1909-2009

Introduction
A lot can happen in one hundred years. Think of how our country has been transformed through the hundred years from 1909 to 2009 from the horse and buggy to the nuclear age. In this study we look at another transformation. What has happened with the Lutheran churches that were in India in 1909 up to the present? Lutherans first came to India in mission in 1706 with Ziegenbalg and Pluetschau. The nineteenth century though was the century of great missionary endeavor all over the world. It was no less in India. We view those Lutheran missions that . . .

2008
Correspondence had been carried on between Pastor Denis Mulumba of the ELCC and Pastor Koenig. Encouragement was given to Pastor Denis to do outreach work beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo. He decided to try in Johannesburg, SA. He, his wife and baby are now located in Joburg with the attempt to gather French speaking people into worship. His initial success was thwarted by riots against foreigners that compelled him to go to a different area of Joburg.

2008
Extensive correspondence was carried on by the Secretary of the Mission Board, Pastor Ohlmann with the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church beginning in February and carrying on into the Spring. It was proposed to have a visitation by CLC representatives to the UMELC. This was approved at a June meeting of the Mission Board.

September 2007
Pastor Raju Bhitrokoti, with his father’s blessing and advice, began searching the internet for Lutheran organizations that would be willing to offer pastoral training in Nepal. He “stumbled” upon the websites of a few CLC congregations. In reading and searching these sites he read reports concerning the CLC efforts to assist the CLCI and BELC in training pastors in India. Specifically he read reports from previous CLC Mission Helper Trips where mention was made of “pastoral training seminars.”

History of the CLC’s work in Nigeria (NCLC)
(A Story of Human Failure and God’s Mercy)

Initial Contact
In the early 1970’s Oscar Erpenstein of St. Stephen’s of San Francisco came into contact with certain Nigerian students schooling in the USA.  He showed them the truth from God’s Word.  When they returned to Nigeria, contact did not stop with these students of the Word.  Oscar continued to correspond with them and their friends in Nigeria on the basic teachings of Christianity.  From this correspondence a request came from Nigeria to come over and teach us.

History of the CLC’s work in Tanzania
Initial Contact
On April 4, 2000 Pastor Jesse Angowi sent his inquiry about the CLC to Prof. Pfeiffer at ILC.  Since the missionary was going to Kenya for meetings with the Etago people at the end of April, an email was sent to Pastor Angowi of the Lutheran Church of East Africa inviting him to come to the meetings at Nairobi, Kenya.  Due to God’s blessing of email and its speed, the meeting took place.  The LCEA had withdrawn from the large Lutheran church in Tanzania over its liberalism, the last straw being . . .

History of the CLC’s work in Togo & Ghana
Initial Contact
In 1999 Elinore Gbedey was returning to the USA from teaching in the country of Benin. She came through Lome, Togo to visit there, since she is married to a Togolese. While in Lome, she came across a Lutheran, Amegan Kwaku Kpello (Mike) and explained our church to him. He seemed to have some interest, so she contacted Pastor Koenig who had previously been her pastor at Peace Thru Christ in Middleton, WI. Email correspondence resulted. Literature was sent and Mike decided to remain with his Lutheran church which . . .

History of the CLC’s work in Kenya
Initial Contact
Some had been looking for a new church in their area of Etago, Kisii to replace the churches they were in, namely the Roman Catholic and the 7th Day Adventist. Inquiries were made among tourists from America who travelled nearby. A non-CLC friend from Michigan, upon being asked, recommended they investigate the CLC. President Fleischer received their correspondence and turned the correspondence over to the missionary on January 25, 2000.

History of the CLC in Congo
Initial Contact
Pastor Mutombo Muzakuza was baptized Catholic and joined a confessional Reformed Church in 1978, ordained as a bishop in 1977.  He left and sought to form a new church in the Lutheran mold, as suggested by a Methodist bishop.  The chairman of the CLC Mission Board corresponded with Pastor Muzakuza in April 1998.  The correspondence was turned over to the missionary.  A quantity of French and English doctrinal and devotional materials has been sent.

History of the CLC’s work for Him in India
Initial Contact
The CLC Board of Missions (BoM) received a letter from John Rohrbach, a member of Zion, Ipswich, S.D., dated Dec. 10, 1981.  In it he wrote, “This past summer I went to Sri Lanka and India… While there I became sick and was hospitalized for ten days.  During my stay at the hospital a schoolmaster and his wife came to me with three pastors.  They were looking for a Lutheran body to belong to.”  When John communicated this to his brethren in the CLC, there was joy aplenty, which . . .