WELS

AFRICA, Malawi, The Slideshows, Zambia

By missions: on August 13, 2008 Topics: AFRICA, Malawi, The Slideshows, Zambia

A number of years ago, by invitation of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary began a program of sending a professor to Africa each summer to teach during the LCCA’s continuing education week.  The venue for the CE sessions alternates each year between the Seminary campus in Lusaka, Zambia, and the campus of the Lutheran Bible Institute in Lilongwe, Malawi.

This year the classes are being conducted at the LBI.  Almost 50 Zambian and Malawian pastors, together with about a half-dozen missionaries, have come together for a week of learning, discussion, and fellowship.

When Paul Nitz, field coordinator of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa—Malawi Synod, heard that I was coming to Africa with the Humanitarian Aid Committee, he asked if I could stay on an extra week to teach.  That is what I am doing right now.  I’ve just finished the second day of a week of teaching.

I’m teaching a course on Christian stewardship through a study of  the 8th and 9th chapters of the Apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians.  Missionary Nitz is teaching about church administration, and a Malawian teacher is offering a course on church finances.

The participation of the Zambian and Malawian pastors has been a joy to experience.  There was so much discussion today, in fact, that I was able to cover only one-half of the material that I had prepared for the class.  I have found that our Malawian and Zambian brothers are not afraid to speak out and voice their opinions, but in a very respectful manner.  I am learning much about the way our LCCA congregations operate and also about the difficulties they have at times, as we do in the United States, with teaching and practicing Scripture-based principles of giving.  My emphasis throughout the course, which is the Apostle Paul’s emphasis, is that only the gospel, the message of the cross and empty tomb of Jesus, produces giving that is pleasing to God.  It is good to see the positive response on the part of the students.

We begin each day at 8:15 a.m. with a chapel service in the beautiful chapel of the LBI.  The service is conducted by one of the Malawian or Zambian pastors.  Then I teach the stewardship course for about three hours.  This is followed by an hour of Missionary Nitz’ course on church administration.  Following this, the African pastors, the missionaries, and I are treated to a fine lunch of traditional African food.  The day’s sessions are completed in the afternoon with an hour-long class on church finances.  We will conclude on Friday with a communion service, which I am very much looking forward to.

This Saturday, God willing, I will be boarding a plane back to the U.S., after about 3½ weeks in Africa, first with the Humanitarian Aid Committee and now with teaching.  It has been a joy to serve our Savior in this way.

Dave Valleskey