After years of prayers, delays, setbacks, frustrations, and Covid, the Lord blessed the CLC-Tanzania with five new pastors today. These men left their homes and families and trained for three years to be faithful preachers and teachers of God's saving word!
A six-hour graduation service followed by a feast and great fellowship celebrated God's grace, blessings, provision, and the graduation of Pastors Solomon Isaya Lazier, Edward Olesakays Kivunyo, Rabieti Anderson, Robert Aloyce Loskira, and Israel Yakobo Isack...the inaugural class of the Wittenburg Lutheran Theological Seminary.
It was a wonderful day with over 200 church members, families of the graduates, CLC-TZ pastors, and several local government officials in attendance. Pastor Jeremiah, who is the President of the CLC-TZ and principal of the seminary has a close friend who serves as Minister of Parliament in the Tanzanian government. His office is in the capital city of Dodoma. He was unable to attend but sent the Assistant MP to bring personal greetings and words of congratulations to the seminary and the graduates. It was clear that this man is well respected among the people and it was a great honor to have him present.
I had the privilege of preaching words of encouragement from Joshua 1:1-9 to the graduates and those in attendance. We were reminded of God's love throughout the Old Testament as He sent prophets to remind and encourage the people of His promise of a Messiah. We were also encouraged by God's faithfulness in keeping His promises when He sent His only Son to live, die, and rise again as the fulfillment of God's promise to send a Savior. The newly graduated pastors of Wittenburg Lutheran Theological Seminary were encouraged with the truth of God's saving word so that they could be strong and of good courage, knowing that God is always faithful and that He will be with them wherever they go.
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Pastor Jeremia Issangya |
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Pastor Michael Gondwe |
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Seminary Graduates |
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:13–17