Lutherans in Africa

Help Form African Lutherans to Be Teachers of the Faith

“

And Jesus said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2)

The Need

There Is A Severe Shortage of Trained Pastors In Africa

In Tanzania, for instance, there is on average 1 pastor for every 3,500 members. The Lutheran Church in Tanzania alone has over 10 million members, but the struggle is to provide each congregation with a trained and ordained pastor.
Most Pastors/Evangelists Have Little Or No Theological Training

The average pastor serves 12 parishes but only visits one each Sunday. The other eleven are served by evangelists who have had little or no training. Even those who are trained have few books and limited opportunity for further formal study in the Living Word and doctrinal theology.
On Site Theological Training Seminars Spread Across 20 Different Countries Was Not Sustainable

Each month, Rev. James May, the director of Lutherans In Africa (LIA), was traveling to other African countries to organize training seminars. Over time, several bishops repeated the same comment,

"These seminars are great but they are not long enough to train pastors. You need to come back three of four times a year."

Since Rev. May was already working in 20 countries across the continent, this just was not possible. So the bishops made the motion at the annual board meeting of Lutherans In Africa (LIA) to establish a faithful, sustainable, and accessible seminary in Nairobi, Kenya.

This is how and why the Lutheran School of Theology was founded.

A School That Forms African Lutherans to Be Teachers of the Faith

Visit the Lutheran School of Theology

Faithful, Sustainable, and Accessible Theological Training

The Lutheran School of Theology

faithfully teaches God's Word
is centrally located to reduce travel expenses
is united by the Lutheran Confessions
is sustainable and self-sufficient in design
provides longer, in-depth theological training
shows a long term commitment to the community
gathers around the historic liturgical practice of the Divine Service
equips students in their service through translation work

The Lutheran School of Theology

Fly Over

Building a Self-Sustaining Lutheran Seminary in Africa: A Conversation with Rev. James May and Dr. Gregory Schulz

In this five part video conversation, Rev. James May (the Executive Director) and Greg Schulz (the Academic Dean) share their experiences and challenges in establishing the Lutheran School of Theology in Kenya.

They discuss the mission and vision of forming African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith, focusing on theological education, support, and sustainability. The conversation covers the ...

current state of Lutheran theological education in Africa
the accreditation process
and the importance of self-sufficiency for the seminary's future.

The conversation also highlights the unique cultural and educational dynamics of the continent and the broader implications for Lutheran missions worldwide. Tune in to learn about the significant strides being made and how you can support this vital mission.

Building a Self-Sustaining Lutheran Seminary in the Heart of Africa

https://vimeo.com/1033213061/407428c6a2; Part One: Lutheran Mission and Theological Education in Africa; 10:18; James May, Director of Lutherans in Africa, shares his journey of mission work in Africa since 2006, focusing on theological education through the Lutheran School of Theology. With the help of Dr. Greg Schulz, the Academic Dean, the program aims to equip African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith. Located on a 15-acre campus, the school integrates agricultural work with theological studies while actively pursuing accreditation and addressing challenges like church closures in Rwanda. Future goals include fostering self-sustaining leadership and strengthening community ties with local synods and bishops. https://vimeo.com/1033214940/7e69de1aa5; Part Two: Enhancing Theological Education for African Pastors; 9:53; Dr. Schulz discusses the challenges of establishing a seminary in Africa, highlighting the differences in accreditation and educational programs compared to the U.S. He addresses issues with the initial curriculum and the low academic performance of students, often due to inadequate church support and economic pressures. The seminary aims to provide tailored certificate and diploma programs, including remedial classes, to improve theological education for the significant number of Lutherans in Africa, where many pastors lack proper training. The ultimate goal is to have a fully African faculty to foster local governance and support. https://vimeo.com/1033216343/a68b958dcf; Part Three: Accreditation and Training for Lutheran Pastors in Africa; 11:13; Accreditation for Lutheran pastors is becoming essential in various countries to ensure effective mission work and faith teaching. This initiative emphasizes empowering African Lutherans to develop their own educational programs, focusing on long-term theological training rather than immediate results. The need for qualified pastors is highlighted by church closures in Rwanda due to unbiblical practices, while the mission aims to transition to more African educators and uphold authentic Lutheran education across the continent. https://vimeo.com/1033359553/45b75dabd9; Part Four: Promoting Self-Sustainability in African Lutheran Education; 15:03; The video highlights the urgent need for self-sustainability in African schools to reduce reliance on Western funding, particularly in the context of Lutheran seminaries. It discusses the challenges faced by these institutions, including financial dependence and governance issues, and emphasizes the importance of local leadership and qualified African professors. Rev. James May advocates for the "three self formula" to create self-propagating and self-governing churches, while reflecting on the historical neglect of African seminaries and calling for renewed commitment to mission work in the region. https://vimeo.com/1033360084/94e278c4f0; Part Five: Global Pastor Training and Seminary Development Initiatives; 18:36; Rev. James May and Dr. Gregory Schulz led a vital discussion on enhancing global pastor training, stressing the importance of strategic planning for seminaries beyond just financial support. Key accreditation areas include admission standards, qualified faculty, financial sustainability, well-maintained facilities, and quality library resources. The need for more professors and volunteers is urgent, along with training for pastors' wives in ministry skills. The session highlighted community collaboration, the positive developments at the Lutheran School of Theology, and the importance of prayers and support for students and families facing challenges.

Approved for Accreditation

On the eve of the celebration of Reformation in 2024, the Lutheran School of Theology received a congratulatory letter from the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA). It stated that the Lutheran School of Theology (LST) now meets the requirements for an accredited institution and has been awarded its provisional recognition for accreditation.

When people learned that the LST had been accredited, they posed two questions:

The first question was, why did we seek accreditation?
The second question was, what does accreditation entail?

For answers to those questions and more information about the accreditation process you can go to the following page at the Lutheran School of Theology ...

Information About Accreditation (here)

The Work of LIA

Forming African Lutherans to Be Teachers of the Faith

Founded in 2010, Lutherans in Africa (LIA) equips Africans to be teachers of the saving faith in Christ Jesus. This is done through training pastors, evangelists, deaconesses, and Sunday school teachers in the pure doctrine of the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions as contained in the Book of Concord, and the liturgy and hymnody of the historic Church. LIA also translates key doctrinal resources into African languages.

By training Africans to be teachers of the faith, Lutherans in Africa (LIA) is able to help fill the need for pastors and further spread the Gospel, allowing God to work through His Word. Lutherans in Africa does that work all over Africa.

When we bought our new property in 2015, students showed up immediately asking to be taught even though we had not announced classes nor constructed any buildings.

They are still coming.

All that is needed in Africa to teach the faith is a nice shady spot under a tree. Christians in Africa are hungry to be taught the Word of God.
(Rev. James May, Executive Director of Lutherans in Africa)

We began by teaching under a tree but, thanks be to God, many people joined in the building project of the Lutheran School of Theology. They helped with their prayers, volunteer work, and donations. We now have a more secure and sanitary mission center, offices, library, dormitories, cafeteria, seminary, classroom building, staff housing, and animal shelters. We have laid a foundation for generations to come as we are teaching even more students effectively.

That was the vision of our Director, Rev. May more than a decade ago. Thanks to your generosity, the first three of five phases of the building project are complete. It is now time to take the next step in forming African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith and move onto the construction of a sanctuary. The plan is to build a chapel that will serve not only the Lutheran School of Theology, but also the Maasai community around us.

Training pastors at the Lutheran School of Theology (LST) is the primary vision of Lutherans in Africa right now.

We are still doing seminars around the whole continent in addition to conducting classes on the seminary campus. We also have few buildings yet to build. God has been richly blessing us with your gifts to make this vision a reality.

Serve + Share + Enlist

The LIA Partner Pathway

Our desire at Lutherans In Africa is to provide a way for everyone, no matter what age or stage of life, to help us form African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith.

To do so, we've created an intentional partner pathway. We want to help move anyone interested in the work of LIA from ...

Unaware of the work of LIA to Aware
Aware of the work of LIA to Action
Action and service with LIA to Advocacy
Advocacy of the work of LIA to those who are still or yet Unaware
And then … by God's grace and provision, the process repeats.

Our prayer is that many will volunteer to serve with LIA for the sake of the Gospel, share their unique LIA story, and then, enlist others to partner with LIA so that through all of the Triune God's gifts we can form African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith.

We've outlined some ways that you can serve with LIA in the "Pray + Volunteer + Support" section of our website.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help form African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith, or, if you would like an LIA ambassador to present at your church, school, or group, you can contact us here.

Contact an LIA Ambassador (here)

Lutherans in Africa Video Series

The LIA media library contains "video logs" with Rev. James May (the executive director of LIA), Dr. Gregory Schulz, and Rev. Paul Arndt. If you would like to know more about the mission of Lutherans In Africa and its Lutheran School of Theology, this is a great place to start.

LIA and the Lutheran School of Theology

https://vimeo.com/941365800?share=copy; The Humble Beginnings of the LST; 4:34; In Africa, most things happen "po-le, po-le" (Swahili for "slowly, slowly"). In Christ Jesus, the Triune God orders all things "slowly, slowly" according to His perfect will and appointed time. Such is the story of the Lutheran School of Theology, the Bible school established by Lutherans in Africa. https://vimeo.com/923700756/100d8f401a?share=copy; The Triune God Provides Land, Water, and Rocks; 3:46; This video provides a tour of the Lutheran School of Theology's campus and gives ample proof and example of how the Triune God provides all gifts needed ... land, water, and rocks ... and more rocks ... and even more rocks. https://vimeo.com/925268165?share=copy; Before We Built It, They Came; 4:12; There is a severe shortage of trained pastors in Africa. The average pastor serves 12 parishes but only visits one each Sunday. Here's a brief video conversation with Rev. James May, the executive director of Lutherans in Africa, and Dr. Gregory Schulz, a visiting professor, explaining how and why the Lutheran School of Theology was created. https://vimeo.com/927821401/df695841ef?share=copy; Teaching the Devil to Death; 10:13; In Africa, the lack of resources available for education, coupled with traditional beliefs and practices, leads to misunderstandings of the Living Word. By God's grace the goal of the school and all of its ministry is to "teach the devil to death" and ... to form African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith. https://vimeo.com/929897795/2bfe4a5518?share=copy; Holy Week on Both Sides of the Equator; 6:09; No matter what hemisphere, the crucified and risen Jesus is Lord of all. Here's a brief video about our recent Holy Week trip across the equator and the mission of Lutherans in Africa beyond the physical campus of the Lutheran School of Theology. https://vimeo.com/931646165/929facdc5e?share=copy; The LST and Co-Operative Plan; 6:03; The location, construction, and co-operative work/study philosophy of the Lutheran School of Theology is strategic. The school is centrally located to reduce travel expenses. It is sustainable and self-sufficient in design. Its co-operative work/study program equips students as “tentmakers” so that they can provide for their families if a congregational salary is insufficient.” https://vimeo.com/932072536/24c1c199da?share=copy; The Church Built On the Rock; 2:06; Part of the site plan for the Lutheran School of Theology is to construct a dedicated church building for the Masai community. Here’s a brief video with Dr. Gregory Schulz and Rev. James May of Lutherans in Africa as they talk about the Church that is built on Jesus Christ, the Rock. https://vimeo.com/934874086/347bd121fc?share=copy; An Architect, the Gospel, and God’s Plans for a Lutheran Bible School in Africa; 4:11; Here’s a brief video with Dr. Gregory Schulz and Rev. James May of Lutherans in Africa as they talk about how, over the years, the Lord has … miraculously ordered and orchestrated times and seasons, people and relationships, churches over multiple continents, faithful pastors, gifted laity, and much needed and timely resources in order to build the Lutheran School of Theology. https://vimeo.com/937728544/4cce5cfe33?share=copy; Absolution, and the Baptismal Life at the Lutheran School of Theology; 3:37; Through the work of the Triune God, confession, absolution, and the living out of the baptismal life are at the heart and center of the Lutheran School of Theology. In this video, you’ll see how the formation of African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith begins, ends, and forever continues with a life of repentance. https://vimeo.com/935811527/225e9ffa2d?share=copy; A Library with 30,000 Books and a Reservoir with 900,000 Liters of Water; 3:48; Besides the saving Gospel of Jesus, Africa’s greatest needs are …the life giving waters that come from the seasonal rains. And second to the rain, is access to education, a well trained faculty, books, and academic resources. In this video, you’ll see how the academic library of the Lutheran School of Theology is designed to hold 30,000 books and how the reservoir that sits beneath the courtyard holds 900,000 liters of water. https://vimeo.com/940884291/8027cfa4bb?share=copy; Daily Bread at the Lutheran School of Theology (and a New Kitchen and Cafeteria); 4:27; In some ways, life at the Lutheran School of Theology (LST) in previous years was like perpetual camping. From 2017 to the fall of 2023, meals for the students and staff at the LST were prepared in a make shift shelter over an open fire. Now, thanks to the generous supporters of Lutherans In Africa, the Lutheran School of Theology has an indoor cafeteria, a fully equipped kitchen with a spacious food preparation area, high-efficiency word-fired brick ovens, an on-site butchery, and store rooms for grains and vegetables from the garden. https://vimeo.com/1025846834/213409c79e?share=copy; From Tent to School in Ten Years; 7:35; The Lutheran School of Theology near Nairobi, founded by Reverend James May over a decade ago, has evolved from humble beginnings in a tent to a fully developed campus with classrooms, a chapel, and a library. Students engage in cooperative farming for self-sustainability, and the school has recently gained accreditation, becoming one of three accredited Lutheran institutions in Africa. In this video we reflect on the school's growth and strength, drawing inspiration from Psalm 46. https://vimeo.com/1027968077/a75511042d?share=copy; All Types of Strange Events; 10:31; At the foot of the Ngong Hills near Nairobi, Pastor Arndt reflects on Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa," highlighting the region's diverse weather and its impact on the landscape. Drawing parallels between the land's physical and spiritual dryness, he emphasizes the importance of prayer for students and staff at the Lutheran School of Theology. Addressing spiritual challenges, Pastor Arndt teaches on Psalms and Luther's Catechisms, while sharing personal experiences of health issues and the loneliness faced by students. The discussion also touches on the need for creative solutions in building projects and the significance of mutual prayer for protection and support. https://vimeo.com/1030265366/c0a13012f8?share=copy; Morning to Evening at the LST; 7:05; The Lutheran School of Theology's daily schedule is structured around the rhythms of nature, beginning at sunrise with morning prayers and the sign of the cross. Throughout the day students engage in a routine that includes communal meals, farm duties, rigorous study, and prayer. The spiritual rhythm of the day includes morning and evening chapel, scripture readings, hymns, and Luther's Morning and Evening Prayer. https://vimeo.com/1031911531/618dea2d1e?share=copy; Everything Is Figure-Out-Able; 8:28; The Lutheran School of Theology emphasizes that all challenges can be overcome through God's grace, highlighting the importance of prayer for wisdom and strength. Drawing on Martin Luther's teachings, the video discusses the essential gifts from the triune God and encourages believers to seek wisdom as outlined in the book of James. Pastor Arndt shares a personal experience with tools and underscores the significance of teamwork and skill development in mission work, ultimately focusing on reliance on God's gifts and grace to navigate life's challenges. https://vimeo.com/1033213061/407428c6a2; Mission Master Class: Part One; 10:18; James May, Director of Lutherans in Africa, shares his journey of mission work in Africa since 2006, focusing on theological education through the Lutheran School of Theology. With the help of Greg Schulz, the Academic Dean, the program aims to equip African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith. Located on a 15-acre campus, the school integrates agricultural work with theological studies while actively pursuing accreditation and addressing challenges like church closures in Rwanda. Future goals include fostering self-sustaining leadership and strengthening community ties with local synods and bishops. https://vimeo.com/1033214940/7e69de1aa5; Mission Master Class: Part Two; 9:53; Dr. Schulz discusses the challenges of establishing a seminary in Africa, highlighting the differences in accreditation and educational programs compared to the U.S. He addresses issues with the initial curriculum and the low academic performance of students, often due to inadequate church support and economic pressures. The seminary aims to provide tailored certificate and diploma programs, including remedial classes, to improve theological education for the significant number of Lutherans in Africa, where many pastors lack proper training. The ultimate goal is to have a fully African faculty to foster local governance and support. https://vimeo.com/1033216343/a68b958dcf; Mission Master Class: Part Three; 11:13; Accreditation for Lutheran pastors is becoming essential in various countries to ensure effective mission work and faith teaching. This initiative emphasizes empowering African Lutherans to develop their own educational programs, focusing on long-term theological training rather than immediate results. The need for qualified pastors is highlighted by church closures in Rwanda due to unbiblical practices, while the mission aims to transition to more African educators and uphold authentic Lutheran education across the continent. https://vimeo.com/1033359553/45b75dabd9; Mission Master Class: Part Four; 15:03; The video highlights the urgent need for self-sustainability in African schools to reduce reliance on Western funding, particularly in the context of Lutheran seminaries. It discusses the challenges faced by these institutions, including financial dependence and governance issues, and emphasizes the importance of local leadership and qualified African professors. Rev. James May advocates for the "three cell formula" to create self-propagating and self-governing churches, while reflecting on the historical neglect of African seminaries and calling for renewed commitment to mission work in the region. https://vimeo.com/1033360084/94e278c4f0; Mission Master Class: Part Five; 18:36; Rev. James May and Dr. Gregory Schulz led a vital discussion on enhancing global pastor training, stressing the importance of strategic planning for seminaries beyond just financial support. Key accreditation areas include admission standards, qualified faculty, financial sustainability, well-maintained facilities, and quality library resources. The need for more professors and volunteers is urgent, along with training for pastors' wives in ministry skills. The session highlighted community collaboration, the positive developments at the Lutheran School of Theology, and the importance of prayers and support for students and families facing challenges. https://youtu.be/Z5erC92FU7A?feature=shared; Lutherans In Africa Presentation; 57:10; Here's a presentation by Rev. James May, the executive director of Lutherans In Africa.

pray + volunteer + Support

How Can I Help Form African Lutherans to Be Teachers of the Faith?

Pray + Volunteer + Support (here)

Pray

There are many dangers and troubles we face because of the devil and a sinful world. These are combated by Christ and you can help by praying for our protection, the proclamation of the Word, and open hearts to receive the Gospel.

Prayer Needs

Volunteer

You can help us succeed by volunteering to serve LIA with your vocational skills and talents. You can also advocate for LIA by telling others about the work of the mission at the Lutheran School of Theology and encourage them to get involved.

Volunteer

Support

Prayerfully consider a financial gift to LIA to further the spread of the Gospel in Africa. Encourage your church to add Lutherans In Africa to their mission budget each year. Donate Bibles, Catechisms, and other theological resources.

Donate

Hear How LIA is Forming African Lutherans to Be Teachers of the Faith

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United States

Lutherans In Africa

7140 Tacoma Avenue

Mayer, MN 55360

info@lutheransinafrica.com

Africa

Lutherans In Africa

PO Box 1230, 00208

Ngong Hills, Kenya

| 254-710-660-670

Australia

Lutherans in Africa - Australia Inc

C/O PO Box 6094

Shepparton VIC 3630

| 0402950596

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