“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21) Luke wrote these words in reference to the Christians in Antioch, but they are just as applicable today to the Sudanese immigrants who are living in Omaha and throughout the Nebraska District. 

The Holy Spirit has worked through congregations in the Omaha area during the last decade to “tell [the Sudanese] of the good news about the Lord Jesus” and to nurture the faith they brought with them when they fled Sudan. Like Barnabas, these congregations in Omaha “saw evidence of the grace of God” and they encouraged them to remain true to the Lord.

The Lord was truly at work in the hearts and the lives of these people and Sunday, October 3, 2004, Sudanese groups from four of the Omaha churches – Pacific Hills, St. John, St. Mark, and Zion+Peace – joined together in one mission congregation, the Sudanese Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mission.

Seminarian John Deang served as translator for the service. Pastor Rich Boring, Nebraska District Executive for Mission Outreach, served as liturgist for the service, and Nebraska District President Russ Sommerfeld preached on this text from Acts. He pointed out how the Lord’s hand was with these early Christians and how it is also with us and this ministry today. He shared with those in attendance that, “God’s hand guide, directs, protects, and spreads, and His mission advances because He puts His hand on us. His hand has brought us here today.”

President Sommerfeld then commissioned Pastor Tim Heupel of Beautiful Savior, Omaha, as supervising pastor for this new ministry. The new ministry has chosen three leaders from among them to serve the mission as deacons under Pastor Heupel’s supervision. These men, Simon, John, and Peter, were commissioned by President Sommerfeld to serve in this role.

What cannot be conveyed in words is the excitement and joy visible in the faces of these people throughout the service, and especially after this ministry was commissioned and they were sent into the mission fields of Omaha with the blessing of the Lord. The music and prayers from the lips of Sudanese and Anglo worshippers, each in their native language, was a truly indescribable worship experience.

The African Immigrant Choir from Christ, Lincoln, added their praise to the worship service, as did the Sudanese Evangelical Choir from the newly-formed mission congregation. The president of the Sudanese Mission Society was also there to encourage the members of the new ministry. Sudanese leaders from King of Kings attended the service to support this new mission endeavor.

The hand of the Lord has been with these people from their life in Sudan to their immigration to the United States, and he continues to be with them - guiding, directing, protecting, and spreading. We join with these brothers and sisters in Christ in prayers of joy and thanksgiving for the wonderful things the hand of the Lord provides.

For more information on the Sudanese Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mission, contact Rev. Rich Boring at the District Office, 1-888-643-2961 or richb@ndlcms.org.