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Local Mission Fund enters second year

The LCANZ’s Local Mission Fund is entering its second year, with projects from its first two funding rounds now underway across the church. Established in 2024, the fund provides grants that help congregations, schools and agencies develop new ways to share the gospel and serve their communities.

Jodi Brook, who oversees the Local Mission Fund, said the first round of funding demonstrated the creativity and commitment to mission that exists across the church.

She said the fund’s impact has extended beyond financial support, with recipients reporting that the process has ‘encouraged collaboration, strengthened local partnerships and helped their congregations be more intentional about mission’.

Projects supported through the fund have reflected a wide range of mission opportunities, including youth ministry, cross-cultural outreach, learning initiatives and new expressions of church.

At Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Aberfoyle Park, South Australia, funding has supported the creation of a campus missional engagement leader role, helping strengthen connections between the congregation and Our Saviour Lutheran School.

Congregation member Julie Slaghekke said the role had grown out of a vision to see the congregation and school ‘not as two separate ministries, but as one campus with a shared mission’. She said the congregation was already encouraged by the opportunities emerging through stronger relationships with the school.

At Wodonga Lutheran Parish, Victoria, funding has helped strengthen ministry partnerships with co-located Victory Lutheran College. Ministry Coordinator Lisa Enever said family chapel attendance had increased, with many college families, parish members and new young families attending regularly. Regular class visits, family chapel and shared events had helped more students see the parish as ‘their church’, she said.

Building on its existing ministries, Zion Lutheran Church in Glynde, South Australia, is developing the Glynde Cross-Cultural Ministry Centre, a three-year multicultural ministry project.

Chairperson Tim Eckert said Local Mission Fund support had strengthened the congregation’s cross-cultural ministry and created new opportunities for connection and discipleship.

‘Individuals who first connected through English classes or family programs are volunteering, participating in worship, joining Bible studies and contributing their gifts within the life of the church community,’ he said. ‘New friendships have formed across cultures, barriers have been broken down, and our congregation is increasingly reflecting the diversity of the community we serve.’

Expressions of interest for the 2027 Local Mission Fund close on 20 August. The fund provides seed grants of up to $10,000 and major project grants of up to $100,000. Find out more at www.lca.org.au/local-mission-fund

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Sharing our Lutheran stories

LCANZ churchwide entities shared stories of Lutherans in Australia and New Zealand with church members and the wider community through an exhibition, guided tours, workshops and presentations during South Australia’s History Festival in May.

The new Church House Exhibition Centre opened its doors at 139 Frome Street in Adelaide for the first time on 5 May in time for the month-long celebration of history and community connections. Dozens of LCA members, as well as people with no connection to the church, visited the centre in its first six days of operation to explore exhibits focusing on the mission and service of Lutherans in Australia and New Zealand.

The ground-floor space, which is open on an ongoing basis, shares stories through information panels, historic and current-day photos, interactive audio-visual displays, and rare artefacts and artworks, with much of its content sourced from Lutheran Archives. Bookings are not required to visit during regular opening hours from Tuesdays to Thursdays (see www.lca.org.au/exhibition-centre for current times); however, emailing ahead to exhibitioncentre@lca.org.au is recommended for guided tours and group visits.

Lutheran Archives staff provided guided tours, workshops and a course among the more than 550 events that comprised the annual history festival last month. Archivists led walking tours on German Adelaide culture and community, while also hosting a three-week genealogy course and workshops on reading historic German documents and researching German–Australian family history. The course and workshops were held at the Archives’ base in Bowden, Adelaide.

Friends of Lutheran Archives (FoLA) presented a talk titled ‘Home via Hermannsburg: William Wilkinson’s 847 Day Top End Red Centre Quest’ at Immanuel Lutheran Church, North Adelaide, while the Australian Lutheran College (ALC) Library hosted special viewings and discussions featuring rare books from its collection, with one session booked out.

The Church House Exhibition Centre still has openings for volunteers. If you live in Adelaide and would like to serve in this way, please email exhibitioncentre@lca.org.au

For more information, visit www.lca.org.au/exhibition-centre

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LCANZ Church House dedicated

More than 100 members and friends of the LCANZ gathered in Adelaide’s CBD in February 2026 to witness the official opening and dedication of the new Church House.

Although staff began moving into the LCANZ building at 139 Frome Street in late November 2025 and visitors have been welcomed since December, the gathering on 28 February marked the formal dedication of the premises as a hub for mission and ministry.

The service, led by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith, began on the ground floor and unfolded as a journey through the building, culminating on the third level. Along the way, members of the Indonesian Christian Fellowship of Adelaide led singing, adding a joyful multicultural expression of praise.

During the service, Bishop Paul highlighted the Scripture verse inscribed on a plaque unveiled at the opening: ‘Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Colossians 3:17). He described the verse as both a blessing and a commission for the ministry that will occur from Church House.

Two Church House staff members addressed those gathered: Tim Stringer, principal of Australian Lutheran College, and Lisa McIntosh, coordinator of the new Exhibition Centre, which will open later this year.

Students from Concordia College provided background music as guests enjoyed afternoon tea and, following the formalities, visitors took the opportunity to explore the building and its facilities. Before the dedication, LLL sponsored refreshments at the adjacent Funk Café, offering a relaxed space for conversation and fellowship.

The five-storey Church House brings together staff members from across the LCANZ, including the Churchwide Office, Australian Lutheran College, Lutheran Media, LCA International Mission, Australian Lutheran World Service, Lutheran Education Australia, Finke River Mission and LCA Insurance.

Envisioned as more than office accommodation, Church House is designed as a collaborative hub to support mission and ministry across the wider church.

The Exhibition Centre on the ground floor will provide opportunities for community engagement and education, with displays that reflect both Lutheran heritage and future direction. The exhibition area is expected to formally launch in time for South Australia’s History Festival in May 2026.

The Frome Street building was purchased following the sale of the LCANZ’s North Adelaide properties in 2024 and is located near Bethlehem and St Stephen’s Lutheran churches in Adelaide.

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Members invited to dedication

Members of the LCANZ are invited to the opening and dedication of the new Church House in the Adelaide CBD this month.

While the 139 Frome Street premises have been open to visitors since late last year, the official dedication will be held on Saturday 28 February from 3pm to 5pm. Numbers are limited, so members who will be in Adelaide and wish to attend should RSVP by 13 February to soc@lca.org.au

As part of the move to the new LCANZ offices, staff returned to the former Churchwide Office in North Adelaide on 28 November for its decommissioning and a Rite of Farewell, led by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith. Bishop Paul also led staff in a Rite of Blessing of 139 Frome Street on 3 December.

The first visitors to Church House on 1 December were Jenny and David Kraft, members at St John’s Tea Tree Gully in Adelaide’s north. The Krafts were greeted by LCA Support Officer Lyndal Fuller and toured the building with the then Lutheran Media Manager Tania Nelson.

Jenny said the couple had been ‘following the journey’ of the LCANZ’s move from Archer Street, North Adelaide, to Frome Street, and were keen to see the new offices and learn more about what is ahead. They took the opportunity to drop in after another CBD appointment.

Not far behind the Krafts were Garry and Desma Wedding, from Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Magill, who toured Church House with Executive Director of Church Operations Brett Hausler and enjoyed coffee afterwards at the adjacent Funk cafe with Kathy Tscharke from Professional Standards.

As well as featuring modern workspaces and flexible meeting areas for staff and church ministries, Church House includes spaces available for visitors and other Lutheran entities, as a shared resource for the wider church community. The property’s function is to support church members.

So, if you live in or are visiting Adelaide, the team at Church House would love to show you around.

Another feature of the Frome Street building, which will provide opportunities for engagement with and connection within the wider church and broader Adelaide community, is the Exhibition Centre.

Opening this month, it will showcase displays and stories that reflect our Lutheran heritage, present-day ministries of faith, worship and service and future directions. Please email exhibitioncentre@lca.org.au if you or your church group would like to book a guided tour of the Exhibition Centre. We are also looking for volunteers to serve in the centre, so if you or someone you know may be interested in serving in this way, please email us at the same address.

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Your new Church House is ready to welcome you

LCANZ Churchwide Office (CWO) staff moved into the new Church House in Adelaide’s CBD last month and, as of 1 December, are ready to welcome visitors to the 139 Frome Street premises.

The five-storey building is designed not only as an office space for staff from the CWO, ALC, Lutheran Media, LCA International Mission, ALWS, Lutheran Education Australia and Finke River Mission, but also as a hub to support mission, ministry and collaboration across the wider church. While the building’s design offers modern workspaces and flexible meeting areas, the vision for Church House goes far beyond infrastructure.

Space will also be available for visitors and other Lutheran ministry partners, which the LCA’s Executive Director of Church Operations, Brett Hausler, said ‘reinforces Church House’s role as a shared resource for the wider church community’.

A standout feature of Level 3 is a reconfigurable meeting and event space designed to host workshops, training sessions and gatherings – all supporting the church’s mission to grow, serve and reach out in Christ’s name. The space will also be available for use by other Lutheran entities.

On the ground floor, a welcoming reception and new exhibition and events space will offer opportunities for community engagement and education. Featuring displays that reflect both Lutheran heritage and future direction, this area is intended to invite connection within the church and the broader community, and will be launched in early 2026. Located near Bethlehem and St Stephen’s Lutheran churches in Adelaide, the new Church House was purchased following the sale of the LCANZ’s properties in North Adelaide last year.

Read more about the Frome Street move and stories about some of the legacies of the former Churchwide Office at 197 Archer Street North Adelaide on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/frome-street-move

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LCANZ Church House move nears

The refurbishment of the new LCANZ Church House in Adelaide’s CBD is progressing steadily, with the project now in the final stages of building services replacement and interior fit-out. Staff are expected to move into the new premises at 139 Frome Street by no later than November.

The five-storey building will also include space available for use by other Lutheran entities, which the LCA’s Executive Director of Church Operations, Brett Hausler, said ‘reinforces Church House’s role as a shared resource for the wider church community’.

He also welcomed the progress in relocating the Churchwide Office and Australian Lutheran College (ALC) after the sale of the ALC campus and LCANZ Churchwide Office (CWO) buildings last year.

‘This milestone marks a significant step forward in delivering a modern and purpose-built facility for the LCA,’ he said.

Church House’s key operational areas – levels 2 and 3 – are designated for staff from the CWO, ALC, Lutheran Media, LCA International Mission, Australian Lutheran World Service, Lutheran Education Australia and Finke River Mission, and will include workspace for visitors.

Designed for collaboration and flexibility, level 3 will feature versatile spaces including a boardroom, workshop areas and multiple meeting rooms. At the heart of this level is the staff hub, a multipurpose area designed to support both day-to-day operations and informal staff engagement.

‘A standout feature of this level is the use of operable walls, allowing the space to be reconfigured for a variety of events and functions,’ Brett said. ‘This flexibility enables multiple room combinations, making it ideal for workshops, training sessions and collaborative gatherings. Importantly, this space will also be available for use by other Lutheran entities on a booking basis.’

The ground floor will house the CWO reception and a new events and exhibition space, which will serve as a flexible venue for educational displays showcasing Lutheran heritage and future directions.

‘Designed to support both the wider church and community outreach initiatives, this exciting addition will foster engagement, learning and connection,’ Brett said. ‘This area is designed to welcome both internal and external visitors, supporting community engagement and outreach.’

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ALC leaves campus, new library opens

Australian Lutheran College’s (ALC) library has reopened at its new Adelaide CBD premises at 22 Pulteney Street.

The relocation of the huge ALC collection is a result of the sale of the North Adelaide ALC campus and LCANZ Churchwide Office (CWO) buildings.

College and CWO staff will relocate to the new Church House at 139 Frome Street, Adelaide, this year. However, the Frome Street building, like most in the Adelaide CBD, is not constructed to carry the weight of large library collections, which necessitated finding an alternative site for the library.

Moving the library to the new premises began in May and was completed by the end of June. The new site, located above Target on the corner of Pulteney and Rundle streets, opened to visitors on 1 July. Information on how to find the library, opening times, public transport and parking options for visitors is available from the ALC website and at https://alc.edu.au/assets/library/ALC-library-flyer.pdf

Sadly, ALC’s Director of Library Services over the past 10 years, Shaun Lancaster, did not have the chance to be part of the reopening, as he died suddenly on 24 June.

Meanwhile, following months of planning and preparation, ALC staff have completed their move off of the North Adelaide campus, handing the property encompassing Hebart Hall, Graebner Hall, Hamann Hall and the Lohe Memorial Library back to the LCANZ on 30 June, in preparation for its change to new private ownership on 1 July.

After a century of Lutheran theological education at the North Adelaide site, ALC staff ramped up the clearing out of campus offices and rooms in May. Surplus items were collected and taken away for repurposing, with many church groups benefitting from ALC’s need to downsize.

A small group of current and former ALC staff gathered on the ‘Sacred Lawn’ at the North Adelaide campus, on 26 June, for a final time of reflection and a brief service of thanksgiving for the years at the site, led by ALC Principal, Rev Dr Tim Stringer.

ALC staff will work remotely until the fit-out of Church House is complete, with the new library being used as a temporary ‘home base’ to supplement working-from-home arrangements.

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Ordinations bring joy across the LCANZ

Joyful praise has rung out among Lutheran communities across Australia and in New Zealand in recent months, as the LCANZ has welcomed seven new pastors – bringing to eight the total of ordinations so far this year.

Seven people joined the LCANZ’s ordained ministry ranks within six weeks in April and May, including three women in what has been a first for the church.

Following the decision by the Convention of General Synod in October last year to remove from the church’s teaching a paragraph that previously prohibited women from being ordained, Maria Rudolph, Sue Westhorp and Tanya Wittwer were determined by Australian Lutheran College and the College of Bishops as properly prepared for the rite of ordination and became the church’s first female pastors.

The octet, who are now serving in five of the church’s six districts, also includes a Mandarin-language pastor and two First Nations pastors.

Following the ordination of General Ministry Pastor (GMP) Sean Hotinski by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith at Blair Athol, South Australia, on 16 February, Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Mark Tung and GMPs Maria Rudolph and Sue Westhorp were ordained in April.

Pastor Sean has begun an assignment serving Queensland’s Goombungee/Maclagan Parish, while Pastor Mark has been installed to serve Botany Lutheran Church, Auckland, in Aotearoa – New Zealand, a predominantly Mandarin language-speaking community. He was ordained in Auckland on 6 April. Pastor Maria was ordained on Palm Sunday, 13 April, at Concordia College, Highgate, in South Australia. The church’s first female pastor, she has been assigned to serve St John’s Lutheran Church Perth, alongside Western Australia District Bishop Peter Hage. She and her husband, Pastor Michael Rudolph, who serves at Duncraig in suburban Perth, are the first pastor couple in the LCANZ. Two weeks after Pastor Maria’s ordination, Sue Westhorp joined the Roll of Pastors through her ordination on 27 April at Luther College Croydon in Victoria. Pastor Sue has been assigned to serve St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Box Hill, in suburban Melbourne, alongside Pastor Neville Otto.

In the following fortnight, four more pastors were welcomed by the church. Justin Allen was ordained as Pastor to the Papunya community in the Northern Territory on 3 May at Papunya NT, while Abraham Poulson was ordained as Pastor to the Utju community NT on 4 May at Areyonga NT.

Dr Tanya Wittwer was next to be ordained as a GMP on 10 May at St Stephen’s Adelaide, where she also has been assigned to serve; while Adam Morris was ordained on 11 May at Aberfoyle Park SA, where he will serve as Specific Ministry Pastor.

All eight candidates were ordained by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith, who encouraged the church to pray for the new pastors.

‘In our Lutheran Confessions, we declare that those who bear these offices stand in the stead of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ he said. ‘Please pray for these newly ordained pastors that they would faithfully nourish God’s people with the gospel.’

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LCANZ gives thanks for ALWS 75th anniversary

Hundreds of LCANZ members and friends have gathered to thank God for the 75th anniversary of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) at the places where the church’s overseas aid and development agency had its beginnings.

The weekend of celebration and thanksgiving events in March centred around Albury in the New South Wales Riverina and at Bonegilla, just over the Victorian border, where ALWS’s ministry of practical love and care had its roots in the service of a Lutheran pastor almost eight decades ago.

Bonegilla was a migrant reception centre and camp that became a temporary home to approximately 300,000 post-World War II refugees and migrants, from 1947 until its closure in 1971. In its early years, many at Bonegilla spoke German and a high percentage were Lutheran, so Pastor Bruno Muetzelfeldt, who served at nearby Albury, was asked to minister to the new arrivals.

On Saturday 22 March, almost 200 people joined the commemorations and celebrations at Bonegilla, with some travelling from as far as Mackay, North Queensland, 2000 kilometres away. Former residents, some who had not previously returned to Bonegilla, shared memories of their time at the camp.

On the same day, 105 people participated in Bonegilla Walk My Way, walking all or part of the 10 kilometres return to the Old Bonegilla railway station. Through this and multiple other campaigns across 2025, including Walk My Ways in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, Executive Director Michael Stolz said ALWS aimed to support 75,000 children whose lives are affected by war or poverty.

Also contributing to funds being raised are proceeds from the book Table of Eight, which was launched on the anniversary weekend. It is the memoir of Dr Brian Neldner, whose own remarkable legacy of service in international aid and development began at Bonegilla.

Michael said that, as of the time of The Lutheran’s deadline, more than $16,700 had been raised, supporting 668 children. Adding to this will be an offering from the anniversary thanksgiving service at St Luke’s Lutheran Church Albury, on 23 March, at which LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith reflected on the origins of ALWS and the Christian life in service of others ‘whoever they are’, done in response to the saving message of the gospel.

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LCA bishops explain ordination pathways

There is not one exclusive pathway to ordination in the LCANZ. There are in fact four pathways, which are explained in the ‘Candidacy Pathways for the Office of the Public Ministry’ document released to the church in December last year.

The four pathways are:
• General Ministry Pastor
• Specific Ministry Pastor
• Entry from outside the LCANZ (e.g. overseas or other denomination)
• Case by case.

The ordination pathway likely to be best known across the LCANZ is that for General Ministry Pastor (GMP). After serving out their first assignment after ordination, GMPs are eligible for a call from anywhere in the LCANZ. To be ordained as a GMP, candidates complete the Pastoral Studies Stream at Australian Lutheran College (ALC), which typically takes a minimum of four years.

Students can complete the entire course from anywhere, as all required classes
are livestreamed.

As the title implies, the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program prepares candidates for service in a specific ministry, for example, in a particular congregation or parish, school or aged-care ministry, or a culturally specific ministry. Assessment of readiness for ordination is through colloquy, consisting of not fewer than three pastors appointed from case to case by the LCANZ Bishop. The timing of the colloquy is dependent on the assessment of the district bishop that the candidate is ready. Unlike GMPs, SMPs are not available for call.

Ordained pastors of other churches, including non-Lutheran churches, may be admitted to the Roll of Pastors after they successfully complete a number of steps, including a colloquy and psychological assessment.

Finally, there might be special cases that do not fall into any of the above categories. Thus, an individualised process towards ordination will be required.

A candidate approved for ordination will have their first call under assignment by the College of Bishops. The first call will be equivalent to the graduate pastor call for GMPs, that is, participation in the Graduate Pastor Program, regularisation and a first call of four years.

LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith said the documentation on candidacy had been produced ‘to help the people of the church to better understand the different pathways that have been established to provide pastors for the mission of God amongst us’.

‘Our bishops oversee the important work of determining which candidates are properly prepared to be admitted to our LCANZ Roll of Pastors, either through ordination or otherwise’, he said.

‘I thank God for the women and men who offer their gifts to publicly proclaim the gospel. They seek to serve in the mission of God so that those who dwell in darkness would be gathered into the light of God’s love for them.’

The document ‘Candidacy Pathways for the Office of the Public Ministry’ is available for download at www.lca.org.au/ministry-pathways

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