Dear Friend,
God has given us great promises in his Word: the message of salvation through Christ will go out to all the world, the Holy Spirit will work faith, and Christ’s Church will grow. Do you know what I always find most amazing, though? God has mighty angels—perfect messengers who do his bidding—yet this most important task he leaves to us to carry out.
God wants us to train and send workers to places where you and I cannot go. Paul, writing to the Romans, describes the importance of this work: And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15).
This is where the work of Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) comes in. In 2023, ALS became part of the Asia One Team—a group of WELS world missionaries called to bring God’s grace to Asia. Whereas the seminary initially worked with Chinese-speaking students, ALS has now pivoted to serving students throughout Asia. To accomplish this, we’ve created a new branch of ALS: the Regional Theological Education Program (RTEP). This program partners with sister churches throughout Asia to provide continuity in training through consultation, curriculum, and visiting instructors.
Through our core program, and now through the work of RTEP, we continue to raise up confessional Lutheran leaders who will take the message of Christ to their communities. Here’s how Paul goes on to describe those leaders: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15).
We agree! We teach men like Marzan in the Philippines. He has known the true gospel his entire life. He also knows how desperately his community needs the good news. Ask him why he is studying through Asia Lutheran Seminary, and he’ll answer, “I want them to see Christ.” He wants to be equipped to preach and teach so they can know Christ too. Beautiful feet.
