To the Ends of the Earth: A Century of Foreign Missions

When the Evangelical Lutheran Synod organized 100 years ago, there was a felt need to fulfill the Lord’s injunction “Make disciples of all nations.” That felt need resulted in 10% of the first year’s proceeds being set aside to support that endeavor.
The Beginnings
Rev. George Lillegard was sent to Hankou, China, in 1921. He was there for six years. He had to return to the USA in 1927 due to political unrest in that country. A schoolteacher, Anena Christiensen, was sent in 1926 to aid in a girls’ boarding school in Ambur, India. She continued to teach there until 1939, when she returned to Mankato, MN. Her presence in India had been a major undertaking; the ELS was cooperating with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod at that time. It resulted in 66 mission stations and 4,180 souls. Just before she returned to the US, there were 34 pastors, four women workers, and 499 national native mission workers.
In 1936, it was reported that the Synodical Conference mission in Nigeria, Africa, was in need of workers. Rev. Paul Anderson was called and was there from 1946-1952. Rev. Gerhardt Becker then received the call to go there from 1953-1957. An example of the effective work was this: “October 1948 at the Okon church I Baptized 57 people in one day,” said Pastor Anderson. That year there were “ten churches, ten teachers, and six schools.”
Cornwall, England, requested help with spreading the Good News of Jesus to the people of the British Isles. Rev. Joseph Petersen was sent there in 1951. It resulted in Desmond Jose, a student from England, attending Bethany Lutheran Seminary in Mankato. He was ordained and installed as missionary to Cornwall, England, in 1954. Joseph Petersen then returned to the USA. The congregations in Cornwall then affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (at that time an affiliate of the Synodical Conference).
A brief effort was put forward in 1961 when the Christian Chinese Lutheran Mission group from Hong Kong, China, sent Peter Chang to Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary for training. He then returned to serve them with an urgent plea for support. In 1964, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod sent “a friendly Counselor” to assist in the congregation’s outreach. At that time, there were 896 souls. It has now been renamed South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission Limited. From there, the WELS has a seminary training site.
Such are the missions of the first 50 years of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Just as there were 3,000 added to the church on Pentecost Day by the blessings of God the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:41), thousands upon thousands have been added to the Kingdom of Christ from those efforts.
The Next 50 Years
July 1968 brought more blessings to the task of “telling the nations.” It became obvious that the Holy Spirit was blessing the message of Christ proclaimed to the nations of the world. In recognition of 50 years of blessing, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod explored and sent Rev. Theodore Kuster and his family, along with Orlin Myrlie and his family (lay workers), to the area of Lima, Peru. Already by 1969, Reynoso (a barriada, what we would call suburbs or shanty towns) became the first congregation to celebrate Easter. By that time, there were often 1,500 children and additional adults in Sunday School classes throughout the villages and worship gatherings. Reformation Day of 1971 brought the organizing of the churches under the brief identifying title Centro Christiano (Christian Center). The official name became Peruvian Evangelical Lutheran Confessional Church (PELCC). By this time, Missionary James Olson and his wife Mary had joined the American workers. An objective was to train the national workers to become pastors and missionaries. By November of 1991, three pastors were trained and ordained: Fidel Conversio, Segundo Gutierrez, and Braulio Capuilian. Many more students entered the seminary and some of the teaching staff included Peruvian nationals. Segundo eventually became the President of the seminary and was responsible for directing the seminary and arranging for a teaching staff.
Through the 50 years, Robert and Mary Moldstad, Martin and Albina Teigen, David and Ione Lillegard, Tim and Ellen Erickson, Dan and Lisa McMiller, David and Ruth Haeuser, Terry and Mary Schultz, Kurt and Debra Smith, and Karl and Karen Kuenzel have been the mission leaders and instructors for varying lengths of time. Recent years have seen many of the American missionaries returning stateside as the enduring proclamation of the Gospel and the training of future pastors and evangelists is being turned over to the national pastors and teachers. The Amazon Jungle area has now become a focus of the Peruvian Church leading its own mission field in their own land on the other side of the mountain range. Those in the Amazon River area actually travel by boat and on foot to the various Shawi villages. Shawi is a language identifier for the river basin. Seminary classes are conducted on a bi-monthly schedule in the central riverside town of Tarapoto, Peru.
What a privilege the Lord of the Church has granted the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in forming a Church in the South American country of Peru. There are Christian schools (two in Lima, two in the Amazon Jungle area) nearly filled to capacity. There are at least 50 congregations and new ones being promoted in new areas. There is an average attendance of 1,200 each week. There are 30 pastors, vicars, and seminary students serving the congregations or learning how to become pastors. In addition, there are a good number of evangelists (people telling people about Jesus) in many villages and towns. The next generation, using God the Holy Spirit’s Word and Sacraments, have affected the eternal destiny of believers to be with Jesus in the high village of heaven.
Besides Peru, in the last 50 years many other sites throughout the world have been brought the good news of Jesus: Managua, Nicaragua; San Jose, Costa Rica; Santiago and Linares, Chile; Latvia; Kiev, Ukraine; Pilsen, Czech Republic; Brisbane, Australia; Avaldsness, Norway; Jabalpur, Hyderabad, and Rajahmundry, India; and Seoul, South Korea. Add to that the humanitarian aid to Ukraine and the thousands that have heard the Bible message while the medical clinics MCOW (Medical Clinic on Wheels) are traveling to deal with health issues or dental care.
All of this adds up to 100 years of faithfully handling and sharing the precious message of Jesus Christ. Thousands upon thousands have heard the Word that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the people in every nation. One wonders how many Christian funerals have been conducted for the people who have been brought to faith in Jesus. All of this has come about because of the Holy Spirit blessing the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus to the people by the efforts of the people of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod reorganized at Lime Creek. I would have to say that the “plucked chicken” has regained its feathers and “flown” around the world to bring many to the heavenly flight pattern.
Rev. Wayne Halvorson
Contributing Writer
Pastor Emeritus