For the past several years, Zion has partnered with the other congregations of the South Dakota District to financially support oversees missionaries who have served in as pastors or been affiliated with South Dakota. We call this partnership “Together in Mission (TIM)”.
Just in this last year, there have been several additions to the list of missionaries that our district is supporting! God’s call to go out to all nations and preach the Gospel has come to several pastors who were recently serving in South Dakota, and they have answered that call faithfully.
Rev. Samuel Bobby, who previously served as senior pastor at St. Paul’s, Aberdeen accepted a call to serve as a missionary in Riga, Latvia. Pastor Bobby teaches at a seminary based in Latvia called Luther Academy and also serves a church in Riga. Luther Academy not only trains pastors for the church in Latvia, but also offers online courses that train Lutheran pastors all over the world, many of them from countries where Christianity is illegal or marginalized and who would be unable to receive pastoral training in any other way.
Rev. Jordon Andreasen was recently serving as pastor of Our Savior, Aberdeen and St. John, Columbia, before accepting a call to serve as a missionary in Brasov, Romania. Pastor Andreasen will be working with the Confessional Lutheran Church in Romania to plant Lutheran congregations in Romania as well as in other Balkan countries.
Rev. Jonah Domenichelli has accepted a call to serve as a missionary in Germany. He is currently in the process of raising a network of financial support before he and his family make the move to the mission field. Pastor Domenichelli served previously as the pastor of Risen Savior, Tea.
In addition to these new pastors, Together in Mission will also continue to support Rev. Daniel Jastram, missionary in Tokyo, Japan. Pastor Jastram coordinates efforts to make Lutheran resources of theology and worship available in all of Japan. He provides regular services at worship sites, plans for and manages translation work of theological resources, and nurtures relations with local Lutheran pastors facing individual challenges to the faith. Pastor Jastram’s wife Joan grew up in our congregation!
Until very recently, our TIM money was also supporting Rev. Cory Rajek, formerly senior pastor of Faith, Pierre, who was serving in Latvia in the role that Pastor Bobby has now accepted. It was recently announced that Pastor Rajek accepted a call to serve as the Director of the Office of International Mission, overseeing all international LCMS missionaries.
It is great to see so much support from within our church and our district for the preaching of the Gospel to all the world! Through our contributions to missions, we are helping to support the Gospel in 5 countries (and beyond)! Continue to keep these missionaries and their families in your prayers, especially as many of them are new to their countries and calls.
On February 11th, one of our new missionaries, Rev. Jordon Andreasen, will be at Zion to preach and give a presentation during the Education Hour on his work in Romania. We will also be taking a door offering to support his ministry on that Sunday. Please join us for breakfast during the Education Hour to learn more about this important Gospel work!
Let us not grow weary in partnering with other Christians around the world in the great task of preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins to all the nations. It is truly a joy to see our prayer answered for the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into his harvest fields.
Pastor Grimmer
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