Global Seminary Initiative

The Global Seminary Initiative (GSI) is a program that provides Lutheran theological education in three primary ways:

1) Bringing the best students worldwide to LCMS seminaries to study at the graduate level so that they can return to their home countries and provide advanced theological leadership.

2) Support for local regional seminaries -- both infra-structure and scholarships for students to attend regional seminaries.

3) Continuing education -- seminars, conferences, and visits by qualified LCMS pastors and professors to teach in the local context.

The world has changed from the time of sending out missionaries to places where people had never heard the Gospel. In most parts of world today, we have partner churches who firmly believe that one of the best qualities of the LCMS is our theological education. It is our niche, one of our core competencies, and we are well-positioned to make the most of it by assisting these partner churches.

For more information visit: lcms.org/gsi

WELS Resolution Regarding Missouri Synod

Today in Convention, the Wisconsin Synod unanimously passed the following resolution regarding the Missouri Synod:

Resolution No. 02 from Floor Committee 05: Inter-Church Relations. The resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS 1) When the WELS suspended fellowship with the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1961, the synod convention resolved, in part, to continue discussions to heal the breach that had occurred; and

WHEREAS 2) the Lord opened doors to informal discussions with the LCMS in December 2012; and

WHEREAS 3) even if the restoration of fellowship is not possible in the near future, we believe it is our responsibility to each other and to our Lord to strive for true unity based on full agreement in doctrine and practice; and

WHEREAS 4) a second meeting is planned for December 2013; therefore be it

Resolved, a) that we encourage our leadership in conjunction with the CICR to continue discussions with the LCMS to strive for true unity based on full agreement in doctrine and practice; and be it finally

Resolved, b) that we pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and bless these efforts to God’s glory and for the benefit of his church.

- Posted 31 August 2013 by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations

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President Schroeder Remarks about Missouri Synod

WELS President Mark Schroeder delivers his president's report to the synod convention in New Ulm, Minnesota. In this report, President Schroeder offered comment about the Missouri Synod.

After nearly fifty years in which there had been virtually no official contact between WELS and the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (our former partner in the Synodical Conference), lines of communication have been opened once again. One point of contact has been at the Emmaus Conference, held annually in Tacoma. [A free conference is a forum for theological discussion that does not involve or imply fellowship.] LCMS President Matthew Harrison and the presidents of WELS and the ELS have been presenters at these conferences.

When WELS suspended fellowship with the LCMS in 1961, the synod convention resolved in part that continued theological discussions should take place in an effort to heal the breach that had occurred. Such theological discussions never happened due to the circumstances following the end of the Synodical Conference. Last December that changed. With the full support of the Conference of Presidents and the Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR), representatives from the LCMS, WELS, and the ELS met for three days for informal talks. The agenda for the meeting was simple: Where do we fully agree? Where do we still disagree? Are there mutual caricatures or misunderstandings that we can correct? These talks were no intended to be full doctrinal discussions; nor were they understood to indicate that a restoration of fellowship would be possible in the near future. Even if the restoration of fellowship is not possible in the near future, we believe it is our responsibility to each other and to God to strive for true unity based on full agreement of doctrine and practice. All involved concluded that the discussions were fruitful and beneficial. A second meeting is planned for December This convention may want to consider a resolution encouraging the continuation of these contacts. (President Schroeder noted that the LCMS passed such a resolution seeking for conversations with WELS and ELS.)

I am happy to report that earlier this month President Harrison was overwhelmingly re-elected to serve a second term as president of the LCMS. I believe that his leadership has been a blessing to his synod and that God will continue to use him for his purposes. I also want to note that, while WELS has sent observers to the LCMS conventions for many years, we have not had the pleasure of welcoming LCMS observers — until now. At our convention are three representatives of the LCMS. Dr. Albert Collver III (Director of Church Relations), Rev. Jon Vieker (Senior Assistant to the President), and Rev. Larry Vogel (Associate Executive Director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations).


These men have come because the leaders of the LCMS have a sincere interest in our synod and in the work that we are doing. We appreciate the respect that these and other leaders of the LCMS have shown to our Synod. We pray that their time among us will be mutually beneficial. Please give them a warm and cordial welcome.

-- posted on 30 July 2013 by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations



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Location:Waldheim Dr,New Ulm,United States

Opening Worship at the 62nd Biennial Convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Opening worship for the 62nd Biennial Convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod was held at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota.



Christus Solus ("Christ Alone") chapel at Martin Luther College.



The chapel was entirely full with delegates for the convention.



The singing filled the chapel.




After the service was over, the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society (LWMS) conducted a flag ceremony demonstrating the mission work of the Wisconsin Synod around the world. This practice serves to educate the delegates of the Wisconsin Synod about their Church partners and the location of their mission work. This is an idea that might be adapted for the Missouri Synod. Of interest was that some of WELS mission work began jointly with the Missouri Synod during the days of the Synodical Conference. Other of their work began immediately following the break up of the Synodical Conference.

The Wisconsin Synod vividly remembers the Synodical Conference (the fellowship of the Wisconsin Synod, Missouri Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and Slovak Synod). In fact, the Wisconsin Synod's hymnal Christian Worship published in 1993 notes:

"The story of Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal actually began in 1953 when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) initiated work on a revision of The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), the hymnal shared by the synods constituting the Synodical Conference. In 1959 the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) accepted the invitation to share in the revision work. In 1965, however, the LCMS abandoned this project in favor of a new pan-Lutheran hymnal, leading to the publication of Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)."

Based on conversations with people in the Missouri Synod, it does not seem that memories of the Synodical Conference is in the forefront. The preface to the WELS hymnal is correct. The LCMS became enamored with pan-Lutheranism, some of which led to the events of Seminex and the production of a hymnal unusable by much of the Missouri Synod (Lutheran Book of Worship).

In 2013, WELS sent observers to the LCMS convention. Likewise, the LCMS sent Dr Albert Collver, Rev Jon Vieker, and Rev Larry Vogel to the WELS convention.

May The Lord grant fruitful and ongoing contact with WELS.

The 2013 LCMS convention adopted a resolution to seek contact with both WELS and ELS.

The resolution reads:

To Encourage Further Discussion with Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Synod

RESOLUTION 4-05

Report 1-7; President’s Report, Part 2 (CW, p. 10; TB, p. 23)

Preamble

After more than 50 years, mostly of silence, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) held informal discussions in late 2012. Although differences exist between the church bodies, the informal discussions demonstrated that there is a basis to explore further conversations between the churches. When WELS suspended fellowship with the Missouri Synod in 1961, the president of WELS was charged with seeking opportunities to continue the conversation with the Missouri Synod.

WHEREAS, the Synodical Conference (fellowship of LCMS, WELS and ELS) was a great blessing to confessional Lutheranism both in America and throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, although the Synodical Conference dissolved, many commonalities still exist; and

WHEREAS, since the ending of the Synodical Conference there have been few opportunities for discussion between the LCMS and the WELS and the ELS; and

WHEREAS, the President of the WELS has been charged with seeking opportunities to continue the conversation with the LCMS; therefore be it

Resolved, that the President of the LCMS seek opportunities to continue the conversation with the former members of the Synodical Conference.

Attending the WELS convention in New Ulm is the first step in fulfilling this resolution.

- Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations on 30 July 2013.

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Location:Waldheim Dr,New Ulm,United States

Ordination at Roppingi Lutheran Church

Roppingi Lutheran Church is located in midtown Tokyo. Roppongi (六本木) means "six trees." A large number of expatriates live here and it is the location of a number of embassies and businesses.



Roppingi Lutheran Church was begun by Rev. Dr. William Danker in 1948. US Military chaplains identified properties that were located in prime areas at economical prices. As a result, the Missouri Synod was able to purchase the property that today resides in midtown Tokyo.



Today was a particularly joyous occasion as Tomohiro Fujiki was ordained as the youngest pastor (27 years old) in the Japan Lutheran Church. President Kumei ordained Tomohiro Fujiki on the 1st Sunday after Easter (7 April 2013).


The LCMS guests (Collver, Masaki, Golter) were invited to participate in the ordination, along with 12 other clergy living in Japan. Dr. Masaki, Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, is pictured above laying hands on Fujiki and quoting from Matthew 17:6, "Listen to him." Rev. Randy Golter, Executive Director of the Office of International Mission, quoted from 2 Tim 4:2, "Preach the Word."


Dr. Collver cited Titus 2:1, "But you publicly speak what accords with sound / healthy doctrine." The Greek word for "sound" is related to the English word "hygiene." The teaching or doctrine that is preached is clean / pure / healthy. This "healthy" doctrine keeps the body of Christ healthy, pure, and clean. Preaching pure doctrine is the task Pastor Fujiki was given.


After Pastor Fujiki was ordained, he celebrated the Lord's Supper.



The congregation receives Holy Communion from newly ordained Pastor Fujiki and the other assisting pastors.


After the service, the pastors who participated in the service and the attending congregation gathered for a group photograph.


Rev. Kumei, President of the Japan Lutheran Church, talks with Dr. Collver and Rev. Golter at the reception. President Kumei indicated he was pleased with the visit and hopes that the Japan Lutheran Church and the Missouri Synod could work together with renewed energy in Japan.

The visit between the Japan Lutheran Church and the Missouri Synod representatives went very well. The people of the Japan Lutheran Church showed great hospitality and kindness to us. We look forward to what The Lord might work between us in the future.

- Posted by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations

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Location:Fujimi 1-Chōme,Chiyoda,Japan

Holy Hope Lutheran HighSchool Opening Service

On Saturday, 6 April 2013, we attended the opening service of Holy Hope Lutheran Junior and Senior High School. In Japan, April (like September is in the United States) is the beginning of the school year. Also unlike America, the opening service in Japan is as important for the parents and children to attend as graduation.



Holy Hope Lutheran School is 92 years old. About 30 years after the school's founding, the LCMS purchased the building to assist in the mission of the church.
This photo shows all the people attending the opening service.




For the 2013 academic year, there are 55 students in the junior high and 377 in the high school.


In 1972, the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) contributed funds to assist in the completion of a building.


The educational policy of Holy Hope Lutheran Junior and Senior High School "bases its educational principles on Christianity, and strives to educate its students to revere God, love their neighbor, value righteousness, and pursue faith in Christ.



LCMS pastor, Rev. Michael Piescer, the chaplain of Holy Hope Lutheran Junior and Senior High School, opened the service with an invocation, prayer, and hymn.



It was impressive to see the children answer the roll call during the opening service. It also was good to see how the LCMS was working with our partners in Japan.


Riding on the subway to the high school.

Posted by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, LCMS Director of Church Relations.

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Location:Nakayama,Hanno,Japan

Revisiting Japan Tsunami

On Tuesday, 2 April 2013, Rev, Randy Golter, Executive Director of the Office of International Mission (OIM); Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne; Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations, arrived in Tokyo, Japan at the invitation of the Japan Lutheran Church (NRK), LCMS partner church, to discuss our ongoing partnership and to visit the sites damaged by the 2011 Tsunami.




This morning we left Sendai to visit the areas most damaged by the Tsunami. Dr. Masaki points on a map where we will visit.




A memorial marker in Ishinomaki, Japan, an epicenter of tsunami wave. The memorial says, "Hang in there, Ishinomaki.



Rev. Randy Golter looks at photographs of how the tsunami area looked before the disaster.



A sad moment was the visit to Old Ohkawa Elementary School, where 10 teachers and 76 children died. Although this region had suffered from earthquakes and even a tsunami in 1938, the location of the school had been considered safe from tsunamis. On the day of the earthquake, it had been snowing. The teachers conferred to decide whether or not to seek higher ground or to simply relocate outside the school. Unfortunately, they make the wrong decision and the teachers and students lost their lives.



A young boy goes to a shrine at the site of the Elementry school to pray for the souls of the deceased. In Japan, popular religion is a syncretistic mixture of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Praying for the souls of the deceased is a sort of good work you can do. It is believed that prayers for the deceased brings them comfort and makes the afterlife more pleasant, particularly when life ended in a tragic way such as from the tsunami. In Japan, the preservation of the remains of the dead is very important. In fact, the Japanese government went to great lengths to recover the remains of those who died in the tsunami. The remains are important because there is some hope of a resurrection in Confucianism.




Drs. Collver and Masaki at the site of the elementary school.



The LCMS in cooperation with the Japan Lutheran Emergency Relief assisted in the reconstruction in the affected tsunami regions.



Even two years after the tsunami, there is a great deal of recovery remains. There also is great need for the Gospel of Jesus.



Rev. Shinri Emoto of the Japan Lutheran Church at site of the elementary school.

The Japan Lutheran Church (NRK) hopes that the Lord will move the LCMS to continue support for theological education and the sending of personnel to assist in Japan.

- Posted by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations.

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Location:Kamaya Nirashima-Chōme,Ishinomaki,Japan