In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors.
On November 24, 2024, our Lord answered the prayers of many in the Tanzania Church of the Lutheran Confession (TCLC), as well those of the CLC-USA. We have been asking “the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38) God is answering that prayer with the graduation of four men from the Wittenberg Lutheran Seminary in Arusha.
All of our seminary graduates are being assigned to daughter parishes of their home congregations and will be working with the guidance of the home church pastors. Our two evangelism graduates intend to return to enroll in the three-year seminary program.
2024 Wittenberg Seminary faculty
Pastor Emeritus Nathan Lengual
Back row L to R: SEMINARY FACULTY, Robert Loskira, Bruce Naumann, Nathan Lengutai, Jeremia Issangya. Front row: SEMINARY STUDENTS, Godfrey Mzoo, Eubank Elijah, Jasper Musakali, Raphaeli Kinyaga, Marko Joseph, Elinaja Bayo, Dennis Musakali, Emanuel Boniface
The speaker for the graduation service was the senior faculty member at Wittenberg, Pastor Nathan Lengutai. He encouraged the graduates with words from Luke chapter 13, with the theme “After this Life—Eternal Life!” A guest choir from the Maasai tribe in Mbuyini sang several joyful anthems, and the Ambureni Sunday school children also sang their praises to the Lord. The graduates received lightly used suits and ties, as well as new shoes, as gifts from CLC Project Kinship. The seminary graduates were also given red pastoral stoles, with Luther’s seal, made by Paula Naumann.
Maasai choir performing following Wittenberg Seminary graduation
Paula Naumann with neighborhood children who brought a gift of bananas
Any farmer knows that a good harvest comes only after a lot of hard work. Our Wittenberg graduates have finished their formal education through a great deal of effort—on their part as well as that of many others. The students have applied themselves to their studies in the areas of Christian doctrine, preaching, church history, Old and New Testament studies, practical theology, and youth education methods. Their teachers have also worked hard to equip the students with all the tools they will need for the pastoral ministry. Also, we should not forget that our faithful members of the CLC-USA have given their generous support to this effort to build a seminary, field a missionary, and provide for the daily needs here at Wittenberg.
The four-year course of study has been a steep climb for the students, tempting them to “grow weary while doing good,” as Paul warns against in our passage above. Likewise, the CLC faces a tremendous challenge in doing good for all our overseas mission opportunities, as well as our educational and other needs at home. The work can be difficult and expensive, yet we have God’s promise that “in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” The heart for these efforts comes from the completed work of our Savior, Jesus, Who redeemed us by His suffering and death, and went before us to heaven, which we will inherit through faith in His name.
Inspired by this grace of God in Christ, we continue the work before us. The time of reaping will come as the faith of Christians in our Tanzanian churches is strengthened, and as many more come to faith in the Lord Jesus as the only Savior from sin. We are eagerly looking forward to educating future pastors in 2025. We expect, with God’s blessing, to have four students in our seminary department and to enroll as many as five new students in the introductory year of evangelism studies. May our Lord graciously bless this and all our other efforts for His kingdom!
You can see video highlights of Wittenberg’s 2024 graduation service by entering the following URL in your internet browser: www.wittenbergtz.com
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)
is a CLC Missionary to East Africa. His home is in Arusha, Tanzania.