Poster - Worship Slides

Poster - Front-and-Center Slides

Poster - Event Slides

One of the great blessings of being in Taiwan during this final period of waiting was participating in a two-day theological conference. The presenters explored what it means to be Lutheran in the mission field. That’s a question with which Lutheran missionaries and partner churches alike have to wrestle.

Luther sought to reform the church, which, in his view, had departed from the true Christian faith. Following his example, Lutherans continue striving to witness Christ faithfully. Since the time of the Apostles, Christians have examined themselves and each other constantly to ensure that they are keeping the same faith that the Lord Jesus taught. It’s clear from the Apostles’ letters that Christians need to examine both what they believe about Jesus Christ and how they live their lives together as his disciples.

This past February, the CELC held a convocation in which the congregations affirmed their commitment to the restructuring of the church body. These congregations are committed to examining what it means for them to be Lutheran in Sri Lanka, which is to say, they are committed to the Church’s aim: faithfully witnessing Christ both in teaching and in living. We thank God for enabling them to make this commitment. We pray that by his grace, they would continue to make disciples throughout Sri Lanka, baptizing and teaching them everything that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19–20).

Vicar Benjamin and Grace Vanderhyde serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as missionaries in Sri Lanka. In his role as vicar, Benjamin trains up musicians to serve the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church while assisting the other LCMS missionaries serving in Sri Lanka with their work and learning from them. You can read more about the Vanderhydes at www.lcms.org/vanderhyde.