The Church of the Lutheran Confession has had several contacts in Pakistan over the years. Unfortunately, most turn out to be pleas for money with no real interest in Bible doctrine. Pastor Timothy Daub of Hecla, South Dakota, had one such encounter in 2020 with a man in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and a handful of students he rounded up from a local Bible college. When that original contact demanded monetary compensation for the further “privilege” of teaching in Pakistan, Pastor Daub ended the class. But a few weeks later, one student reached out to express how embarrassed he was that his former friend had so despised the Word. This student asked if he could keep learning.
So, in March of 2021, Nadeem Gill organized his own class of eighteen family members and neighbors. Meeting twice a week, they took a year to work through an Urdu translation of a Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Nadeem translated for Pastor Daub, and conceptual diagrams proved especially helpful in bridging the linguistic gap. At the conclusion of the course, Nadeem offered a graduation celebration, and those students began meeting in his home for Sunday services.
After five years of confirmation classes and Sunday services, Missionary Todd Ohlmann and Pastor Daub traveled to meet the members of the Pakistan Church of the Lutheran Confession. From January 22-27, 2026, they visited Pastor Gill and his household, offered Bible studies, and attended Sunday service—followed by a church dinner featuring a massive vat of chicken korma and stacks of naan bread!
Members of Pastor Nadeem’s small flock enjoy a fellowship meal
They also accompanied Pastor Gill on a dozen home visits to meet and encourage the members. The people live in a densely-populated community of compact living spaces within plain brick structures. Scaling steep stone staircases to climb to individual members’ homes felt like a surreal castle adventure. It was especially striking to see the joy on people’s faces when they saw missionaries going to such lengths to make personal visits. For their part, Missionary Ohlmann and Pastor Daub experienced the joy of discovering a faithful flock committed to true Lutheran doctrine.
Mission Board member Pastor Timothy Daub and Pastor Nadeem Gill
The group has an active membership of thirty-five souls, aged two to eighty. Most members live in the same neighborhood, and many belong to Pastor Gill’s extended family. Some travel from a mile or two away. With a population density of thousands of souls every square mile, they are already planning preaching stations for these “long-distance” members.
Pastor Nadeem’s family with Missionary Todd Ohlmann (center)
Suppressed beneath the grim shadow of Islamic darkness, the small flicker of Christian witness in Pakistan is mostly a confusing mix of superstitious Catholicism and Pentecostalism. Members consistently share how impressed they are with the systematic approach of Luther’s Small Catechism, which presents the basics of Scriptural truth with a clarity they had never previously experienced.
A Sunday school project
Sunday worship might differ from ours in a few matters of outward form, but the liturgical structure is quite similar. They use a simple Urdu hymnal originally compiled decades ago by Presbyterian missionaries. Each song is a chant of either a set of Psalm verses or simple Gospel anthems: “Christ Crucified Is the Fount of Salvation and Grace.” “Because Jesus Rose from the Dead, Someday Too Will We.” These complement the Scripture readings just as do our introit and liturgical chants. Instead of an organ, a simple hand drum keeps the singing in unison. A highlight is the standing recitation of the Apostle’s Creed as an opportunity to openly confess the Triune God. On the first Sunday of each month, with fitting reverence, the Lord’s body and blood are offered for members to eat and drink.
Over the years, Pastor Gill has used various solid Lutheran materials to prepare his weekly sermons. His current preparation involves studying each week’s Ministry by Mail selection. He uses its theme and parts as a personal outline, translating its linguistic content into Urdu language and its homiletic analogies into examples more pertinent to local Pakistani culture. Going forward, the CLC Board of Missions will offer further seminary training to Pastor Gill and a few other men via correspondence.
This visit comprised the third step in the protocol our CLC Board of Missions follows to establish fellowship with foreign church ministries. The first two steps include initial instruction and 1-3 years of focused correspondence. The CLC President has now been advised to begin the official colloquy process by choosing a Board of Doctrine member to conduct an independent assessment via internet media over the next year. Lord willing, a second face-to-face meeting will ensure that true unity of doctrine and faith exists.
This thorough process has resulted in formal fellowship with ministries in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, DR Congo, Uganda, Liberia, and others. We pray the Lord will similarly bless our relationship with this fledging group in Pakistan!
is pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Hecla, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Aberdeen, and Redeemer Lutheran Church of Bowdle, South Dakota. He also serves on the CLC Board of Missions.