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.  

On Sunday 10 May, Pastor Paul Hannola was installed as the first called pastor of Calvary Lutheran Mission Church Toowoomba with pastoral oversight of St David’s Lutheran Mission Gympie. The service took place in the historic Kingsthorpe Hall, where the congregation has been worshipping for the past year. Almost 100 people attended the service, many driving more than two hours to witness the joyous service.

LM-A Women of Faith Groups

Lutheran Mission - Australia earnestly seeks to enrich women’s daily walk with God by nurturing Women of Faith Groups for women of all ages. LM-A wants to foster a coming together of women in their congregations, nurturing relationships, fostering a deep sense of belonging, and cultivating connectedness as members of the body of Christ Romans 12:4-5 . God created us to be in relationship with Him and each other; what a blessing this is!

‍Women play a vital role in our Church as carers and nurturers who positively influence their families, live out their God-given vocations, and serve the wider community with compassion.

We value and affirm the many roles women hold - as wives, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and colleagues - and recognise the unique contributions they make in each sphere of life. We are committed to supporting and encouraging women as they participate and serve across their families, workplaces, and educational settings 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:11-12

There is perhaps no more loaded topic in modern discourse than that of masculinity. The loudest and perhaps most influential voices in our culture tend to fall into one of two unhealthy extremes. On the one hand there is the emasculating narrative of popular culture and media that sees men as being one of the biggest problems in society, labelling all things male as toxic and calling for us to reject those characteristics that have traditionally been associated with manhood. On the other hand, there are the radical responses to this agenda which suggest true manhood is found in some sort of macho boy’s club focused on superiority and dominance.  

Masculinity is a good gift of God. From the very beginning, God created male and female, existing in a beautiful, complementary relationship (Genesis 2:18-24).

On Sunday 12 April, St John Lutheran Mission Jeparit were warmly welcomed into Lutheran Mission - Australia in a joyful service, led by Pastor Sam Modra. Over 100 people including visitors from near and far gathered for worship in the beautiful St John church on the second Sunday of Easter.

This review is part of the ‘Good Books’ series we are running over the coming months highlighting wonderful books which share God’s wisdom.

Jeffrey Hemmer’s Man Up! is an excellent resource for building up biblical masculinity in the Church. If you’re looking for a how-to guide to being a man, you’ll be tempted to skip to last few chapters of the book. But Pastor Jeff wisely begins by laying a strong biblical foundation, exploring man’s creation, fall and redemption through Jesus Christ, the true God who is also true Man.

Hemmer also has his eye on the culture and points out not only the extreme caricatures found on the left and right of politics, but also the murky middle in which most men find themselves. When exploring the cultural roots of our current crisis, he refuses to put the blame on others but urges men to take full responsibility for their own failings, regardless of the circumstances, and to look to Christ for restoration.

When Hemmer finally gets around to giving advice, he delivers a truckload. He takes Adam, Jesus and our heavenly Father as prime examples of what is means to be a man, a husband and a father. He gives practical instructions too, and notes the pitfalls and the extremes, helping men to keep to the straight and narrow.

“His blood be on us and on our children!”

Matthew 27:25

In the midst of holy week it is all too tempting to rush ahead to Easter Sunday and focus on upcoming joy of the resurrection. This is not a bad thing, but that joy is intimately connected to the events that occur on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and so we should not pass over these things too quickly.

As I listened to the passion narrative from Matthew’s gospel which was assigned for Palm/Passion Sunday, I was struck that the most unlikely characters remind us of the reason for our joy.

While Peter is busy denying the Lord, it is Pilate’s Roman wife who testifies to her husband that he should ‘have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream’ (Matthew 27:19). Through this unlikely person, the Holy Spirit reveals that Jesus is the Righteous Man who has fulfilled God’s Law and is therefore the only One who does not deserve death. And yet He stands before Pilate and the crowds, with the cross looming large in the distance. As we meditate on Christ’s suffering and death, our salvation is secured in this Righteous Man who suffered and died undeservingly, that we unrighteous ones might be forgiven and saved. And so, the Lord uses Pilate’s wife to remind us of where our hope lies.

Heeding his wife’s warning, Pilate famously washes his hands and declares that he is innocent of Jesus’ blood, at which point the crowds make the most shocking of declarations: ‘His blood be on us and our children!’ (Matthew 27:25). This bloodthirsty crowd was prepared to accept anything to secure Jesus’ death, but the irony is their murderous words actually reveal what Jesus would accomplish in the next hours.

While they were happy to have the guilt of Jesus’ blood on their hands and the hands of their children, Jesus offers up His blood for a better purpose, even for those who called for His death. As the letter to the Colossians says, Jesus has made peace between sinners like us and our Heavenly Father, through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:19-20). And so we do pray that the blood of Jesus would be on each of us and our children, because this blood, this death, offers forgiveness and freedom to all who believe. 

‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’

Luke 23:46a

Jesus’ final word from the cross is, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ (Luke 23:46a). This moment is not one of defeat, but of complete trust, obedience, and surrender to the will of His Father. Luke tells us that after speaking these words, ‘He breathed his last’ (Luke 23:46b).

To help us grasp the nature of death, a story is told of twins developing in the womb. As they grow, they become aware of their surroundings and rejoice in the life they share. One twin expresses gratitude for their existence and begins to believe in a mother who sustains them. The other grows sceptical, questioning whether such a mother exists since she cannot be seen or directly experienced. As their development continues, they begin to sense that birth is approaching. The thought of leaving their familiar world fills them with fear. One twin despairs, believing that birth means the end of life. The other, however, trusts that birth leads to a new and greater existence. When the moment comes, they are born into a world beyond anything they could have imagined and are received into the loving arms of their mother. What seemed like an end was, in fact, a beginning.

In much the same way, death for the Christian is not an end but a transition into new life. Just as we do not remember our physical birth, so too it may be that we will not remember the moment of death when we are brought into the presence of Christ. Scripture gives us this hope in vivid terms. In Revelation, we are told that God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. The old order will pass away, and all things will be made new (Revelation 21:4-5). This promise assures Christians that death is not something to fear but something through which God brings us into eternal life with Jesus.

This leads to an important question: into whose hands will we be received when we die? At birth, many of us were first held by doctors or midwives before being placed into our mother’s arms. But at death, Jesus directs our attention to a far greater reality. He entrusts His spirit into the hands of His Father. These hands are not distant or impersonal but intimate and powerful. They are the hands that formed us, sustained us, and will ultimately receive us.

On Sunday 22 March, Concordia Lutheran Church Loxton celebrated its first service as a Lutheran Mission - Australia congregation at 10am on a glorious autumn morning. The service was well-attended, with many visitors from the area and from other LM-A congregations.

LM-A President Pastor Matt Anker led the rite of reception and preached. Pastor Wally Schiller, who has served the congregation for many months, was the liturgist.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’

John 19:30

Jesus’ sixth word from the cross is recorded in John 19:30: ‘When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’

These words may initially sound like a cry of defeat. Spoken from the agony of the cross, they could be misunderstood as the final words of someone who has reached the limit of suffering and can endure no more. After all, Jesus had endured rejection from His own people, betrayal by one of His disciples, abandonment by many of His followers, brutal beating, mockery, and the excruciating pain of crucifixion. In such circumstances it might appear natural to hear in these words a sigh of surrender - a final capitulation to suffering and death…Sometimes surrender can even be considered wise or courageous. A determined person might fight to the bitter end rather than admit defeat, but the truly wise warrior knows when a battle cannot be won. This raises the question: was Jesus surrendering when He said, “It is finished”? The King James Version says that He ‘gave up the ghost.’ So was Jesus finally conceding victory to death?

The answer is no. Jesus’ words are not a declaration of defeat but of completion. The statement “It is finished” (being just one in the New Testament Greek (Τετέλεσται, pronounced Te-tel-estai), proclaims that the work given to Him by the Father has been accomplished. Importantly, Jesus did not say, “I am finished,” but rather, “It is finished.” The mission entrusted to Him - the redemption of the world - had reached its fulfilment.

On Sunday 15 March 2026, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Hamilton, Victoria celebrated its first service as a Lutheran Mission - Australia congregation.

The service was a joyous occasion, as the congregation marked the culmination of their long journey to LM-A membership.

Following the rousing processional hymn ‘The Church's One Foundation’, LM-A President, Pastor Matt Anker called the Good Shepherd Chairman, Beth Tonissen, and Elders Andrew Tonissen, Trevor Schultz, Allen Schultz, Barry Schurmann & Richard Fry forward for the Rite of Reception into LM-A. As part of the rite, the Chairman and Elders signed a copy of the LM-A Confessional Statement.

… President Matt Anker noted in his sermon that ‘You have made a faithful decision that I know comes at considerable personal cost … be assured that your decision is also a wonderful confession of the truth that has encouraged others to consider God’s Word more carefully and consider the implications of disobedience. It is an example of what it means to walk in the light of Christ and His Word.’

President Anker installed Pastor David Wear as pastor of Good Shepherd during the service.

Jesus’ fifth word from the cross is the simple yet profound statement, ‘I thirst’ (John 19:28). On the surface, this is the most basic human request – a drink of water – that which only the cruellest captor would deny. Yet in the context of the crucifixion, these words reveal both the deep humanity of Jesus and the fulfilment of God’s prophetic Word.

As Jesus hung on the cross at Golgotha, nailed through His hands and feet, He endured unimaginable suffering. The agony He experienced had long been foretold in the Old Testament, particularly in Psalm 22. Earlier, Jesus had cried out the words of that psalm: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Psalm 22:1). That psalm also describes the physical suffering of the Messiah: ‘I am poured out like water,’ ‘my strength is dried up like a potsherd,’ and ‘my tongue sticks to my jaws’ (Psalm 22:14–15). These words vividly describe the condition of a person suffering extreme dehydration and exhaustion. Jesus’ cry, ‘I thirst,’ reflects the fulfilment of this prophecy as His body weakened and His mouth became parched.

Many people can relate, in a small way, to the feeling of intense thirst. After illness, surgery, or a night spent breathing through the mouth during a cold or flu, one may wake with a dry mouth and a desperate need for a drink of water. Severe dehydration can even lead to collapse from exhaustion. These experiences give us only a faint glimpse of what Jesus endured on the cross. In His agony, the Son of God experienced the full reality of human suffering. His thirst was real, and it revealed His true humanity.