After the death of Stephen in Acts 7, the believers were scattered and in most cases they went to the local synagogues and spoke only to the Jews about Jesus. But in Antioch there were some who also spoke to the Greek-speaking Jews. A great number of them believed and when Barnabas came from Jerusalem he marveled at the grace of God that had brought so many of them to faith. It was then that Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch to teach the people about the Lord Jesus. There the believers were first called Christians and saw the great need for the Gentiles to hear this good news also. Thus, the congregation at Antioch sent two of their own pastors, Saul and Barnabas, to preach this good news, that is, the Gospel, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. When they returned from that first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas “declared all that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27)

Like the congregation at Antioch, you have seen the need of others to be taught the same good news that you rejoice in week after week. For two years you have sent your pastor to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG) to train their pastors at the seminary. There I have taught them about the Biblical text, preaching, the proper distinction between Law and Gospel, and the distinct confession of the Lutheran faith that lives in a liturgical and sacramental life. I have preached in their congregations, met the laity, and heard about the joys and difficulties of Lutheran pastors and people in Ghana. With a cost of only $5,000 you have avoided the cost of bureaucratic paperwork and simply asked that the message be preached. That money pays for the plane flight, insurance, food and lodging, and any excess (which has varied each year) is applied to the International Lutheran Hymnal Project that is so important to the Ghanaian Lutherans.