Topic: 2.Sharing

Lutheran Distinctive Courses for Lutheran churches in Myanmar

Lutheran Distinctive courses are being conducted for pastors and evangelists in Myanmar for a second consecutive year by Rev Wolfgang Grieninger and Rev Dr Philip Tan of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore (LCMS). The venue was at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Myanmar. These courses were conducted with the sponsorship of the Mekong Mission Forum (MMF). By organizing such courses MMF aims at strengthening the Lutheran identity and cooperation among the various Lutheran groups in Myanmar.

Twenty-two pastors/evangelists from two Lutheran churches in Myanmar attended - Myanmar Lutheran Church (MLC - Senior Pastor: Rev Andrew Mang Lone) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Myanmar (ELCM - Synod President: Rev Dr Lal Sawi Thanga). The weekend after the seminar, Bishop Philip Lok of LCMS conducted ordination services for three pastors of MLC and one pastor of ELCM. In a way the Lutheran distinctive courses helped to prepare these candidates to be ordained.


History of the Lutheran Church was one of the subjects taught where the era of the Reformation was emphasized. Students also learned about the global spread of the Lutheran Church by migration and mission, and the Lutheran fellowship of churches as organized in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Apart from the historical course of events, there was also a focus on central theological ideas and used pictures (woodcuts and paintings) of the Reformation era. Participants enjoyed these illustrations very much despite being from a different culture and era.

Practical subject on “Leadership from the Inside Out” was also taught. Instead of dwelling on the “skill” part of Christian leadership, emphasis was placed more on character building and the pitfalls in leadership. Participants also explored the “dark side” of the soul and its repercussion on Christian leadership and found the subject very relevant to their setting and many questions were raised and discussed.

In addition to the lectures in the morning and afternoon, the group of MLC participants were repeating and discussing the subjects in the evening among themselves. They also intend to duplicate the courses they have learned to share with others who could not attend the training. One of the objectives of the courses was to have participants pass on what they have learned to their co-workers and parishes.

During the period of the seminar, pastors of both Lutheran groups were able to foster a closer relationship with each other. The overall aim of strengthening the Lutheran identity and fostering a closer familiarity among Lutheran pastors of the various groups in Myanmar was achieved during this seminar. Considering such positive impact on the participants and the general need of training, such courses need to be continued.

Participants had expressed keen interest on other theological topics such as “doctrine of the Trinity” and “the person and works of the Holy Spirit” for future seminars. Practical subject such as “pastoral counselling” and “church management” were also mentioned. Apart from general pastoral training, the rural pastors wished to get trained holistically for their mission work and enquired if issues of education and agriculture could be included in future courses. The latter subject (agriculture) goes beyond our scope, but seems to be essential for pastors and their families in their context. Many have to support themselves by farming due to the modest allowance provided by the church. The location for such a training, however, should be in the rural area of the north rather than in urban Yangon, and the training itself must be conducted by a qualified person.

The fellowship and hospitality were warm, the discussions and worship were very enriching. We thank God for the experiences and safe travel of all.

Rev Dr Philip Tan
Mission Director, LCMS

Three Lutheran churches in Myanmar, including MLC & ELCM, have applied for membership with the LWF and will be recommended for acceptance during the LWF Assembly this Stuttgart, July 2010 - Ed