This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
An overview of the Panama Mission of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod divided into three periods:
In this brief history I will attempt to focus on and identify the personnel employed by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), highlighting terms and type of service. During the sixty year period there were eleven pastors at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Balboa; four vacancy pastors at that church; two pastors at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Margarita; a total of twelve career missionaries, six military chaplains, two Panamanian evangelists, twenty-four vicars, and six lay volunteers. Some of these people played two or more roles at different times. See the attached chart of all workers by starting date, and chart of all workers by assignment. Twenty on the list are currently found [September 2011] on the LCMS "Locate a Worker" website.
Few mission organizations retain a "mission memory." In my opinion, many mission workers miss the memory and begin to "reinvent the wheel." This could be especially true when there exists a rapid turnover of workers, and when many of the workers are not sufficiently adept at cross-cultural learning or communication. I found it extremely difficult to identify sources and verify my research. Information is scattered over field meeting minutes, official and private correspondence, conversations, missionary newsletters, magazine articles, and personal memory. All of these subject to bias. [A portion of my bias was in the 1980s, and still is, a focus on the transition, or lack thereof, from "mission" to "church"; ie from missionary paternalism to something like Roland Allen's Three Self model.]
The reader should consider this work "open source." That is, any and all comments, additions, correctons, etc. are welcome. Much "memory" is missing. If you are reading this, you know how to contact me. Thanks!
The setting is the country of Panama. Our history begins during WWII, with the military surge "to protect the Canal." The Panama Canal was completed by the United States Army Corp of Engineers in 1914. The Canal was an immediate success for world shipping and the economy and commerce of the participating nations.
Almost from the beginning of "the dig", misunderstandings and disputes plagued Panama-USA relations. A ten mile wide strip known as the Canal Zone had been appropriated by the USA, with a treaty that would last 99 years. The Canal Zone physically divided Panama. The presence of the "Zone", with a number of large military bases further divided the population, pro and con the USA. The Canal, to many Panamians, was a demonstration of the domination by the USA of the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time, the US citizens living and working in the Zone were divided. Some continue to remember the strife and anxiety of the transition from US to Panamian control. . At a later date I will fill out more of the background, right now let us get into the bare bones of this skeleton outline and attempt to identify the players.
The Lutherans stationed as military in the "Zone" during WWII recognized the military bases, the "Zone", and the country of Panama as a "mission field." LCMS involvement began when a US Chaplain, M. C. Poch, preached the first Lutheran sermon on a military base in the "Zone" in 1939.
Throughout this period the LCMS focused on the military personnel stationed at the bases. A "Lutheran Service Center" was organized under the auspices of the Army and Navy Commission of the LCMS. The first Lutheran worship service was held October 5, 1941, in rented military quarters. In 1942 a group of military people organized "The Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of the Panama Canal Zone." The first meetings were held in the quarters of Rev. Gerbhardt, the first civilian pastor. He conducted services on both the Pacific and the Atlantic sides of the Canal Zone.
A lutheran layman, member of the Zone Police Force, Mr. William Wittrock, conducted services at Redeemer Balboa until the arrival of Rev. Alvin Wagner, on July 1, 1946. Rev. Wagner cultivated contact with Spanish speaking Panamians. At this time the LCMS categorized all Spanish mission work under the "Board of Home Missions of North and South America." The Redeemer Balboa congregation continued to be part of the Army and Navy Commission. Both boards cooperated in the planning and construction of a church building in Balboa in 1947. Rev. Wagner left in February 1, 1948. On February 15, 1948, ground was broken and on November 21, 1948 the new building was dedicated. The property included a parish hall and pastor's quarters. Soon the civilian Canal personnel began to participate, and in a short time became the dominate component of Redeemer Balboa.
Rev. Herbert Hinz, a missionary assigned by the LCMS "Board for Missions in Foreign Countries", who could not return to his station in China due to WWII, served the Redeemer community during the vacancy in 1950. During the year Rev. Hubert Bernthal became the pastor at Redeemer, leaving in January of 1955.
Rev. Robert Gussick became pastor of Redeemer Balboa, serving from 1956 until 1959. The work continued as a "Lutheran Service Center". Gussick began to develop contacts with the local Spanish speaking people throughout Panama and Central America. He also began the process to gain legal status (incorporation) for the Redeemer congregation in Panama. He began services in Margarita, near Colon. In early 1957 the first vicar arrived, Eugene Denner. Napoleon Artigas began to work with Gussick.
Rev. Arthur W. Meyer served at Redeemer Balboa and Redeemer Margarita from 1959 until 1965. During this time the first mention of "reaching out to the Panamanians," was the calling of Napoleon Artigas from Nicaragua in 1959. Between 1959 and 1962 vicar Kenneth Mahler held Spanish services outside the Canal Zone for the first time.
Rev. Herbert Bartz served as pastor of Redeemer Balboa from March 12, 1959. Chaplain Robert G. Nelson served vacancy at that church during 1960. Theodore M. Schoewe vicared from June 1, 1960 until May 1, 1963 and later returned as pastor of Redeemer Balboa from July 10, 1978 until January 1, 1980. Merle A. Schulz vicared during 1960.
A small group of Lutherans located on the military bases near Colon, on the Atlantic side of the Canal Zone, dedicated a worship structure for the Redeemer Margartia congregation on September 24, 1961.
Rev. Arthur W. Meyer was pastor at Redeemer Balboa, with Fred W. Reklau as vicar, during this tiem. Tony Davison vicared from September 1962 until August 1963.
Rev. Kenneth Mahler arrived in August of 1962 as the first Spanish-speaking missionary-at-large to Panama. He was based in Balboa. Along with Ezekiel Gonzalez he focused on the area around Tambo in the Cocle area, developing social betterment projects along with evangelization. Mahler left in 1975.
Relations between the USA and Panama became violent with the loss of life over a flag incident at the American High School in Balboa during 1964. Norman W. Bahlow was vicar at this time.
The 1965 Detroit convention of the LCMS adopted the "Mission Affirmations" and merged all the various boards with oversight in missions in the "Board for Mission." Redeemer Balboa was finally incorporated under the laws of Panama with a Constitution and By-Laws in 1966. The constitution was amended in June 1973 and again revised in November of 1974.
The priority during this period was the military and Canal Zone population, English speaking. Off and on, a sporadic effort would be made to work in Spanish. The two Redeemer congregations were moved from the jurisdiction of the "Army and Navy Commission" to the "Board for Mission", then to the "Council of Central America and Panama (CONCAP)", and finally to the Florida-Georgia District of the LCMS in 1973, first as member congregations in June of 1974, and then later as mission congregations. Redeemer Balboa became self-supporting when it moved from the jurisdiction of CONCAP and became a member of the Florida-Georgia District in 1973.
Rev. Carl Bretscher was pastor at Redeemer Balboa from September 23, 1965 until July 1, 1971. Ronald Rall vicared in 1971.
Rev. Arnold Strohscheim served as pastor at Redeemer Balboa from December 11, 1971 until ____. James P. Nichols vicared in 1973.
Rev. Allen Trapp was the first full-time pastor of Redeemer Margarita from 1972 until l975. Until this time the Margarita parish had been served by the pastors of Redeemer Balboa. In addition to the regular English services at Margarita, Trapp conducted Spanish services and Sunday School. In 1975 he resigned from Margarita and accepted a call to Balboa. He left Panama in 1978. Paul Teske vicared at Redeemer Balboa during 1974-5.
Ezekiel Gonzalez worked with Rev. Ken Mahler on rural projects in the Cocle Province, west of the Canal Zone in 1975h. Later when Mahler left Panama, Gonzalez began work in Samaria, a suburb of Panama City.
Keith Sievers and Richard Boeck served as vicars in Margarita in 1976. Greg Peters vicared with Boeck in 1977. They reported that Spanish work had potential but the Spanish speaking population "had not been touched by us." Peters and Richard Schuller shared the vicarage in 1978, and Schuller stayed on until 1980.
Val Brocato vicared from September 1976 until August 1977, and Greg Peters from 1978 to 1979, both in Balboa. During 1978-1979 military Chaplain Emil Dinkel and seminary-trained layman La Rue Ave-Lallemant served the vacancy in Balboa. Theodore M. Schoewe, who vicared from June 1, 1960 until May 1, 1963 returned as pastor of Redeemer Balboa from July 10, 1978 until January 1, 1980.
During this period evangelization of the local population in the Spanish language became a priority, while at the same time serving the declining military and Canal Zone populations. The work fell under the auspices of the LCMS "Board for Mission Services." The funding for the "new" Spanish emphasis came from Forward in Remembrance, a commemorative fund drive. The missionaries participated in CONCAP but were under the direction of the BFMS Field Secretary, who in turn was responsible to the Executive Secretary of the BFMS.
Chaplain Dinkel again served the vacancy in Redeemer Balboa through 1981. In August 7, 1980, iniciated the Spanish speaking mission in Panama, using the two Redeemer congregations as "bases from which to begin this work." Rev. Merrill Wetzstein was sent as career missionary and pastor of Redeemer Balboa. He served from November 4, 1980 until August 1, 1996. David Prout vicared in 1980-1982.
Rev. Theodore Kuster was sent as career missionary and pastor of Redeemer Margarita from June of 1982 until the end of 1992.
The missionaries discussed organization of a locally based Spanish speaking Lutheran Church in September of 1982, and again on December 12, 1984. Property was purchased and houses built by the missionaries in Los Andes, a suburb of Panama City; in the city of Chitre, west of the Canal Zone; in the suburb of Sabanitas, near Colon; and in the city of David, on the far western edge of the country.
Phil Reed vicared in Balboa in 1983, and returned as a career missionary in 1985 until 1989, working in the Los Andes area.
Rev. Landon Schkade was sent as career missionary, from January 12, 1983 until August 23, 1986, working in the city of Chitre and later in Los Andes.
Rev. Greg Klotz, who had vicared in Guatemala, was sent as careet missionary, from August 1, 1984 until May 1, 1988, working in the city of David.
Marvin Moody served as the first Panama mission business manager from June 1, 1987 until September 2, 1987.
The first of a series of Spanish language services was held at Redeemer Balboa on December 3, 1989. In January 1990 a series of representative meetings of the Spanish congregations and groups discussed the formation of a locally based Spanish speaking Lutheran Church. Schkade began a leadership training program in April of 1989. Ezekiel Gonzalez organized and operated a downtown office for "Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones", the outreach program of the LCMS "Luthern Layman's League" during 1991 and 1992. The missionary mission office was moved from Redeemer Balboa to a downtown location.
Don Wiley vicared from September 1, 1989 until July 1, 1991, and returned as a career missionary in the Colon area from March 15, 1994 until June 15, 1997.
Nick Wirtz vicared at Redeemer Balboa from August 3, 1991 until June 3, 1993. Ted Viers served as a volunteer from August 13, 1990, for a year
Rev. Eric Moeller was sent as a career missionary, from September 2, 1991 until March 18, 1995. He worked with the Cuna population in the eastern part of Panama.
Laurie Hughey worked as a volunteer with Project Matthew 24:50 in the Colon area from May to July of 1991. Mike Thomas volunteered from June 1, 1991 until Septembert 1991. Dr. Clarence Zimmer, aka "Doctor Soap and Water", a retired family practitioner worked in the Colon area during the summer of 1991.
Ross Stroh was sent as the second business manager from January 1991 until July 1992. He left to become chief accountant for the BFMS in St. Louis, MO, and continued to oversee the finances in Panama through periodic visits.
Donald Neumann was sent as a "delayed" vicar (meaning his seminary training was finished and he would stay on as a career missionary) to the Colon area in September 5, 1991, and assigned as a career missionary in 1992, assigned to the David area. He suffered a severe automobile accident and returned to the USA in ______.
Leadership training workshops were held in the Colon area during October 1991.
Leslie Wutke volunteers, arriving in February 8, 1992. David Bailes vicared from September 1, 1993 until August 1, 1994. Denise Manning was sent as a Director of Christian Education in September 1, 1993. Rev. Tim Morris was sent as career missionary on July 1, 1995. Rev. Carlos Puig served as vacancy pastor at Redeemer Balboa from November 15, 1997 until _____.
The "national church" was organized on February 13, 1999, and officially registered with the govenment in May of 1999.
Rev. Dan McMiller was sent as career missionary and pastor of Redeemer Balboa on July 25, 1999. During July of 1999 Danelle Putnam was sent as Director of Christian Outreach.