The main event in February was our Wittenberg Persian Conference, held in the LCMS’ “Old Latin School,” located directly across the street from Martin Luther’s church (the so-called “City Church,” aka St. Mary’s) and attended by thirty-seven people, the vast majority of whom were Persians. This conference was groundbreaking for two reasons: not only was it a gathering for the head (as most theological conferences are), but it was also a get-together that impacted many hearts, as I reported in one of my stories. The second reason this conference was so significant was that it sought to bring comfort and encouragement in Jesus Christ to all the Iranians anxious about the situation in their homeland. On that same weekend, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Iran and potential future king of that country, was in Munich for the annual Security Conference, at which he sought support from the world community against the dictators that have been strangling his homeland for the past forty-seven years. For this reason, some 250,000 Iranians from all over Germany descended on the Bavarian capital to demonstrate against the Ayatollah and also to try to catch a glimpse of the potential future king. A few of the attendees at the Wittenberg conference considered bolting and traveling down to Munich instead. But we reminded them that Christians stick to their word. After all, they had signed up for the conference, and we had made many preparations for them. In addition, we pointed out that in Munich, they would just get lost in the shuffle, whereas in Wittenberg, where we all know each other by name, we can pray for each other, be absolved, and hear God’s precious Word of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. As it turned out, every single delegate who had registered attended our conference.
*** As I write this, the world is breathlessly awaiting what may happen in Iran in the next few days. We pray that the wicked regime in Tehran would melt away bloodlessly, much as the Communist government in East Berlin melted away in November 1989—an event that many of you may recall. At that time, not a single life was lost. That was truly a miracle. We pray that God would again break into history, in Iran in 2026. We also pray for the US Armed Forces and the Israeli Defense Force, which will most likely play a key role in the days and weeks to come. Lord, have mercy on us all. And may He also have mercy on our Persian Lutherans who will be indirectly affected by whatever may happen in their homeland. In the meantime, thank you so much for your continued love and support. It is a privilege for Lula and me to serve on your behalf, out here on the front lines. God bless you all!
Pastor Christian Tiews
St. Mary’s, Lutherstadt Wittenberg
The Tiews in Germany 