LCA welcomes new international mission leader

New LCA International Mission leader Pastor Mark Schultz says he is excited ‘to see what God has in store’ for the church, as he starts his ‘next adventure’ in ministry. Pastor Mark was installed as Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith at St Mark’s Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills on 23 February.

Pastor Mark said: ‘If there is one thing I have learnt in ministry, it is that we cannot conceive the adventure that God has for us when we say “yes” to his call.’

‘So, I’m really excited to step out on this next adventure; to see what God has in store for the whole LCANZ, as we not only grow and strengthen relationships with our international gospel partners but also wholeheartedly trust God to provide the wisdom, the people and the resources needed to fulfil his missional command to all nations’, he said.

In his sermon for the installation service, Bishop Paul emphasised the importance and blessings of partnerships in the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mark, who most recently served as lead pastor at the multi-ethnic, multisite LifeWay Lutheran Church in New South Wales, will remain based in Sydney and, along with Adelaide-based LCA International Mission Program Officer Erin Kerber, will continue to collaborate in mission with the LCANZ’s overseas partner churches.

‘There is a huge amount of learning and listening to be done and plenty of mistakes that will be made’, he said. ‘But knowing that we journey with the God of grace means that the overriding feeling is one of anticipation. I can’t wait to see what the Spirit does in us here in Australia and New Zealand, and through us as we work with and learn from our global brothers and sisters in Christ.’