Bangladesh Visit - OCT 2026

It's early Friday morning (about 8:00 pm Thursday night at home) and I'm sitting here in the Istanbul airport waiting for my 6:30 AM flight to Chicago. I'm tired, please excuse the typos...I'll fix them later. If all goes according to schedule, I'll be home by 2:30 on Friday afternoon! 

It was a quick, but important, visit to Bangladesh. The main purpose of the visit was to help dedicate the new Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) building in Gopalganj that will serve as the BLCM Headquarters, Lutheran Theological Seminary of Bangladesh classroom, offices, library, and dormitory, Worship Hall for Emmanuel Lutheran Church, and a residence for Pastor Monotosh and his family. It was an all day affair with visitors from in attendance from all over Bangladesh. They had officially invited 328 people but when all was said and done, over 500 attended with most watching the service on video in a room for overflow attendance! The dedication service lasted about 3 hours followed by a meal for all the attendees. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! It was a joy and a privilege to be able to attend to bring the Good News and encouragement from God's saving word for this occasion.

Pastor Monotosh and the Cornerstone

The Cornerstone commemorating the Ground Breaking and Building Dedication

Attendees eating the meal in shifts to accommodate everyone who came.

My view of the dedication service as things were about to begin

Newly Dedicated BLCM Building in Gopalganj, Bangladesh

I also had the opportunity to teach 4 days for a Pastor/Church Leader seminar. Everyone was excited to use the new classroom and dormitory for the first time. This is going to be a real blessing going forward. I had the privilege of teaching a requested workshop for "Teaching Luther's Small Catechism for Confirmation Students and New Believers." Everyone seemed very engaged and eager as we studied and discussed many aspects to teaching God's word. I think it was well received. Everyone seemed eager to start teaching in the congregations where they serve. Pastor Monotosh translated Luther's Catechism several years ago and with an MDF grant, has printed 500 copies for distribution and use in BLCM congregations. I look forward to hearing reports on how the training and Catechism are being put to use in BLCM ministry and outreach in the coming months.

My view during the pastor/church leader seminar

Eating lunch in the new dormitory dining room

BLCM Pastors, Church Leaders, and Sunday School Teachers

My last couple of days in Bangladesh were spent visiting BLCM congregations and members. We conducted one mid-week worship service at St. John's Lutheran church and we visited the newly constructed St. Barnabas Lutheran Church building and ate lunch with the BLCM family who donated the land for the building. This is always one my favorite things to do. I love the opportunity to visit the congregations to bring them the comfort and encouragement of God's saving word and to be encouraged myself by the faith, dedication, and commitment of my brothers and sisters in Christ as they strive and struggle to serve the Lord who loves us all so dearly! 

Worship at St. John Lutheran Church (BLCM)

Deacon Sudhan (pastor in training) and his Family

St. John Lutheran Church (BLCM)

Newly constructed St. Barnabas Lutheran Church (BLCM)

Pastor Monotosh Banarjee, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Wilson.

The Lord willing, I will return in mid-January when classes officially begin at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Bangladesh. Pastor Monotosh has been busy translating our CLC Online Theological Studies courses into Bengali. He has received applications from fourteen men who plan to attend the four-year course of instruction. Some of these men who have been studying with Pastor Monotosh and me over the past several years will be ordained as BLCM pastor after they successfully complete the course. The others will receive certificates and will become certified BLCM evangelists and congregational deacons to assist with outreach and ministry. The Board of Missions and Kinship Committee will be considering a proposal to provide Kinship assistance for these students in the coming months. If approved, there will be a need for an additional fourteen sponsors. What a blessing and privilege for us to share in this important and eternal-live giving work. 

When our Savior looked out over the multitudes He was moved with compassion at the sight of so many souls who were weary and and scattered like sheep with no shepherd. So He encouraged the disciples to pray for more workers. In a country that is so overwhelmingly dominated by Islam (90-95%) and Hinduism, we are blessed to see and be a part of our Savior's answer to such a prayer!

"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:36–38

Thank you Lord for the privilege of being one of Your redeemed sheep and for being a part of the great harvest that You alone made possible through Your perfect life, sacrificial death and resurrection, and Your grace that called us out of the darkness of unbelief and into the marvelous light of Your love and redemption! 

Sent to Bangladesh - OCT 2026

I'm excited to be heading back to Bangladesh to visit and celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM). Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, October 13th, I will head to Bangladesh for short ten day visit. I'll fly from St. Louis to Detroit to Istanbul to Dhaka. If all goes according to schedule, I will arrive at 5:15 am on Thursday morning. Pastor Monotosh will meet me at the airport and we will begin the six hour ride to Gopalganj, the headquarters of the Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM).

New BLCM Building

The Lord has blessed the work of the BLCM throughout the country and especially the building of new multipurpose headquarters and Bible Institute building in Gopalganj. The new facility features a dedicated worship hall, dormitory rooms, library, classroom, administrative office, and residence. This building will provide stability as an operational head-quarters and Bible Institute for training pastors and church leaders for the BLCM.

This visit will be shorter than most of my visits. But it will be busy and packed with activities. After a couple of congregational visits on my way from Dhaka to Gopalganj on Thursday, we will spend the remainder of the day preparing for the building dedication service and the five-day pastor/church leader training seminar.

Please keep this trip in your prayers. Thank the Lord for His provision in completing the building, and for safe and uneventful travels, along with His blessings the dedication service and seminar training. 

OCT 2026 - CLC World Missions Prayer List

 

CLC World Missions Prayer List – October 2026 

"…pray for us that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified..." 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Nepal (South Asia) – As reported in late August, a catastrophic flash flood hit north-central Nepal on August 26 bringing 1,500 confirmed deaths and 5,300 still unaccounted for. Fifteen HCLCN families were affected with twenty-eight confirmed deaths and many more displaced and missing. In the past several weeks two other major floods have hit Nepal. The most recent on October 11^th affecting one HCLCN congregation. The CLC Board of Missions approved a Kinship Disaster Relief Aid grant to assist with the re-building of 10-15 houses and provide basic health, nutrition, clothing, and household needs. <> The Nepali government has begun ramping up efforts to crackdown on the spread of Christianity. … Pray for the Lord’s protection and provision for those affected by the recent landslides and floods … Ask for God’s blessings as Pastor Raju and his brother Rajan continue to travel to flood affected areas to oversee the distribution of Kinship aid. … Pray for the Lord’s protection and blessings on the Gospel ministry of the HCLCN as persecution increases. … Ask the Lord to bless the outreach efforts to bring the Gospel to the unreached areas of Nepal.

Bangladesh (South Asia) – The Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) has completed a new multipurpose building featuring worship space, dormitories, a library, and offices. Supported by a CLC-Mission Development Fund grant, the facility will be dedicated on October 16 with Missionary Ohlmann assisting during his visit. Missionary Ohlmann will also conduct a 5-day pastor training seminar, make congregational visits, and discuss plans to launch the newly established Bible Institute of the BLCM. <> Pastor Monotosh reports that proposed government regulations shifting from "secularism" toward new religious oversight have raised concerns among local Christians. … Thank the Lord for the completed building and pray for His blessings on the dedication, the 5-day seminar, the establishment of the Bible Institute and Pastor Training program, and wisdom for lawmakers implementing new regulations.

Liberia (West Africa) – Pastor Joseph Kwiwalazu is busy organizing an LCLC conference for November when Missionary Ohlmann will be visiting. … Ask for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance on the planning for the conference.

India (South Asia) – With an MDF grant, the BELC has begun a major building project to add a large classroom, dormitory, and library, and offices for the BELC and Martin Lutheran Bible Institute where twenty-five men study for the ministry. … Thank the Lord for providing for this project and ask for His continued blessings on the construction over the next several months.

Pakistan (Asia) – Pastor David Reim of the CLC Board of Missions is currently conducting an online colloquy. Pastor Tim Daub, Pastor David Reim, Bd of Missions Chairman Joel Krafft, and Missionary Ohlmann are making plans for a visit in January 2027 to conduct the face-to-face colloquy. <> Pastor Gill and his family are facing an inconvenient situation with the ownership of the building where they have lived and currently conduct worship service and Bible study. They also plan to convert the ground floor into a permanent place of worship in the future. … Pray for the Lord’s continued blessings on the colloquy process that this will lead to a God-pleasing fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Pakistan. … Pray also for a God-pleasing and peaceful resolution to the building situation.

Togo (West Africa) – Pastor Kossi Blewu and Missionary Evensen are organizing efforts for an on-going pastoral training and evangelism program for EELC pastors and recent graduated as they prepare for Missionary Evensen departure in early 2027 … Pray for the Lord’s blessings on these efforts to proclaim the truth of God’s word and to strengthen and further establish the Gospel ministry of the EELC in Togo before Missionary Evensen moves to the DR Congo in early 2027.

Myanmar (South Asia) – Pastor Kham reports that Khawlvung, the orphan girl he and his wife care for, is tolerating the chemotherapy for ovarian cancer well and she has recovered from the surgery. She has four more months of treatment. … Please pray for the Lord’s blessings on the treatments Khawlvung is receiving and for those who are caring for her.

Tanzania (East Africa) — Pray for the theological education of the twelve students attending Wittenberg Seminary. … Ask our Savior to prepare them for service in His kingdom, so that they will be ready to preach and teach Christ crucified in their ministries. … Ask for God's blessings on efforts complete the process of government certification of both the church body and the seminary, so that the students from Kenya will not be hindered from attending because of visa complications.

Kenya (East Africa) – Missionary Naumann and his wife, Paula, recently completed a visit to Kenya in September. He met with the leaders of both Kinship supported schools and KCLC leadership. He also met with several independent pastors who are interested in fellowship with the CLC … Pray for the expansion of the KCLC through efforts to reach doctrinal agreement and fellowship with a number of new pastors and congregations in the Kitale area. … Pray that the students of St. David's Academy in Etago and Emmaus School in Moi's Bridge will be blessed through instruction in the Word of God.

Uganda (East Africa) – Pray for the Lord’s blessings and provision for the pastors of the CCRU, as they face challenges in their ministry due to tighter restrictions on religious institutions by the Ugandan government. … Ask God to bless their studies through the Online Theological Studies (OTS) with Missionary Naumann, so that they can be better equipped to serve their congregations and fulfill government requirements to qualify as "genuine" pastors.

The Philippines (Asian Pacific) – Heavy monsoon rains, lasting longer than in typical, have hampered travel and outreach in the Cordillera mountains where the Lutheran Autonomous Mission (LAMP) of the Philippines has two congregations and one preaching station. Property has been destroyed and travel has become dangerous. … Pray for the Lord’s protection and blessings for the members of the LAMP as they endure severe monsoon conditions.

Zambia (Central Africa) – The Zambia-CLC has recently begun monthly pastor, evangelist, and church leader training seminars in three districts to further strengthen the ministry, outreach, and leadership of local ZCLC congregations and preaching stations. … Thank the Lord for opportunities and renewed zeal to spread the Gospel and to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ in their ministries and to bless the Gospel message they preach.

Missionary Peter Evensen (Togo, West Africa) – Missionary Evensen recently returned to Lomé, Togo following a visit to the U.S. to attend the CLC convention, relax, see friends and family, and attend necessary appointments. He will be spending the next several months preparing Togo church leaders to take the reins as he gets ready to move to the DR Congo in early 2027. … Thank the Lord for providing this faithful missionary and for the language skills he has been given to help prepare faithful preachers for service in Togo. You can see his online pictures https://bit.ly/petertogo.

Missionary Bruce Naumann (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda-East Africa) – Ask our Lord to give patience and endurance to Missionary Naumann and his wife Paula as they continue to serve in, Tanzania and work through the detailed and sometimes frustrating immigration process necessary for them to continue to stay and work in Tanzania. … Pray for God's blessings on their upcoming, 2-week visitation to Kenya to strengthen our sister churches there. <> You can see the latest news and photos of their work and daily lives at clc-tz.blogspot.com

Missionary Todd Ohlmann – Missionary Ohlmann will be visiting Bangladesh, Liberia, and Nepal over the last few months of 2026. He is schedule to depart for Bangladesh on October 13^th. He will also be preaching and presenting a CLC World Missions Overview at one more Mission Festival and conducting a second CLC Preaching Station worship service at Versailles, KY for CLC members located in south-central Ohio and north-central Kentucky on November 22. He continues to instruct individuals through Online Theological Studies correspondence courses with men in Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Indonesia, Zambia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. … Pray for his safe and uneventful travels, for an abundance of wisdom, love, compassion, and patience while he works with pastors and church leaders around the world. <> You can read reports and see pictures here: missionaryohlmann.blogspot.com.

Please continue to pray for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, who, by God's grace, are dedicated to proclaiming the truths of God's saving Word for the salvation of souls as they trust the promise of our Savior that His Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish that for which He sends it .

May the psalmist's prayer be fulfilled: "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” – Psalm 90:17