LHF: Looking to the Next 25 Years

Who would have guessed what the Holy Spirit had in mind?

In the spring of 1994, Rev. Robert Rahn was guest preacher at Guardian Lutheran Church in Dearborn, Mich., where the people were bidding a fond farewell to one of their members about to become a missionary in Russia – Matthew Heise.

To Rev. Heise, now executive director of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation, this chance meeting was just one more example of God’s plan he’s witnessed in all his mission work. “This is nothing we’re putting together,” he said. “God is way ahead of us!”

After more than a decade as an LCMS missionary in Russia, Rev. Heise now uses his experiences in Eurasia to lead LHF in serving other missionaries and church bodies.

“I saw firsthand people reading LHF’s materials, such as Luther’s Small Catechism and the Book of Concord, and it made a change in them,” Rev. Heise said.

As LHF continues its work of translating and publishing books like the catechism, Rev. Heise sees a need for even more basic materials.

“Sometimes missionaries are going to people where there is no established Lutheran church, or even a Christian church! We need to be able to give them some basic, easy-to-read pieces for people who are beginning to investigate the faith.”

In looking to LHF’s next 25 years, Rev. Heise said he’s most excited about LHF’s new work beginning in Asia and Africa.

“The idea of Christianity moving to the southern hemisphere really is true,” he said. “There’s an explosion of faith in those areas. For example, there’s a chance we might be able to get LHF’s books into Chinese bookstores. Can you imagine? That would be huge! Where the Holy Spirit leads, LHF will go.”