Dear, precious friends and supporters,

Thank you for your prayers over the last several months as we were in the US.  It was wonderful to be able to see a good number of you and to share with you about ministry in Berlin as well as what’s going on with us personally.  Since we’ve been back, in addition to digging out from under the pile of things that didn’t get done while we were away, we had lots and lots of company, not to mention a couple weeks of illness with Ken ending up in the hospital again with kidney stones.  Thanks for praying for strength and health!

As you may remember from previous newsletters, we try to update you on each of the four church planting projects here in east Berlin, as well as mentioning the latest goings-on from Martin Bucer Seminary.  This time we thought we’d try to give you a clearer picture of the seminary itself, since this is where Ken spends a good portion of his time and energy as the seminary’s study director.

Martin Bucer Seminary was founded by Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, a well-known and well-respected reformed theologian and ethicist here in the German-speaking world.  We are using an alternative model for seminary education, desiring to train those who are already in ministry in the local church;  therefore, classes meet all day several times per month, as well as two intensive week-long seminars twice per year.  Much of the work is “self-study” with many books to read, papers to write, and time spent in discussion with a personal mentor.  The seminary is headquartered in Bonn, with branches in Berlin, Hamburg, Pforzheim, Chemnitz, Innsbruck, Zurich, the Czech Republic and in Turkey.  Please pray for Ken as he mentors and disciples these German church leaders.

So, who in the world was Martin Bucer?  He was one of the reformers, a contemporary of Luther, John Calvin’s pastor, and during his lifetime was most likely more well-known than either of them.  He wrote a Book of Church Order for the protestant churches in the Cologne area, and during a time of “exile” in England, he taught at Cambridge where his writings heavily influenced Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.  So much for today’s history lesson. J

MBS/Berlin has been in operation for four years now, offering a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Theology degree.  We proudly have one graduate (see attached photo), and six more students who are in the last phase of study, writing their theses.  There are 10 more students in the program, six of whom are brand new to us this fall.  Two of these students wish to have an emphasis in Islam; thanks for praying for “M. & S.” as they study at MBS in order to be better able to minister to the Turkish community in Berlin (Berlin is the third largest Turkish city in the world!).

In Berlin it is our desire to emphasize practical theology, and so we are offering emphases in pastoral theology, church planting, counseling and Christian education.  We plan to offer an “apologetics track,” but are looking for someone willing to come to Berlin and develop and lead the program.  Thanks for praying that God will provide the needed personnel, the necessary funds for operation, and the wisdom and know-how to create an adequate rotating curriculum.

Our heart’s desire is that MBS graduates will influence Berlin and the entire German-speaking world with the Gospel by providing pastors and church workers who are well-trained in the Scriptures and who are pursuing a life of following Jesus Christ.  Thank you so much for praying with us to this end.

The Lord bless each of you beyond all you can ask or think or even imagine.

In Him,

Tammie and Ken Matlack
www.teamberlin.org