CONFERENCE DAY

Today we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Lutheran missionary to China, the Rev. Edward Arndt. To give thanks on this day, and to look toward the future, speakers were asked to come and meet from 10 to 3, sharing reflections, vision, and excitement about what is happening in China. What follows are some of my notes from a few of the speakers. There are no notes from David Kohl, a historian, who just published volume one entitled Lutherans on the Yangtze;  A Centenary Account of the Missouri Synod in China.  The book recounts the story from 1913 to 1949 with anecdotes, personal interviews, excerpts from letters, many pictures, and some statistics. From what I can see, it will be an interesting read (not a theological treatise). Volume two will come out later this year.

Conference:  Lutheran Mission works to the Chinese People, past, present, and the future.

DR ALAN YUNG:  (President, Lutheran Church of China Hong Kong Synod) Opening words on the Great Commission. Three points:  1) Jesus has all authority which also means that we have His authority.  2) Everywhere not only means in every country, but also in everyone’s heart.  3)  Promise is the comfort that Jesus will always be with us.

Lutheran mission in China began 100 years ago; now we begin again. We continue on the blessing of the past and ask forgiveness for what we missed. Dr. Jung is excited about how the Hong Kong Synod will continue the work of the past long into the future.

DR. JEFF OSHWALD:   (professor, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis):  Shared some of Luther’s reflections of Paul, Apollos and Stephen as missionaries. Luther’s comments on Acts: salvation through faith alone (surely not to him a book on mission). Nevertheless it is we through whom God accomplishes all of his work.

Paul, Appolos, and Stephen did not have ordination as “preachers.” Any Christian should feel obligated to speak and act on behalf of the Lord. (Acts 18). Stephen and Philip were only ordained for the ministry of the table, but only spoke on the need of the people with whom they met. They were not ordained as pastors.

Many men in the book of Acts were not called or ordained to speak/preach, but their words had great effect for the Kingdom. The Gospel has been proven effective in areas long before any “preachers” were present. “Little preachers” (the non-ordained) were present.

THE WORLD OF THE LORD WILL RUN AND FLY WHEN WE LITTLE EXPECT. WHEN THE TIME COMES THERE WILL BE MANY CHILDREN AS A RESULT OF THE SPEAKING OF THE WORD. (Faith comes by hearing; the Word does not return void; never discount the working of the Spirit through the Word)

SUMMARY:  All men/women can/should preach whenever there is opportunity. Let the laity “preach,” but also let the clergy preach.

BUT, Luther is also adamant about the preaching office. Yet, he still focuses on the “little preachers,” the laity who also proclaim the Word.

 It is understood, when one thinks about the millions of Christians who came through the Cultural Revolution, that there were few pastors. The sharing of the Word (preaching) was done by the laity. It happened without many clergy, but with many “little preachers.”

DR HENRY ROWALD (Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and longtime China missionary):  1952 – the end date when all missionaries were out of China (but really 1949). In the 1980’s is when “mission work” began once again in the Mainland. There were very few LCMS who overlapped from 1949 to1980. A few faithful few served in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Dr. Roy Suelflow (doctoral thesis) wrote “We have no confidence that we ever established a church in China.” But now, we realize that the seed was sown. Hank Rowald recently met several pastors in China who had been trained in our former LCMS related theological school. He also met the wife of a deceased pastor who served faithfully as “evangelist” holding together a congregation where her pastor/husband had once served.

“Theological is for ALL of life and for ALL of God’s people,” not only for a select group of people. Refer to Martin Luther and his teaching about theological education in the very home. Three kinds of theological education:  spiritual, academic, and professional.  Home, leaders in congregations, and then seminary.

Greeting my brother, Michael. Each trip, we travel together sharing presentations. He's a pastor/evangelist originally from Taiwan. The woman is Roberta Hildebrand, interim business manager for the LCMS missionary presence in Asia.

 

Sharing with Rev. John Mehl, former regional director for the LCMS in Asia.

Rev. Carl Hanson (left) moderates the question time following Dr. Rowald's presentation

Rev. Joel Scheive shares a moment with two participants.

Dr. Steve Oliver (left) from the Taiwan Lutheran Seminary shares conversation with one of the three Wisconsin Synod brothers in attendance.

The MTR on my way to Tuen Mun where I will stay for the next three days. After this train, I still had to take the light rail for another 20 minutes to arrive at Siu Leun School.

You might say "I'm washed up." You an hardly tell that I have a halo, and my guess is that this 3 year old poster will soon need to be replaced with something FRESH!