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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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).