A New Season of Learning

To the Ends of the Earth

Recently I spent three days in meetings with LCMC leaders from across our association. While we discussed many important topics, one stood out from the rest. Service Coordinator Julie Smith and Mike Wind, from our Global Mission Fellowship, put forth this question: What does it really mean for LCMC to become a truly global church?

For most of our history, we have been a largely North American association that included a minority membership of congregations on other continents. We currently have 1049 total congregations with 876 here in North America. Over the past year, global interest in our association has sky-rocketed! For example, Lutheran leaders of more than 1,500 congregations across the African countries of Liberia, Congo, and Nepal have expressed interest in joining our LCMC family. This is a thrilling development, but not without its challenges. In 2001, the 25 charter congregations of LCMC dared to dream of a global church body. Now, 25 years and over 1000 congregations later, we are on the verge of living into that reality in a whole new way!

I appreciated how Mike and Julie named the tension before us: We are now asking questions we have never had to ask ourselves before. But LCMC does not have to become a different association in order to welcome an influx of international congregations because we were designed for that in the beginning and our DNA is strong: We are Free in Christ, Accountable to One Another, Rooted in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and Working Together to Fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. These core values guide how we operate as an association. The challenge before us is to discern which parts of how we operate are essential to the Gospel and which are culturally American. Mike reminded us that our LCMC DNA may get lived out and look different in Uruguay or Myanmar than it does in Texas. I agree with Mike’s assessment and therefore do not view these potential new congregations as a threat to who we are, but instead as a gift because of the Gospel taking root in new soil.

And this development is the fruit of faithful mission that began long ago and continues to this day. From Jesus’ ascension, He commissioned his disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and declared that we would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). For generations, Lutheran missionaries have traveled the world over and proclaimed the Gospel to new people where it has taken root and flourished in ways we can be jealous of. And these recent developments are a gift to our association: we have brothers and sisters the world over that have found us and are interested in joining us in our shared mission!

So how do we LCMC Lutherans in Texas prepare to receive our brothers and sisters abroad? First, we pray for those facing persecution, especially in India, Nepal, and Myanmar. In addition, I would encourage individuals and congregations to build relationships and consider adopting a sister LCMC congregation in a foreign land. And finally, we need to begin opening ourselves to how Lutherans around the world live out our LCMC DNA in a diversity of contexts. A day may soon come when we have far more congregations outside of North America than within. And thanks be to God for the gift of these global congregations.

I’d like to leave you with a final thought from our friend Mike Wind: “Every healthy church should become a blessing beyond itself.” Our Texas District mission is to multiply disciples and churches. May we embrace this calling with renewed boldness, encouraged by our international brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor Bryce Formwait is the Director of Mission Growth for LCMC Texas District and Program Director of Harvest Workers, an online ministry training program (learn more at www.harvestworkers.net). Residing in Georgetown, Pastor Bryce is available to coach congregations on mission. Please contact him with any questions or comments: 512-942-7776 or bryce@lcmctexas.org.