May 2008

With the approval of the CLC Mission Board, Pastor Ohlmann began looking into the possibility of combining a trip to Kathmandu with his already scheduled trip to India in May and June of 2008. It was also decided to ask Missionary Matt Ude to accompany him to Nepal. With the trip approved and scheduled, correspondence with Raju continued.

Missionary Matt Ude and Pastor Todd Ohlmann traveled to Nepal in May of 2008 and spent several days visiting congregations and conducted a seminar to teach the doctrines of the Lutheran church using the CLC Statement of Faith and Purpose. Nine pastors, in addition to Pastor Raju, his father JB and his brother Rajan accepted the teaching of the CLC.

Following the doctrinal discussions, an hour was set aside for Pastor JB and Raju to lead an organizational meeting with the other independent pastors who had gathered. A resolution to join together and form a Confessional Lutheran Church body in Nepal passed with a unanimous vote and enthusiastic clapping of hands and singing. They chose to call themselves the Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession of Nepal (HCLCN). Their first act was to elect Pastor Raju to serve as chairman. As chairman he was assigned the duties of continuing correspondence with the CLC, organizing and leading ongoing training of the pastors, and to begin the task of writing a doctrinal platform and constitution.