Pastor Strawn with some of the students at the Lutheran seminary in Obot Idim, Nigeria
Upon the recommendation of the former speaker of the Lutheran Hour, the Rev. Wallace Schulz, and at the behest of the Rev. Archbishop Christian Ekong of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN), Prince of Peace Lutheran Church sent Pastor Strawn to Obot Idim, Nigeria, in December of 2010 to teach the students of the seminary there as well as the newly elected bishops of the various regions of the church a course entitled Distinguishing Law and Gospel in Oneself, in Preaching, and in Pastoral Care. Along with his teaching duties, Pastor Strawn not only attended the funeral of the former archbishop of the LCN, the Rev. Efiong Etim Ekanem, he was also given the opportunity to preach in Lutheran congregations in both Obot Idim and Uyo.
Students entering the compound of the Lutheran Seminary in Obot Idim, Nigeria.
As a result of that interaction, and its continuing relationship with the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Prince of Peace is endeavoring each year since to assist in paying the tuition of a number of the seminarians there.
Another way in which Prince of Peace is helping not only the students at the seminary in Obot Idim, but also at other Lutheran seminaries around the world, is by participating in the E-Book Project of the Confessional Lutheran Education Foundation (CLEF). A key to education at any of the seminaries that exist in close proximity to the equator at low altitude is the acquisition and maintenance of printed materials. Shipping books to Africa can be extremely difficult and expensive. E-books can be provided, in many cases free of charge, and can be read on a variety of electronic devices such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smart phones. In areas where such devices are not yet available, and where electrical service is not consistent, e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite–which can hold over 1100 books and run on one battery charge for up to 8 weeks!–can be provided.
In January of 2012, Pastor Strawn was sponsored by Prince of Peace and the CLEF to travel to Accra, Ghana, to teach a course, entitled The Small Catechism at the seminary. Students used e-readers as the primary resource for course materials.
Pastor Strawn helping the secretary of the Lutheran Church of Ghana with her new Kindle Paperwhite.
The members of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) at Prince of Peace have supported these efforts by raising monies for the purchase of e-readers to send overseas, as well as making over a hundred dresses from pillow cases to distribute where needed.