Rockrohr notes...

Our January 2012 Rockrohr News and Notes is now posted. It is four pages long this month, with two major themes. 1) The growth of Christianity in Africa with the need for solid theological education. 2) LCMS missionary funding information. In other words, how Deborah and I are funded.

This newsletter may be considered a primer in these two areas which are often misunderstood or not known at all: that Christianity is very vibrant and growing in Africa, and that LCMS missionaries are responsible to raise and maintain our own funding. I try to address some basic facts in this issue.

Here is a fact I share in the newsletter that I don’t think many people realize:

There are now more Lutherans per capita in the continent of Africa than in North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)

Lutherans in Africa = 1.89% of the population

Lutherans in North America = 1.66%

Here is the math:  19,408,688 Lutherans in Africa ÷ 1,022,234,000 total population in Africa * = .0189 = 1.89%

7,638.087 Lutherans in North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) ÷ 459,868,757 total population = .0166 = 1.66%

Actually the percentages of Lutherans in the population are probably even a bit further apart in Africa and North America, the Lutheran membership numbers are from 2010 while the population numbers of the USA and Canada are 2011 estimates.

* Yes, students, Dr. Rockrohr doesn’t encourage Wikipedia as a primary source. But check where the linked footnotes are from. 🙂

Enjoy the read! Carl

Dr. Michael Rodewald, LCMS Regional Director for Africa, has written a very nice post outlining the importance of the work of Lutheran Theological Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa.

The number one request from the leaders of emerging Lutheran church bodies is for help in better understanding their Lutheran identity. As these western Lutheran mission/daughter churches grow more mature and expand, they plant additional churches often referred to as Africa-initiated Lutheran churches (AILCs). Many do not have adequate access to local formal theological education programs and currently must depend upon other institutions such as LTS as they develop their own.

The article is at http://blog.lcmsworldmission.org/2011/12/16/south-africa-seminary-graduates-two-pastoral-candidates-for-uganda/

I encourage you to read it! Carl

Our December Rockrohr News and Notes is available for download on our newsletter page! Please forward our newsletter to anyone you think might be interested to learn more about our work! Carl

“Teaching the Faith,” a PowerPoint video presentation of Carl and Deborah’s work in South Africa has just been posted on a new South Africa Mission Videos page. The presentation introduces the Rockrohr family, some points of the growth of Christianity in Africa and some goals of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Pretoria where Carl and Deborah will be working. The presentation points out the exciting new work of Lutheran Theological Seminary in which Carl and Deborah are involved. The teaching is based on the presentation Carl and Deborah have been giving during their support raising in Fall 2011. 35 minutes long.

Another 3 1/2 minute introductory video of Carl and Deborah is also on the page. Carl