‘Every Lutheran Church in Asia should have at least one senior pastor who has trained at Australian Lutheran College [ALC]. Then you will have someone who knows confessional Lutheran theology!’ This was the heart-felt expression of an Asian bishop during a gathering of regional church leaders in 2019. ALC is recognised by our partner churches […]

‘Every Lutheran Church in Asia should have at least one senior pastor who has trained at Australian Lutheran College [ALC]. Then you will have someone who knows confessional Lutheran theology!’ This was the heart-felt expression of an Asian bishop during a gathering of regional church leaders in 2019.

ALC is recognised by our partner churches as a great gift for its faithfulness to Lutheran, biblical theology and its place in the Asia-Pacific, and the understanding this brings of contextual issues. After a lifetime of mission experience, the bishop quoted above knows that understanding the gospel as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions is vital in order to bring forgiveness and hope to people trapped in darkness and sin. And he knows that’s exactly what you get at ALC.

For many years, LCA International Mission has worked with ALC to provide theological education to support our partner churches. Many LCANZ pastoral students have benefitted by studying alongside scholarship holders from PNG and Asia, who bring a non-western perspective on the joy of the gospel and the urgency of mission, while also being equipped to return home as a blessing to their own church body.

In recent years it has become much more difficult to bring students to Australia, so ALC has joyfully joined us in taking their gifts to the world. Prior to COVID-19, this meant sending lecturers throughout the region to provide short-term intensives courses on topics requested by our partner churches, along with providing substantial support to the Lutheran Study Centre in Malaysia. In these days of restricted travel, ALC has been incredibly adaptive in finding new ways of serving and their mission engagement has multiplied as they have enthusiastically responded to teaching requests which have been delivered via online webinars to literally hundreds and hundreds of students who have logged in from PNG to India and every country in between!

The Holy Spirit is blessing our mission partners with a hunger and thirst for Lutheran theology, which brings the light of the gospel in beautiful clarity to those they serve. It’s little wonder the bishop said every Asian church needed at least one pastor trained at ALC! With your help, LCA International Mission and ALC can continue to bring this to fruition for the sake of God’s mission.

If you would like to know more about opportunities to personally support a scholarship recipient in your congregation during their stay in Australia, or ways in which you can financially and prayerfully support LCA International Mission’s scholarship program, you are invited to phone Nevin on (08) 8267 7300 or email nevin.nitschke@lca.org.au

Read more stories about LCA International Mission scholarships at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/scholarships/