MISSIONS & OUTREACH

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has been involved in mission and outreach since 1851, when it established its first mission board. St. Paul Lutheran donates over $1,000 every week to support missionaries in over 90 countries throughout the world.

We also directly support missionaries in central Europe, Pastor Vanco and Viola Francova.

In the early 2000’s, Dr. Robert Kolb asked Pastor Shoup if St. Paul Lutheran might need a missions project. Pastor replied, “Sure, I would gladly take an opportunity to our people here. What’s the story?”

 

Dr. Kolb explained that a former student of his was a pastor serving in a poor, remote area of Romania, that an earthquake had disrupted the town ten years earlier leaving the parsonage in need of repair, and that they had no means to fix it. 

 

Pastor Shoup replied, “How will we communicate with him?” 

 

Dr. Kolb responded, “Viola will help you.” 

 

"And who might she be," Pastor Shoup wondered. It turns out that Viola Fronkova serves in various missions capacities in Slovakia, speaks seven languages, served twenty years in the underground church during the days of communism… and, here we are two decades later remaining in close contact both with Viola and with Pastor Vanko and his family helping to support them personally and in their respective ministries.

 

After those initial contacts, a group of four from St. Paul traveled to Butin, Romania. Our congregation participated in supporting a total renovation of the parsonage.

 

St. Paul has a history of strongly supporting missions, and relates well to the slogan that we are here to Strengthen the Saved and to Save the Lost.