Dear Friends of Asia Lutheran Seminary, It was the right time. Twenty years ago, on May 29, 2005, Dr. John Lawrenz preached for the opening service of a brand new seminary: Asia Lutheran Seminary. His sermon was based on 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, where Paul writes “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” As we review the history and work of ALS over the past 20 years, we are reminded again and again how God has used the right people in the right places at just the right time to ...
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45 If your main goal in life is to meet the needs of others, not yourself, what does that make you? A flight attendant? The parent of a newborn? Service staff in a restaurant? No, it makes you a Christian. Let me explain. When Jesus became a human ...
But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1,2 Picture the scene. A courtroom with a judge and jury. A gallery full of people. The prosecutor armed with damning evidence. And a defendant who knows his guilt. The prosecutor has a book full of the wicked things the defendant has done. With a smirk on his face, he begins to open his ...
This semester, ALS launched its formal English-language Continuing Education program, offering BTh, MAR, and M.Div. degrees to English-speaking students across Asia. This new initiative is equipping active church leaders across the region for deeper theological training. We’re excited to offer this opportunity and invite you to join us if you’re interested in growing through theological education!
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:10 Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah got a glimpse of what Jesus would do. The details in Isaiah chapter 53 lead us to believe that Isaiah saw pretty clearly how Jesus would die on a cross. The selfless sacrifice of the suffering servant of the ...
February marked the official retirement of Rev. Titus Tse from the Presidency of SALEM. He served God and his Church faithfully for 38.5 years! On May 5th, hundreds of people attended an event hosted by SALEM to show their appreciation for his decades of work. ALS thanks God for his service to his people by sharing God’s Word with so many and being so passionate about growing the church deep and wide. Though he retired from the presidency, his work is not yet done. He has been commissioned to serve a church of Christians from Hong ...
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Isaiah 35:4 Around the year A.D. 156, a man named Polycarp was arrested during a time of Christian persecution. He was the leader of the church in Smyrna. His arrestors urged him to renounce Christ and to make a small offering to the Roman Caesar. They didn’t want to see this old man put to death. In their minds, they were asking a small thing. “Curse Christ, ...
Are you curious about studying theology? Do you have unanswered questions about what being a seminary student is like? Want to know more about what learning Greek and Hebrew is like? Come to ALS Open Day! The faculty and staff will be at ALS to answer any questions you have. You can also learn about the biblical languages by making a leather name tag in Greek and Hebrew. Anyone who comes will be given a coupon for a discount on tuition for the Fall 2025 semester!
This devotion is selected from Marin Lutheran College’s seasonal devotional series: We are thankful to Martin Luther College and the professors there for providing these devotions. The author Rev. Richard Gurgel serves Martin Luther College as president. Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 ...
The International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE) held its 19th global consultation conference, known as ICETE C-25, in Durrës near Tirana, Albania, from March 3 to March 7, 2025. ALS professors, Dr. Guy Marquardt and Mr. Jeremy Seeger attended the event, which focused on the theme “NEXT in Theological Education,” aiming to explore innovative ways to rethink and reshape theological education to better equip Christian leaders worldwide.
