A special grant made by Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison and Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver has been extended to the LTS and its students in the form of a very generous book donation. One of the key pillars of the LCMS is its own solid confessional Lutheran theological education, and many pastors and theologians from sister churches around the world have benefited tremendously from the LCMS seminaries by way of education. The current LCMS leadership has pledged to promote confessional Lutheran theological education around the world, and although funds are limited, the LCMS does whatever it can to help seminaries around the world provide solid theological education and to train men for the office of the Holy Ministry. To this end, the LTS is the beneficiary of such a grant extended in 2018. Several marvelous books published by Concordia Publishing House under the capable leadership of Dr. Bruce Kintz have recently been sent to the LTS in aid of theological education. The list includes:

Lutheran Worship, History and Practice – Fred Precht

Altar Guild Manual – LSB Book Edition – Lee Maxwell

The Lutheran Study Bible

Book of Concord

Concordia Popular Commentary: Revelation – Louis Brighton

A Lutheran Primer for Preaching – Edward Grimenstein

Hermann Sasse, Letters to Lutheran Pastors Vol 2

Servant Leadership: Setting Leaders Free – Jane Fryar

God’s Word for Today: Isaiah – Andrew Bartelt

Treasury of Daily Prayer

The Lutheran Difference – Reformation Anniversary Edition

The international shipment was delayed when South African customs officials decided to seize some of the boxes for auditing. Only after voluminous paperwork and lengthy correspondence vouching for the origin and purpose of the books was the shipment finally released. We pray that the customs officials spent many hours reading this wonderful literature and being enriched by it.

We at LTS are most grateful for these generous gifts and pray they will be put to good use in the academic year 2019 in training Lutheran pastors for Africa. Thanks be to God! And a sincere and heartfelt thank you to our brothers and sisters in the faith in the LCMS from all of us here at the LTS. May the Lord bless you richly.

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The two African churchmen visited members of the St. Philip Lutheran Mission Society (SPLMS) in Elmhurst, IL on Saturday, August 11. The SPLMS supports the work of the LTS in South Africa. Pictured here are Rev. Anthony Oliphant, who has lectured at the LTS in the recent past, and Rev. Chris Maronde, chairman of the SPLMS.

Rector Winterle and Bishop Maragelo also attended the Lutheran Hour Ministries Conference  in Milwaukee, WI. Here they met up with Dr. Kurt Buchholz, President and CEO of LHM, and they also encountered some familiar faces at the conference.

A meeting was held with Dr. Laabs of the Lutheran Education Association – LEA, and representatives from LEASA (LEA South Africa)

On Tuesday, August 7, Rector Dr. Winterle and Bishop Maragelo had a very congenial and productive meeting with LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, his assistant, Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver, who also serves as Executive Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), and LCMS Chief Mission Officer Rev. Kevin Robson. The two South African representatives also met up with Rev. Timothy Scharr of the Southern Illinois District (SID), which has worked closely together with the LTS in the past.

May the Lord God grant His continued blessings upon the trip. Rector Winterle and Bishop Maragelo are to return to South Africa on August 16.

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