The school provides an American, Christian

Just 14 years ago, the first such ministry in the

curriculum to children of foreigners located in the

Synod began among Eritreans in Philadelphia. Now

area. With a population of about 17 million and

80 LCMS congregations are involved in African 

400,000 expatriates, Shanghai is the center of

immigrant ministry,  and that continues to grow, 

China's  economic resurgence,  according to Dr.

Mengsteab said. 

David Rittmann, head of school.

 We are on the front lines and the cutting

Rittmann said that students represent about 30

edge of this ministry,  he said,  and we can have a

nationalities. Roughly half are North American, and

tremendous impact. 

the rest are European, Australian and Asian.

Mengsteab said that the  ultimate vision  for

Although Chinese citizens, by law, may not attend

the Synod's African Immigrant Task Force is to

CISS, its student body includes students from Hong

reach out in the next 10 years to at least 10 percent

Kong and Taiwan.

of the U.S. African immigrant population, which

 We're serving a group of urban `nomads,' if

currently numbers 2.5 million.

you will, who move around the world in service to

 Our strategy is to look at the United States as

their country or their company,  Rittmann said.

a foreign mission field,  he said.  Instead of sending

 The parents who enroll their children at CISS

pastors to serve congregations, we raise indigenous

serve the diplomatic corps or international business

leaders to start multiple groups of ministries. 

community. 

The majority of those leaders are laymen, and

 What a wonderful opportunity we have to

only 10 are ordained, according to Mengsteab. That

reach high in educational standards and influence

has led to formation of the new Ethic Immigrant

families spiritually. 

Institute of Theology at Concordia Seminary, St.

Louis, which also serves Asians and Middle 

Ministry with African 

Easterners who work with Muslims.

immigrants is growing 

David Giir, a Sudanese refugee, is one of five

men from the Dallas Fort Worth area planning to

The Missouri Synod is the only major church

enroll in the institute. Giir was instrumental in

body that has intentionally organized a separate

starting a ministry with the Texas District just three

African immigrant outreach program in the United

years ago that now includes Our Redeemer

States, according to Rev. Yohannes Mengsteab,

Lutheran Church in Dallas, where more than 100

LCMS World Mission's facilitator for new African

Sudanese gather each weekend for worship and

immigrant and urban missions.

Bible study. He is now laying the groundwork to

lead a cross cultural apartment ministry just north

of downtown Dallas, among 53,000 people who

speak almost two dozen languages.

 If one looks into the neighborhoods sur 

rounding the skyscrapers, [there is] a whole new

world of people living in the Lone Star State,  said

Rev. Mark Joeckel, executive director of Lutheran

Inter City Network Coalition Urban Ministries,

based in Arlington, Texas. Joeckel said studies indi 

cate that African immigrants and other people of

color will account for at least 96 percent of future

population growth in urban areas of the state.

Missionaries raise their 

financial support

Not only are Kip and Ivy Hoech the first

Christian church planting career missionaries to the

Dungan people of Kyrgyzstan, but they are the first

Vicar Philip Saywrayne, a native of Liberia who will be ordained

ever called by LCMS World Mission to voluntarily

March 30, hugs a member during worship at Christ Assembly

raise all of the financial support for their mission.

Lutheran Church in Staten Island, N.Y. He serves as a missionary

among African immigrants in the Atlantic District.

They begin their service there this April.

18

THE LUTHERAN WITNESS (46)

Photo: LCMS World Mission