by Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise, LHF executive director
When the calendar flipped at the turn of the century to the year 2000, there was no Lutheran church in Thailand. But by the grace of God, in October 2024 the Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church (TCLC) celebrated its 20th anniversary, which I was blessed to attend, along with representatives from TCLC’s 10 congregations and 4 preaching stations.
“Touched by His Grace” was the theme at the TCLC anniversary celebration. In a world where grace is a foreign concept, it was a joy to hear Southeast Asian Lutheran leaders talk about the vibrant mission work going on in countries as varied as Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.
But why is the concept of grace ― the grace so generously poured out on humankind when God sent His Son to be born in a stable and then to die for us on a cross ― so conspicuously absent in this part of the world?
A Religion of Fear and Dread
It’s not so surprising that people in the Buddhist world struggle to see grace. During my visit to Thailand, everywhere I looked I saw gifts being offered to statues of spirits or buddhas, all with the hope that some blessings might come the giver’s way.
But alongside the almost sleepy-looking buddhas reclining lazily on their sides, there were also some fierce looking gods that evoke fear and dread. At the entrance to the hometown of our LHF Southeast Asia project coordinator, Rev. Ted NaThalang, we were greeted by a statue of an angry Chinese god (yes, Chinese folk religion blends in with the Buddhism so prevalent in Thailand). Those frightening images reminded Rev. NaThalang that growing up, he feared ghosts. He recalled how he would pray at night that the evil spirits wouldn’t get him.
As I visited with Southeast Asian Lutheran leaders, one story I often heard was that it takes time for the seeds of faith to grow, especially in a soil that has been infertile so long.
One Malaysian colleague related the story of how the Holy Spirit brought faith in Jesus to an 88-year-old woman, who had often lived in fear. Three days after her conversion, she died with a peaceful expression on her face.
In Singapore, the grandson of an elderly lady witnessed to her and brought her to his Lutheran church, but she remained quiet for years. Finally, one day she said that she wanted to be baptized ― at the age of 102! The pastor asked, “Why do you want to be baptized?” “What do you think?” she exclaimed. “I’ve been listening to you for some time now, and I believe!” Just like the Ethiopian eunuch, what was to prevent her from being baptized?
I continue to be amazed that God does His work in mysterious ways throughout the world, in His time, through His Word.
The Impact of the Small Catechism
Yes indeed, the Word works! It worked in young Ted’s life as he came to faith, and it works in the lives of many others, in the hill tribes of northern Thailand, Burma and Laos.
A big part of sharing the Good News of God’s grace in this part of the world has been Luther’s Small Catechism, translated by LHF into Thai and 22 other Southeast Asian languages.
“LHF provides the good teaching materials that are needed, not just for Lutheran churches, but for all Christian denominations in Southeast Asia,” Rev. NaThalang told me. Christian materials are few and far between in many of these countries, so even though the books come from a Lutheran source, people and pastors in Presbyterian, Baptist, nondenominational and even Catholic churches are eager for their own copies!
“They see that the catechism has good teachings,” Rev. NaThalang shared. “They have to admit that it’s from the Bible. And so the catechism pulls them from their false teachings and into the Truth.”
More LHF News
One Chinese Christian’s Story
Lutherans Take Risks in China
