PHOENIX, ARIZONA - On Tuesday 21 July, the Convention of Synod of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod voted unanimously in favour of Resolution 5-02, ‘To Support and Encourage Recognition of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Lutheran Mission - Australia.’ The decision was greeted with applause and the singing of the doxology.

On Sunday 19 July, Bishop Emile Nkurunziza of Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burundi was delighted to ordain eight pastors into Word and Sacrament ministry. This brings the total number of pastors serving this rapidly growing church to 12 pastors serving in 12 parishes.

Among the 12 parishes, six parishes now have church buildings under construction: two are almost finished, one is making good progress and three have a long way to go in their construction. The other six parishes are fundraising and collecting local materials to buy land and start construction. Three of these parishes have now purchased land.

Bishop Emile expressed HELCB’s gratitude to LM-A for our support through the mission appeal. Funds we sent have helped students preparing for ordination and the fundraising to buy land for church construction.

The latest Sem Vlog has just been uploaded to YouTube and can also be seen on our Videos page. In the video, Pastor Michael Prenzler outlines current developments with the Sem and identifies ways in which students can prepare for their studies with LTS-A in 2027. Information on how to enrol should be announced at the LM-A Synodical Assembly in August.

As the pastoral and diaconal stream courses will be held at a bachelor’s degree level, students should be prepared for tertiary study. Deaconess Kathleen Mills can assist any prospective students to enrol in an Academic Research and Writing unit which begins online at the end of August, and which is designed to build the skills needed to succeed at university level studies. Students should be in contact with Deaconess Kathleen ASAP, as enrolments close mid-August.

The video further distinguishes between general admission students and LM-A sponsored students who are preparing for service as a pastor or deaconess in LM-A. While general interest students and those from other church backgrounds have some flexibility in their enrolment choices, LM-A students must follow a set academic and formational curriculum. LM-A is planning on offering full scholarships to cover tuition for sponsored students.

On Sunday 19 July, Adelaide Northern Suburbs Lutheran Mission (ANSLM) experienced a wonderful event. In that service we admitted two adults into God's family through the rite of holy baptism. We then admitted a family of four, who had worshipped with us for over a year before deciding to join, into membership. Finally, we held the rite of Confirmation for five adults, most of whom had been worshipping in Lutheran churches for years but had not been confirmed in the Lutheran understanding of the faith.

I share this not to boast about our little congregation, but to encourage the rest of the church with what God is doing in LM-A. All credit must go to Him as He draws people to Himself (John 6:44) and gives them the gift of faith (Ephesians 2). At the same time, God gave the people of ANSLM an opportunity to partner in His mission, and I thought it might be helpful to share with you our collective journey. This is not meant to be a ‘formula for evangelism’ (as if there is ever only one way of bringing people into the church) but is simply an example of how opportunities unfold if we keep our spiritual eyes and ears open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Dr Stephen Pietsch reviews Dr John Kleinig’s latest book as part of the ‘Good Books’ series we are running over the coming months highlighting wonderful books which share God’s wisdom.

“From Shame to Glory” is a bold title. It might make a prospective reader think of the kind of spiritual self-help literature that is so prolific today, promising the Christian ways to overcome their own shame through perfecting certain spiritual techniques or practices.

Kleinig’s book could not be further from this! It is a biblical account of how God removes human shame and puts in its place not just honor or self-esteem, but His very own heavenly glory.

Like many, over the years I have struggled with pinning down what exactly shame is and how it works. Its exact nature is elusive and it seems to operate in complex ways. Our culture has scaled it down to just another kind of victimhood. It is popularly believed that if we have a healthy self-image and we are otherwise well adjusted, we should feel no shame, nor be shamed by others. It has been reduced to “bad feelings about yourself which others put on you”. There is much more to it than this.

On Sunday, 12th July, a crowd gathered at the local footy club to celebrate the installation of our new pastor, Pastor Bryce Clark, supported by his lovely wife, Judy. Brothers and sisters in Christ travelled from many LM-A congregations including Mildura, Loxton, Callington and Jeparit, as well as international visitors from the LCMS (a complete fluke that they were visiting on this particular weekend!). 

The opening hymn, 191, began the service by reminding us all of the foundation our church is built upon:

“The church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord
she is His new creation
by water and the Word:
from heaven He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.”

Pastor Matt Anker led the congregation in the Divine Service, with his sermon focussing on the gospel reading from Matthew 13:1-24: The Parable of the Sower. What a wonderfully appropriate text for an installation, as Pastor Bryce has been called to be faithful to the pastoral duties of Word and Sacrament ministry, bible study, home visits and catechesis of the younger members of the congregation, faithfully sowing the seed of God’s Word.

On Sunday 5th July, St Paul’s Lutheran Church Ararat was received into Lutheran Mission - Australia. St Paul’s is now the seventh congregation to join LM-A in the ever-growing state of Victoria. The gathering was marked with encouragement, song and thanksgiving.

In the Parable of the Sower, the Sower sows the seed, the Word of God, but for three kinds of people, it doesn’t produce its desired effect. Why not?

The International Lutheran Council (ILC) holds a conference for the seminaries of its members every three years. This year the conference was held in the last week of June 2026 in South Africa, at a working farm and conference centre on the outskirts of Pretoria. Its theme was ‘Being Human, Being Christian: Theological Anthropology in Church and Seminary.’

Representatives came from every continent except Antarctica, reflecting the multicultural makeup of the ILC. Of the approximately 60 attendees, the largest contingent came from Africa, with the next-largest group being from Latin America, reminding us that most Christians (and Lutherans) are in the ‘Global South’.

… so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  

Isaiah 55:11

Our churches teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God [John 1:14], assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary  (AC III).

When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg in 1517, he started a reformation that had far reaching ramifications. Historians and commentators have highlighted the many political, educational, and social changes that took place in and around the reformation. New technologies such as the Gutenberg Press enabled the work of Luther and early reformers to be spread quickly and effectively.  (Just imagine Luther with a laptop and the internet!)

What may be overlooked or diminished is that always at the heart of the reformation was the work of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross that all people may be saved. The primary work of the reformation was the proclamation of the Gospel so people might repent of their sins, receive the forgiveness of sins, then the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8).

Isaiah exhorts God’s people to seek the Lord while he may be found.  Today many people speak of being spiritual but not religious, or some variation on that theme. We hear it from movie and music stars, and this may be mimicked by your friends and family also. It suggests a keen desire to chart one’s own course, but to have a mystical someone or something to fall back on if things get difficult.

Against worldly thinking, Isaiah sounds a clear warning, ‘seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near’ (Isaiah 55:6). The living Word is incarnate through the person of Jesus Christ.  We have ready access to Jesus through His Word and through the sacraments. In baptism we are joined with Jesus into the one true and apostolic church, the family of God. Through Holy Communion we receive the true body and blood of Jesus which we carry into the lives of our family and friends.  This is our faithful witness.

LM-A President Matt Anker reports on his attendance at the LCC Convention of Synod, where LCC resolved to recognise fellowship with LM-A.

‘Oh, you’re one of those Aussies serving here!’ Such was the way I was greeted again and again as I attended the thirteenth regular Convention of the Lutheran Church – Canada (LCC). I was honoured to be confused with and numbered among our faithful brothers who are serving LCC congregations, and privileged to officially represent LM-A at this convention.

As many of you know there has been a long and blessed relationship between the LCC and Australian Lutherans. In 2024 President Tim Teuscher addressed the LCA Synod and declared with deep sadness that with the decision to ordain women, the LCA had broken fellowship with LCC. Shortly after that event President Teuscher contacted me to advise that the LCC desired to work toward altar and pulpit fellowship with LM-A.

Photo: Guntars Baikovs

Subsequently, LM-A and LCC held formal discussions based on our respective confessions of faith and the LCC’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations concluded that ‘these discussions have revealed a clear unity in the doctrine of the Gospel and all its articles and in the right administration of the Sacraments (AC VII)’ and recommended altar and pulpit fellowship be recognised.

While there were many moments of great encouragement at this convention, none were more encouraging or emotional that when the Convention considered the resolution to recognise fellowship. Those in favour were asked to stand and there was not a person left sitting on their chair. When the applause died down, the convention spontaneously sang the common doxology, acknowledging that it is God Himself who establishes unity on the basis of His Word through the work of His Holy Spirit.

The Northern Tasmania Lutheran Mission was blessed to have Pastor Avito da Costa conduct a Rite of Reception into the LM-A on Trinity Sunday (31 May), after receiving official approval of their membership application on 29 April 2026. Held at the Blythe Heads Hall, the service was a true celebration as the congregation belted out joyful hymns to the organ music played by Anna da Costa.

The fledgling congregation has forged ahead over the last 20 months since members could no longer support the direction of the LCA. The membership includes former LCA members from Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, as well as former Anglican members who had become disillusioned with the direction their Anglican Church was taking. All were seeking a home where the Scriptures are taught in their truth and purity. 

Moving from services in a residential basement to various public halls, the Northern Tasmanian Lutheran Mission now holds services at Blythe Heads Hall, with a once-a-month service in an old church building owned by the Sassafras Community Hall Association. For much of 2025 and early 2026, the Northern Tasmanian Lutheran Mission was fortunate to have weekly Holy Communion services, led by Pastor Sam Modra, as he awaited a permanent position.

From the beginning, LM-A has expressed its desire to see the office of deaconess restored in Australian Lutheran churches. Deaconess Kathleen Mills and Dr Stephen Pietsch were tasked with drafting a theological rationale for the role of deaconesses in LM-A, which has since been edited and approved by the College of Pastors and received by the LM-A Committee of Management. The paper examines the Biblical basis and history of deaconesses, how the office of deaconess differs from the Office of the Ministry, the theology of mercy and the work of the deaconess and the reasons for having deaconesses serving in LM-A. The paper further explores the training and the servant heart required by deaconesses.

‍Biblical Basis and History

‍In Acts 6:1-7, the apostolic church appointed seven men—Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus—to serve as deacons.[2] This was a response to complaints that the widows of Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. The apostles delegated this “serving tables” role to the seven men so that the apostles could focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. This is an expression of obedience to the command to love and serve the poor and needy which Christ gives to his church in Matt 19:21 and John 13:14. This diaconal service of mercy continued in the early and later eras of church.

The biblical basis for the office of deaconess is found primarily in the qualifications listed in 1 Tim 3:11, for women in roles of service and mercy, alongside the example of Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2, who is described as a “deacon” (servant) and a valuable helper. These verses, along with passages like Titus 2:3-5 and 1 Timothy 5:9-10, show that women served in roles of service, care for the sick and poor, and instructing younger women, and were held to a high standard of character in these roles.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11–12

‘And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.’

One of the saddest things I observed in the decades-long debate over the ordination of women was the message it sent to women (and lay men) who wanted to serve in the church. It implied that unless you serve as a pastor, your service is somehow second-class; that if you’re not ‘up the front’, your service isn’t seen or appreciated; that only pastors have ‘real power’.

How far from the truth those (mis)understandings are! As we see in Ephesians 4, all Christians have been called into Christ’s body, the church (v4); all have equal value by virtue of their baptism (v5); and all have been given gifts to build up the body (v7). Having said that, not everyone’s the same - we’ve all been given different gifts. If that weren’t the case, how could the body function (see also 1 Corinthians 12:12-31)?

On Pentecost Sunday, 24 May 2026, LM-A President Rev. Dr. Matt Anker had the joy of installing Rev. Christian Fandrich as the first pastor of Lake Hume Lutheran Mission, in a service held at the Barnawartha Soldiers Memorial Hall, at Barnawartha, near Albury-Wodonga.

Thirty-two saints gathered in the historic hall for divine service and to witness Pastor Christian’s installation as their pastor. Unlike many congregations, Pastor Christian, his wife Sarah Joy and their children Enoch, Andreas, Thomas, Sophia, Noah and Bethany are founding members of the congregation and have been worshipping alongside the people of Luke Hume from the outset. (Their eldest daughter Abigail lives in Adelaide). Pastor Christian is bi-vocational, working part-time as a GP to support his family, and is serving Lake Hume Lutheran Mission on a part-time voluntary basis.

The altar was beautifully adorned for the Pentecost service, with flowers and a new parament made by Sarah Joy Fandrich.

Sunday 17 May 2026 was a historic day in the life of Australian confessional Lutheranism in Western Australia with the installation of Pastor Sam Modra as the inaugural pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church Perth.

A record attendance of more than 70 worshippers filled a rented hall in Moresby Street Kensington to witness the President of Lutheran Mission Australia, Rev. Dr. Matt Anker, conduct the Rite of Installation for Pastor Sam.

Pastor Matt preached on Acts 1:1–11, the Ascension of Our Lord.

The account of the Ascension provides a pattern for the church’s mission and therefore it is most appropriate that Pastor Sam is installed today with these words ringing in our ears. It recounts Jesus’ teaching ministry founded in the Word of God. It reveals the centrality of His crucifixion and the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It reminds us that this mission is empowered and made possible only by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7

As we look forward to our first Synodical Assembly, a Synodical Order document has been prepared by the LM-A Committee of Management to describe how our new LM-A Synod will walk together. This draft document has been sent to congregational leaders and member representatives (including all pastors) for feedback and will be discussed at the Member Representative Forum on 20 June.

What is a Synod?

The word ‘Synod’ comes from Greek words that mean ‘walking together.’ By becoming member congregations of Lutheran Mission - Australia, congregations choose to work together as a church body.

So it’s not just the name we give to the big meeting?

As Synod refers to the activities of LM-A as a church body on an ongoing basis, we have chosen to call our three-yearly meeting our Synodical Assembly to avoid confusion. At the Synodical Assembly, our member representatives gather together to worship, study God’s Word and make decisions about how we will walk together as a church over the next Synodical period.

What is a Synodical Order?

The Synodical Order outlines the roles, relationships and responsibilities of the different offices and bodies within the Lutheran Mission – Australia Synod, seeking to rightly order our life together in a manner that promotes and fosters the mission of the church.  It describes how we ‘order’ ourselves as church so that expectations are clear, faithfulness and unity are promoted and processes and responsibilities are transparent.  Recognising that ‘God is not a God of confusion but of peace’ (1 Corinthians 14:33), we pray that this document will assist Lutheran Mission – Australia to ‘do all things … decently and in order’ (1 Corinthians 14:40). 

We have exciting news to share as our very first Synodical Assembly draws closer.

In brief:

• The gathering will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Hamilton, Victoria on 28-30 August 2026.

• The Program is now available

• We have special international guests delivering the keynote address at the Formal Dinner and delivering Bible Studies during the Synodical Assembly

• Observer tickets go on sale 1 June 2026

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 124:8 ESV).

The painting of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane captures his focus on the Father. In perfect faithfulness, he willingly became the helpless one - arrested, beaten, and crucified. His agony was real. He knew his blood would be shed in place of ours. His sweat fell like drops of blood as he prayed, ‘Not my will, but yours, be done’ (Luke 22:42). In His suffering and death, he restored our connection to the Father, so that our attention might turn away from ourselves - from our sin, our efforts, our striving - and toward living as faithful children in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Before God we are helpless. Our sin has caused a lack of fear, love, and trust in God. Like Adam and Eve, we turn from him, forget his help, and attempt to help ourselves. Yet from the beginning God created us for relationship and mutual faithfulness. Eve was given to Adam as a helper, but in the moment of temptation neither helped the other remain faithful. They turned from God, hid from him, and their will - and ours ever since - set itself against God.

We still have freedom in everyday matters. We can help ourselves to what’s in the fridge or the pantry.  But when it comes to saving ourselves from death, we are utterly helpless. We cannot stop the ‘conveyor belt’ of this world that carries us to the grave. We cannot make ourselves holy, prevent ourselves from hurting others or being hurt, nor can we escape death. Deep down, humanity knows what Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions affirm: the human will is bound by sin and death.

Recognising our helplessness, however, does not stop temptation. We are tempted to minimise our sin: ‘I’m not that bad. I’m better than others.’ We are tempted to believe that politeness, positivity, or good manners can substitute for repentance. But Jesus says, ‘There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents’ (Luke 15:10). Heaven rejoices over repentance, not respectable disobedience.  The opposite temptation - despairing in our helplessness and refusing God’s help – is just as dangerous. Self-pity is no more faithful than self-righteousness.  So, what turns us from both pride and despair? How is the curse of Eden reversed?

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’

Genesis 2:18

It is a great shame that the beauty, dignity and importance of women’s vocations in the church have been overshadowed by arguments over the pastoral office for so many years. As usual, the devil distracted us with his most common question, ‘Did God really say?’ and off we went, getting drawn into the lie that women’s roles were somehow lacking and needed to be “enhanced” by taking on those roles the Lord reserved for suitably qualified men. Ironically the people who have suffered most in this are the very women it was supposed to benefit, as their God-pleasing vocations have been diminished and devalued. 

The scriptures make it abundantly clear that men and women share the same baptismal status before our Heavenly Father by virtue of Jesus’ saving work for all people on the cross, (Galatians 3:25-29). But He has uniquely gifted women for certain vocations to which they are called, and through which God works to serve the family and congregation. This reality finds its origin in the Garden of Eden when God made Eve as a helper for Adam (Genesis 2:18-25). Eve was the perfect complement to Adam and together they were to manage God’s good creation. Remarkably she was gifted with the call to be the mother of all nations and the account of her creation and her joining together with Adam resounds with joy and thanksgiving.