“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). What was Mary Poppins’ main task? To teach emotionally distant parents how to love their children. And once she succeeded in a particular place, she would be redundant and could move on to help the next family in need. Can you watch that final scene—as Dad, with a hole in his hat and his collar all askew, joins the kids in flying their home-made kite—without getting a lump in your throat? Duplicate yourself and make yourself redundant. Like Mary Poppins… That is much like the task of a pastor. In addition to serving his flock with Word and Sacrament and seeking the lost, a pastor will always try to duplicate himself by raising up new men to serve the Lord vocationally. As LCMS missionary pastors, we seek to grow the Kingdom by planting and/or revitalizing Lutheran churches; supporting the theological education of future pastors; and providing mercy care in close proximity to Word and Sacrament. We do this in numerous countries across Eurasia—from Germany with its large population of Persian immigrants and also American expats, to the Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, to the Ingrians spread across Finland and Russia—and beyond. The method is always the same. But a key component of church planting is to also raise up those future pastors who will someday replace us—not as foreigners trying to fit into a strange culture—but as locals who will share Jesus Christ with their fellow citizens in their mother tongue. May the Lord help us as we seek “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” I think dear Mary Poppins would recognize this concept—and smile knowingly.
The Tiews in Germany 