By Jenny Scott
September 2021
The School for Missionaries (Escuela Luterana Misionera) is lighting hearts on fire and helping spread the Word of God to communities that otherwise might not have known Him.
The Rev. Alex Merlo of Iglesia Luterana San Pablo in Aurora heads the school with the goal to further the knowledge of the Word of God for Spanish-speaking laypeople. The program includes congregational, missionary, and seminary levels of study.
Students can study at the school to grow into effective disciples and leaders within their congregations, become local missionaries and church planters, or to pursue education at the Center for Hispanic Studies, Concordia, for certification as pastor or deaconess.
Classes meet once a week during spring and fall semesters. Since there are students from Elgin, Lake Forest, Schaumburg, and as far away as Honduras and Mexico, classes are held via Zoom. Two current students, Luis Andre and Cruz Gonzalez, are going on to seminary.
Cruz feels the School for Missionaries has helped him to feel more confident and prepared him to better evangelize the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He hopes to become a pastor of a healthy congregation, a church in motion that has programs involving children, youth, parents, couples, and community events.
Luis believes that the Missionary School has prepared them to understand much of the theological part and to be able to distinguish between Law and Gospel. “We also have a great teacher in Pastor Alex Merlo who supervises our progress and who helps us understand everything.”
“We believe in what the Lord tells us to do, to make disciples of all nations,” said Pastor Merlo.
WITNESS: Encouraging personal witnessing, congregational engagement with their community, support of our NID partnerships and missions and sharing in a world mission field together.