Pray for Lutherans in Africa

Fall 2024

The Lutheran School of Theology:

• The Kenyan accreditation board visited the LST last week (mid October). It was a full day of conversation, inquires, inspection, and evaluation of the school. Upon departure, the board members noted that a written notice of their findings will be sent Rev. May and Dr. Schulz in about two weeks time. Please intercede for a favorable response as well as a surpassing peace of mind during the waiting process.
• The accreditation is a critical next step in the future of the school. The rigorous process will make for a sustainable and viable school in the future and will provide students with a degree that will be recognized across the continent of Africa. This accreditation is significant and important because certain countries in Africa are “shutting down” churches because the “pastors” have no training. News has reached Rev. May that Rwanda has recently forcibly closed 8,000 churches because the “pastors” do not have an accredited degree.
• Accredited Lutheran seminaries and bible schools are rare in Africa. If the LST receives accreditation they will only be the THIRD Lutheran Bible school on the entire continent. With the size of Africa and the growth of the Lutheran confession on the continent, 300 schools still wouldn’t be enough to meet the need.

UPDATE 10/31/24: The Lutheran School of Theology were notified that they have received provisional accreditation. Praise be to the Triune God.

For the long term viability of the school, some future staffing and planning needs to begin and put in place now. Specifically, the staff that is needed includes:

• a deputy executive director that could come alongside Rev. May to assist in the daily running of the school with the potential of leading the school in the future
• an assistant academic dean to come alongside Dr. Schulz to help with
• visiting pastor/professors to teach the certificate and diploma courses
• skilled and reliable support and administrative staff
• trustworthy workers and general laborers for the campus

Rev. May is working diligently on his PHD dissertation. He has chosen to write on “How to transition an American/Western mission organization and school to an African led and supported school”. In other words, this is a Master Class in how missions and missionaries should come and help move the organizations from dependence, to independence, to interdependence so that the work of mission is not tied to USA/Western support, but rather it becomes self-sustaining, healthy, and able to multiply itself apart from Western aid.

The current model of dependance on Western support has not/and is not working, nor is it a healthy model for the multiplication of the Church on the continent. The African Church needs to become independent of aid and the missionaries should move toward a strategic model of equipping and not maintaining. In other words, the missionary needs to have a well thought out training and “exit strategy” that will help the Church flourish on its own in Africa. This strategy will also free up Rev. May to start other Lutheran Bible schools in Africa. Open opportunities already exist in Burundi and Rwanda.

Pastor Arndt has filmed a conversation with Rev. May and Dr. Schulz and he plans to edit and post the video in the near future. This video will be a Master Class in mission strategy and the formation of Lutheran Africans to be teachers of the faith. Sadly, such models are rare, and are not sustainable.

The Families, Staff, and Students of the LST:

• Health and safety for all at the LST. It is a big campus with much activity and many potential occasions for sickness, accidents, and as Martin Luther notes, all types of “strange events”.
• Cleanliness and sanitation are stressed and good protocols are put in place, but it is Africa, and some type of sickness is common.
• It is a working farm with sharp tools, heavy machinery, difficult terrain. In the past individuals have cut themselves with machetes and other sharp farming tools. Last spring during the rains, the electrical wiring shorted out and electrocuted one of the cows. God be praised none of the workers were hurt.
• Another such “strange event” was the swarming of bees that happened this week at the highest point of the campus. There are two bee hives on the campus that produce wonderful honey, but the bees got a bit angry and swarmed the students and workers. Rev. May, Dr. Schulz, and a number of other students were stung repeatedly. Some had swelling reactions. Fortunately, no one was deadly allergic. Regrettably and similar incident happened in the Ngong Hills and a local individual died because of the reaction.
• Many of the students have also left wife and children to come and study at the LST. Many of them have sacrificed much to study. Lord willing, in the future, the LST may be able to build and proved a primary school so that all of the family can come and stay at the school and not be separated for long periods of time.

The May Family

• Five of their six children are now living in different parts of the United States:
• Maggie (and new husband, Christian) are in Chicago studying at Concordia, Chicago
• Tristan is studying at Concordia, Mequon
• Sarai is studying at Concordia, Nebraska
• Sofi is studying at Bethany, Minnesota
• Jonas is studying at a Lutheran High School in Minnesota

Current and Future Needs of the LST:

• Energy, strength and all gifts needed to accomplish the tasks of each day. This is a cooperative school, which means that everyone has multiple responsibilities beyond teaching and studying.
• There are many things that a missionary must learn beyond what the seminary teaches. This is part of the self-sustaining and training skills that is needed in Africa. The pastors will need to learn many practical skills beyond the classroom.

Finally, we ask that you would intercede and ask the Triune God to bless LIA/LST with the following:

• Many individuals to pray and faithfully intercede for LIA/LST and all who serve. This task is too big to rely on any earthly gifts. We need the “exceeding and abundant and immeasurably more of God’s gracious gifts that come to us through Jesus” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
• Many and more individuals to come and serve at the LST. This includes willing pastors/professors for the school, skilled workers, energetic volunteers.
• Gracious and cheerful financial support of the mission. Equipment is needed and things are always breaking in Africa. One upcoming need is a John Deere tractor that would help with the day to day work on the campus.