2025–2027 Mission Grant #18
Scholarships to Support International Deaconesses — Tanzania
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne / Africa | $100,000
Watch the video about this mission grant!
About This Mission Grant
Due to the tremendous growth, the South East of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania has been partnering with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW) to train deaconesses to serve their expanding membership. Upon graduation, these women will be able to serve as instructors at the Bishop Emmanuel Makala Center in Negezi, Tanzania, thus allowing the formation of deaconesses in the future to be an indigenous process.
The trained deaconesses will lead other women to better serve the needs within their communities. The needs include overcoming poverty, disease, disabilities, hunger, alcoholism, spousal and child abuse, and pagan influences that permeate the culture, resulting in the separation of children from their parents, creating orphans and outcasts in desperate need of the love of Christ.
This grant will fund scholarships for two students to complete their master level deaconess studies through the distance education program of CTSFW.
Mission Grant Resources
featured September 2026
Prayer Guide PDF
Bulletin Insert PDF
Large Print Resources for Grant #18
The 3rd cohort of deaconesses graduating from the CTSFW program. Deaconess Dawn Pasche of Fort Wayne, Indiana, designed their SELVD insignias with shepherd's crook and easter cross, based on their chosen verse: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). This verse is so very important as these women assist Tanzanian families to walk in the Christian faith.
More Mission Grant Photos
Orphans cared for by Lutheran deaconesses and teachers on the campus of the Mwadui Lutheran Secondary, many of whom are albino. This orphanage was constructed with help from supporters from St. John's Lutheran Church in Decatur, IN, and the Indiana LWML.
Deaconess Amy Rast instructing Deaconess students at the Bishop Makala Training Center in Negezi, in the South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (SELVD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania.
A deaconess (center) and women from the congregation of the cathedral in Shinyanga are feeding people after the commissioning of the deaconesses in 2019.
Deaconess Amy Rast, accompanied by women who helped with the translation of the classes at the Bishop Makala Training Center in Negezi: Deaconess Heavenlight Mono (left) and Deaconess Victoria Kiula (center) have been selected by the SELVD for the MA Deaconess Studies program at CTSFW.
Dr. Naomichi Masaki, along with the 5th cohort of new deaconess students beginning their studies this fall (2024) at the Bishop Emmanuel Makala Training Center in Negez.
