international

by Mark Schultz

Pastor Mark Schultz, the LCA’s Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, has encouraged our Lutheran family in Australia and New Zealand to pray for the people of the earthquake-devastated Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar.

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

In August 2024, Australian Lutheran World Service asked the Australian Lutheran family to help build a 635-metre-long irrigation canal in Ethiopia. Thanks to the generosity of Lutherans here in Australia and the hard work of the community in Ethiopia, the taps were turned on in November.

Pastor Mark Schultz has accepted a call from the LCANZ to serve as Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission. He has served at Sydney’s multi-ethnic, multisite LifeWay Lutheran Church for 18 years and wasn’t looking to move – but God intervened.

At the time of writing, $10,669.25 has been contributed to the General Synod offering, which will support the Lutheran Study Centre in Pematangsiantar in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

by Michael Stolz

When ALWS Executive Director Michael Stolz attended the opening of a women’s conference in Papua New Guinea recently, he wasn’t expecting the announcement made by the chief of the host tribe, who said they would be honoured if Michael accepted their prize pig!