God at Work in Many Places ...

Like Madagascar

The CIA Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ma.html can describe the geography and climate of this island country. It can tell you a little bit about the people and languages of Madagascar. It can tell you the type of government Madagascar has, a little bit about the economy, communications, transportation, military. It can even tell you about transnational issues that Madagascar has with other nations.

The CIA factbook is missing the good stuff!

God has been at work for well more than 140 years in Madagascar, bringing people to faith in unexpected ways. Using the simple tools of the Preaching of The Word, Baptism, and Communion the (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy) Malagasy Lutheran Church has been growing. (It's interesting to me that this was happening at roughly the same time [20 some odd years apart] that God was using the exact same tools to feed His people while the Missouri Synod started.)

The first Lutheran baptism in Madagascar was on December 8, 1867, the first Lutheran missionary from Norway had come about six months earlier. Now, there are 3 million people within the Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy (Malagasy Lutheran Church). Bear in mind that the entire country only has 19,448,815 people to begin with. According to Prof. David RAKOTONIRINA, there are 6000 congregations and people often travel (often walking) three hours to hear God's Word preached in truth and purity.

Don't assume that everything is all sweetness and light here, though. Struggles happen everywhere. Those 6000 churches share 1200 pastors. They have been in Fellowship with the ELCA and Lutheran World Federation, but those bodies are trying to force their liberal interpretations of Scripture on to these people who hunger for God's Pure Word. The most recent argument with them has been on the role of women in the church. ELCA and WWF have tried to force the European vision of what way of a liberated women should be on them -- as pastors. FLM preferred to honor God's blessing of Maleness and Femaleness and follow Scripture -- limiting the role of pastor to men.

This commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions is taught at their seminary. Seminara Teolojika Paritany Loterana (STPL) ATSIMONIAVOKO is the oldest of six regional seminaries, and is 30 years old. It has 4 professors, 15 students who are working on their Bachelors of Theology to be pastors, 40 others who are also training to be pastors, 37 who are training to be Catechists and Evangelists. 28 pastors wives are in the women's classes.

One of the really exciting things that I learned from the President of the Seminary, Rev Prof. David RAKOTONIRINA is how important the pure teaching about The Body and Blood of Christ has been. Pure teaching even impacts the lives of people in the realm of dealing with AIDS. It really is true that the blood of Christ cleanses us!

You can also read more at:
Jesus, my blood brother,
and HIV/AIDS in Madagascar” for Missio Apostolica
Rev. Albert B. Collver, Ph.D.
Executive Pastoral Assistant
LCMS World Relief-Human Care
“[The children] only share in flesh and blood through Christ, who also shares in flesh and
blood.” – Martin Luther, “Commentary on Hebrews,” AE 29, 134.