Pre- and Post-Seminary Training for Local Church Workers
Mission Training Center, Africa
$62,650
In many remote villages across East Africa young congregations often gather together under trees for worship or under make shift structures of sticks and a tarp. Most often the worship services are led by evangelists.
The Mission Training Center (MTC) program provides training for lay leaders and evangelists so that they can lead worship. Some of the evangelists have the opportunity to attend seminary and become ordained.
Β
In villages across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, most local congregations are led by helpers, evangelists or seminary trained, and ordained pastors. Both the pre-seminary and post-seminary men are eager for opportunities to study theology in a community which will enable them to better serve their congregations. To enable those whom the church has called into service as lay leaders of these congregations, The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Africa Mission Training Center provides continuing education opportunities for local pastors and their wives. The course may be taught by a church leader, a local seminary professor, or a missionary engaged in the work God has given him. This grant will provide basic theological training for lay leaders of congregations who serve under a pastor responsible for between five and 15 congregations. The training material allows the local pastor to work through a total of 22 workbooks (over two years) with his lay leaders. Lay leaders gather with their pastor for 5 days once a month. The program provides limited financial assistance to offset the costs of food and transportation.
WHEREAS, in villages across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, most local congregations are led by helpers or evangelists while some are led by seminary-trained and ordained pastors. Both groups - those who are pre-seminary and those who are post-seminary are eager for opportunities to study theology in a community to enable them to better serve the congregations God has entrusted to their care; and
WHEREAS, to enable those whom the church has called into service as lay leaders of congregations in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda to engage the work God has put before them with a foundation in theology through the Lutheran Church β Missouri Synod Africa Mission Training Center program; and
WHEREAS, to provide continuing education opportunities for local pastors and their wives in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia; and
WHEREAS, this program provides basic theological training for lay leaders of congregations who serve under a pastor who is responsible for between 5 and 15 congregations. The training material allows the local pastor to work through a total of 22 workbooks (over two years) with his lay leaders. Lay leaders gather with their pastor for 5 days once a month. The program provides limited financial assistance to offset the costs of food and transportation and often a small stipend for the church's national coordinator; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the delegates gathered at the 2019 Lutheran Womenβs Missionary League Convention in Mobile, Alabama, vote the sum of $62,650 to help fund Pre- and Post-Seminary Training for local church workers.
These young congregations don't have the resources on their own to train evangelists or pastors or to even gather pastors together for mutual edification in the word, fellowship and opportunities to collaborate.
The Mission Opportunities Project allows our LCMS Area Director
Paul Sserwaniko started as an evangelist and went through the MTC program.Β 
He (Paul Sserwaniko) attended the Matongo seminary in Kenya and is now an ordained pastor in Uganda with the Lutheran Church of Uganda.
Rev. Sserwaniko now leads the MTC program in his village. Along with other leaders of the Lutheran Church of Uganda, including Bishop Charles Bameka, they can train lay leaders and evangelists to share the Gospel and build the church.
