Yesterday I received an invitation to tell some stories about the LTS. Well, there are a number of stories I would like to share – especially the following:

1. Uganda: More than fifteen students graduated from LTS and ordained back home over the past 5 years. 2 are still in post-graduate courses at the university of Pretoria (UP). Each one of these has a remarkable story like Angus Lukeeta, the first student to arrive at LTS some years ago and getting this wonderful partnership going, which has enabled these students to fit in at LTS and now student Enoch McBen, who is enrolled at UP is even joined by his wife, who is doing the deaconess training program and their young boy, who is learning English and lots more at the Creche/Kindergarten up the road.

2. Liberia: Over the past 25 years more than fifteen students were at LTS both in Enhlanhleni and in Tshwane from Liberia. For example T.Doe Johnson was the first to graduate at the university of Pretoria (UP) in the OT with a Master of Theology degree and presently E.Gebotoe is busy with his MTh in Mission studies after completing his Honours at UP, his wife Laura is busy with her nursing diploma and their little daughter is going to the creche/Kindergarten close to LTS.  8 new students from Liberia are enrolled at LTS in 2012 (Deaconess students included).

3. Sudan: The sad story of Bishop Elisas, who passed away, but whose legacy is continued with students enrolled and graduating at the University of Pretoria e.g. Peter Anibati has passed his Honours in NT and is busy with his Masters in NT and has been joined by 2 more candidates this year.

4. Kenya: Three exchange students at post-graduate level

5. Tanzania: Five exchange students at post-graduate level

6. Students from Zambia, Rwanda, DRCongo, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Ethiopia – all have a story to tell.

From South Africa and the LCSA I would like to highlight the following:

1. Bishop emeritus David Tswaedi joined LTS in Enhlanhleni in 1976 (year of the Soweto riots). He only had Std. 6 and was recommended to finish his schooling first. He did this. He not only did his STM in the USA at Ft.Wayne, but also received a Honorary doctorate at CS St.Louis. He is presently busy with his PhD studies there. He has been the bishop of the LCSA for nearly 20 years and has taught at the LTS in Tshwane since its move to Pretoria in 2001. He has been part of the ILC excecutive and has been a great success story for the LTS training all along. Obviously there is lots more to add on this pastor, who is still faithfully serving in the LCSA at all levels of ministry at national, diocesan and congregational level too.

2. Rev. Radikobo Ntsimane has joined the LCSA years ago and was trained in Enhlanhleni before he started his university career at the university of KwaZulu/Natal in Pietermaritzburg, because he did not get a place in CTS Ft.Wayne. In the mean time he has been lecturer and rector of the LTS for nearly 10 years, he has completed his PhD in Church History and after teaching in this field for a number of years at the University and is now earmarked to take over the national department of oral history for the South African government. He too still heads a LCSA congregation as pastor and serves faithfully in the Church at various levels.

3. Rev. Eliot Sithole was a poor farm boy from Enhlahleni, where he grew up under the auspices of his grandfather, who was an evangelist there. He studied theology at the LTS in Enhlanhleni and after serving successfully especially in youth ministry in the Umsinga area he was called to teach Old Testament and Hebrew at the Seminary in Pretoria. He was then given the opportunity to enter the PhD program at CTS Ft.Wayne and is now busy with the final stages of the dissertation, while he as an expert in both Hebrew and Zulu is now working together with the United Bible Society on the revision of the Zulu Bible translation. After this project it is expected that he will continue lecturing OT/Hebrew at the LTS in Pretoria.

4. Rev. Nathan Mntambo – another son of a pastor, who grew up in Mpumalanga – is teaching practical theology at the LTS for twelve years now and has taught the biblical languages and several subjects like Church History. He is the dean of chapel and serves faithfully were needed. He has completed his STM at CTS Ft.Wayne and is very keen to enrol at PhD level there too – if the residency requirement is not to stringent as he has a family of 2 daughters with his wife.

5. Five other students from the LCSA have graduated successfully at the University of Pretoria over the past 4 years: Rev. Orapeleng Shuping (Honours in Systematics, busy with MTH), Rev. Vincent Cane (MTh in Missions), Rev. John Nkambule (Honours in Missions, busy with MTh), Rev. William Maphalala + (Honours in NT, busy with MTh), vicar Bheki Ngobese (Honours in Systematics).

This goes a long way of proving that the education at the Seminary prepares our students well to master the post-graduate system successfully at University level. The legalized partnership between UP and the LTS is a result of this positive cooperation over the past years. The envisioned Lutheran Chair at UP under Prof. Dr. Werner Klaen will hopefully do its fair share of getting this established even more and on a more and that more students will receive solid academic education from a confessional Lutheran perspective. Presently there are five post-graduates studies from outside the LCSA studying at the University of Pretoria at either honours or masters level.

6. Of the hand-full of students from our Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, who have graduated at the Seminary all have been successfully incorporated into the work of the Church. A number of them now hold leading positions in the various dioceses:

6.1 Mandla Thwala – dean of KZN

6.2 John Nkambule – deputy dean of GP

6.3 Christopher Mosenogi – deputy dean of NW

6.4 Mothlatlosi Sebeelo – deputy dean of BW

The successful implementation of a deaconess training program at the LTS with Deaconess Grace Rao over the past 3 years and now the start of a full-time course in deaconess training with Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr. Here the story is still in the making.

Hopefully this gives you a bit of an idea to proceed/ask further questions.