Visit to the Silesian Lutherans (Bohemia)

On Sunday, December 14th, a group from the Missouri Synod arrived in Prague for a week long conference with the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (SECAC). In 2010, the LCMS and the SECAC, who are not in altar and pulpit fellowship, signed a working agreement describing how the two churches will work in the area of human care (particularly in the area of people with disabilities through Slezská diakonie) and in the realm of theological education and conferences. (Read more about that at http://abc3miscellany.blogspot.com/2010/11/working-agreement-with-silesian.html)

The Slezská diakonie requested that the Missouri Synod present on the topic of the theology of mercy, so that the church can remain closely connected to human care work. Dr. Collver presented on the Biblical view of mercy, both to the Slezská diakonie and to a pastors' conference at the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (SECAC).

Approximately, One hundred of the 600 staff members attended the conference. Deaconess Grace Rao and Deaconess Dorothy Krans also presented to the staff of the Slezská diakonie.

Pastor James Krikava, Eurasia missionary to Czech Republic and associate Eurasia regional director, presented to the pastors' conference at the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (SECAC) in Czech. His paper addressed the topic of mercy in pastoral care through confession and absolution.

Above is a short video (15 seconds) of Rev. James Krikava presenting at the SECAC pastors' conference in Czech. The LCMS believes it is very important for her missionaries to know the local language. Rev. Krikava, born and raised in the United States, learned Czech at home from his parents and attained fluency during his 15 years of experience as a missionary to the Czech Republic. 

Rev. Peter Lang, 1st Vice-President of the Kansas District and Pastor at St. John's in Topeka, KS, was part of the LCMS delegation to Silesia. Pastor Lang's congregation has supported the international mission work of the LCMS for the past 15 years, primarily through the Network Supported Missionary (NSM) model. In the video below, Pastor Lang describes how his congregation provides support for Rev. James Krikava in the Czech Republic.

If there is interest to support the work of Rev. James Krikava in the Czech republic please visit: http://lcms.org/krikava

Kay Kreklau, President of from the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML), came to the Czech Republic and Poland as part of the LCMS delegation. Kay Kreklau was particularly interested in how the LWML can work more closely with the Office of International Mission (OIM) to better support LCMS missionaries and their work.

The future work of the Eurasia team under Rev. Tony Booker, Regional Director for Eurasia, is looking bright with many opportunities for strengthening Lutheran identity in Central Europe. Rev. Tony Booker also serves as the pastor of St. Michael's English Congregation in Prague.

-- Rev. Albert B. Collver, Ph.D., Director of Church Relations / Regional Operations