Confessing with intrepid hearts
Lutheran Mission- Australia’s Formal Launch and Installation Service, 23-24 November 2024.
Lutheran Mission - Australia’s Annual General Meeting for 2024 will be held on Friday 14 November 2025. In this extract from his President’ Report, Pastor Matt Anker reflects on the first six months of LM-A’s existence.
Lutheran Mission – Australia (LM-A) was established with a solemn understanding of the historical, ecclesial and pastoral implications of starting a new church. We recognised that it is no small matter to leave a church body and to begin a new church, and without biblical justification, it would be a sinful act with serious consequences. The significance of this reality weighed heavily on all those involved with the establishment of LM-A but within a very short time it was clear that this action was not only appropriate, but absolutely necessary for the spiritual wellbeing of God’s people and to secure the future of confessional Lutheranism in Australia.
In his letter to the Romans, St Paul states ‘I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them’ (Romans 16:17). If that wasn’t clear enough, he instructs Titus similarly when he says, ‘As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him’ (Titus 3:10). Both these texts are referenced in the Theses of Agreement which makes it clear that it is our Christian duty to identify false teaching, call for repentance and then at last, to flee (TA 1.4a).
The formation of LM-A is a result of taking these (and other) texts seriously and recognising that those who were seeking the voice of the Good Shepherd needed a church home where they could clearly hear His voice (John 10:3-5) and receive His gifts with a good conscience and in faithfulness to His Word. I thank God for each of you who have followed the voice of the Good Shepherd and joined us, making a good confession and bearing the personal cost of doing so with good grace and joyful expectation.
As I said at my installation, we are called to boldly confess God’s Word with eternity in view, knowing that what we believe, teach and confess does indeed have eternal consequences for us and for those we serve. The writers of the Formula of Concord knew this only too well and concluded that magnificent confession with these words:
In the sight of God and of all Christendom, we want to testify to those now living and those who will come after us. This declaration presented here about all the controverted articles mentioned and explained above – and no other – is our faith, doctrine and confession. By God’s grace, with intrepid hearts, we are willing to appear before the judgement seat of Christ with this confession and give an account of it.
LM-A has been established so that together you and I can also testify to those now living and those who will come after us, the whole counsel of God in Christ Jesus. And to do so boldly and without compromise so that when the day comes for us to appear before Christ, we can make this confession with intrepid hearts, knowing that we stand on nothing other than His revealed Word. And in so doing, bring forgiveness, life and salvation to all whom we are called to serve.
It is quite remarkable how your faithful confession has already reverberated around the world and served to encourage and embolden fellow Lutherans on every continent. When I have attended international events like the International Lutheran Council World Conference, people constantly express their thanks for every one of you and for your faithfulness to God’s Word. I too, thank God for each of you and consider it a great privilege to stand with you as we bear witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and confess the doctrine of the gospel and all its articles (Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration X.31) for the sake of the world.
As we reflect on the first six months of LM-A, we have much to be thankful for. Without the financial and spiritual support of our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, we simply would not have had the ability to respond to God’s people who found themselves in crisis, or to communicate who we are and what we believe. This support was offered out of pastoral concern for faithful Lutherans in Australia. I am indebted to Rev Dr Matthew Harrison for his friendship and encouragement, and for his team who never tire of speaking words of grace and encouragement to us…
The LCMS is not the only international church body that has supported us since our inception. Bishop Pohjola and the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, President Antonio Reyes and the Lutheran Church in the Philippines, Bishop Hans-Jörg Vogt and the Selbständige Evangelisch – Lutherische Kirche (SELK – Germany) and President Timothy Teuscher and the Lutheran Church - Canada have all been constant sources of friendship, encouragement and wisdom. We thank God that we are not alone, but concretely part of the worldwide network of ‘Book of Concord’ Lutheran Churches.
One of many forums conducted around Australia in 2024.
Much of my work during the first six months involved responding to invitations of people across the country who invited LM-A to ‘come over here and help us’ (Acts 16:9). Information sessions were held around the country wherever we were invited and it is our prayer that these conversations and the seeds that were sown will continue to help God’s people make decisions in accord with His Word. Of course, not all who attended were happy with LM-A’s existence and were not backward in letting this be known, but it is important that we continue to confess and explain our position with grace and humility.
The first LM-A worship service was conducted at Geelong on 1 December 2024.
As most of you know, I was installed as LM-A President on 24 November 2024 by President Reyes of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines and the Asia Regional Representative for the International Lutheran Council. Only two weeks later I had the privilege of presiding at the first service of LM-A which took place at what has become Geelong Lutheran Mission. With thanks to God we witnessed similar services taking place over the following weeks with Barossa Lutheran Mission on 8 December, Adelaide Northern Suburbs Lutheran Mission on 15 December and Wistow Lutheran Mission on 22 December. This was clearly the work of God and not something any of us could have foreseen, engineered or even imagined. Soli Deo Gloria!
It has been obvious from the very first service that there is something very different happening in LM-A congregations compared to what many of us have experienced in the past. There is a palpable unity of confession that naturally expresses itself in joyful worship, godly interactions and a yearning to grow in God’s Word. People have spoken of the peace of conscience they now have as they receive God’s Word and Sacrament in congregations where they know they are in doctrinal agreement and not second guessing what the next innovation will be. Of course, LM-A congregations are full of sinners, albeit forgiven ones, so there will always be struggles, disagreements and conflicts. But when we share the same theology, we are not distracted by constant battles simply to hold fast to the basics and therefore have more time and energy to address these other matters in a manner that ultimately glorifies God.
It is vital that LM-A does not become an inward-focussed, one-issue church body. If we can learn anything from the long history of Lutheranism in our country, it is the fact that when Lutherans split (usually for good reason), it often doesn’t take long before they split again over some other issue. We need to mindful of this and work together prayerfully for the sake of continued doctrinal agreement. We also need to ensure that we do not exist in our own little vacuum far away from other Confessional Lutherans. For this reason, international church relations are vitally important; providing support, encouragement and spiritual accountability. To this end I attended the LCMS International Church Relations Conference in October 2024 in Wittenberg, Germany. This event provides a remarkable opportunity to spend a week discussing deep matters of theology, strengthening relationships with church leaders from around the globe, and learning from those who have often walked in our shoes already. I pray that LM-A will see the importance of such relationships and seek to strengthen them wherever we can.
While the first six months of LM-A was a period of frantic activity, long hours and often significant spiritual attack, I thank God for the immense privilege of serving you during this time. The satisfaction of seeing God’s people come together with confidence in His Word and hungry for the forgiveness of sins and the life that is ours in Christ, has made every sleepless night, every unfounded accusation and every mile on the road or in the skies, well and truly worth it. I thank our Heavenly Father for each and every one of you ... As you have made a good confession, standing firm on the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has strengthened and encouraged others in faith and blessed the church throughout the world. And so, I say thank you!
We have a long and no doubt difficult road ahead. Finances will be challenging, the Devil will seek to destroy us and if that wasn’t enough, our own sinful flesh will cause us plenty of headaches. In the midst of this it is vital that we are not defined, either personally or corporately, by the trauma we have experienced and the associated anger and bitterness that comes with it. I have heard many of your stories and you have good reason to be angry and bitter. But if we remain enslaved to such things, we will rob ourselves of the peace that is ours in Christ and poison LM-A for future generations. Thanks be to God we have healing in Christ Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus Christ bore not only our sins, but also the sins that have been committed against us. We can therefore approach the throne of grace, confident that in Jesus we will find healing, peace and grace that is sufficient for all we need. He covers our shame, atones for our sins and brings healing, peace and joy. And as He does so the crosses you have borne will serve to strengthen your faith and keep your eyes on the One in whom we have hope.
As these feelings resurface – as they inevitably do – let us help one another to remember the reasons we have taken these first imperfect steps to establish LM-A; to be faithful to God’s Word, to secure a spiritual home for Confessional Lutherans in Australia now and into the future, to reach out with God’s mercy in Christ with the unadulterated Word of God, and to glorify the Triune God. And in so doing, look to the future with confidence and joy in the promises of our Heavenly Father, made certain in Jesus.
So as we face the future together, looking forward to whatever surprises the Lord has in mind for us, I encourage you with the words of Hebrews 12:
Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. To Him be glory, now and forever. Amen.
Hebrew 12:1-2
Rev Dr Matt Anker
President, LM-A
A full report on the AGM will be available in the next newsletter.