for a joint worship service to welcome the guests from America.  The joy is palpable. The worship is lively.  The choirs march in one by one; each choir having a different and distinctive set of outfits.  There is a people here who know the Lord."

 

 

"What would you say is the greatest challenge confronting the national workers and the national church?

The greatest challenge confronting the national workers and national church is to strive for self support in the matter of pastors’ salary and church operations.  There is precious little opportunity for most of the members of our churches to earn a livelihood. There are immense problems in this regard – 32% of the populace is illiterate, the nation of Nigeria is sometimes rated the second most corrupt in the world, there is little opportunity in rural villages to pursue business ventures and even less knowledge of how to go about doing so.  The sub-structure (roads, electrical power, waste management, government protection, etc.) is very inadequate to meet the nation’s needs.  African culture has the expectation that an influential leader (a chief,  tribal leader, government leader, church pastor) is to provide for them rather than the other way around.  Support for the church’s work and workers will be an uphill battle."

"Which was the national worker that made the greatest impact on you?  Why?

The national worker that made the greatest impact on me was Rev. Matthias Odey, the president of All Saints Lutheran Church.   He is a former pastor of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (an LC-MS sponsored group) and a graduate of the Obot Idim Seminary which the LC-MS also subsidizes.  He left the Lutheran Church of Nigeria for doctrinal reasons long before WELS made contact with him.  What impressed me most is that for an African leader, he accepted the principle of no subsidy from WELS and actually articulated this principle to his members in our presence.  He appreciates whatever help we can give his church, but is not continually stating his needs.  In my estimation he is a positive leader of the type we need many more of."

"Looking back, what endears you to the people and places of Nigeria?  Any security issues you faced while there? 

What endears me most to Nigeria is the enthusiastic worship of these Lutheran Christians.  They dance and use drums to praise the Lord.  They take choir membership very seriously. To be asked to leave the choir is almost tantamount to excommunication in its social impact. Special outfits are purchased for each of the different church choirs, sometimes red, sometimes green, at other times black and white.  All are involved in worship and song.  During the worship service everyone in the congregation gets up from his or her respective place and dances all the way to the collection plate up front.  That is joyful giving!  When they asked us how we do it in the U.S. and we told them that we pass the plate while remaining in the church pews, their response was, “That doesn’t sound very joyful!”

 

Also endearing is the Nigerian appreciation for what it takes to travel from the U.S. On every occasion prayers of thanks to God were expressed on behalf of our safe journey for the long flights on commercial airlines, for the flights on the much less safe domestic airlines, and for the very real trials of road travel within the country.