|
Your mission gifts help us translate and publish Lutheran books and materials for Christians worldwide.
Donate Now | Thrivent GivingPlus® form
|  LHF translator Rev. John Sundaram (pictured, left) died of a heart attack on Sept. 5. Rev. Sundaram served a life of service to the Jesus Christ, most recently in his role as coordinator of Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) projects in India.
Under Rev. Sundaram’s guidance, five books were translated and published into the Tamil language, including Luther’s Small Catechism, Standard Bible (100 Bible Stories for Children), History of the Reformation, The Lutheran Agenda and most recently, a reader’s edition of the Book of Concord. Rev. Sundaram also oversaw the translation of the catechism into four other Indian languages: Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, and Telugu. “John Sundaram was a very dedicated pastor and missionary who was passionate about providing the books of the faith to his people in their languages,” said Rev. James Fandrey, LHF executive director. “His leadership and heart for the mission will be missed, but we rejoice that John has gone to be with Christ, his Savior.” Rev. Sundaram’s heart for missions was nurtured by his father, who was a teacher and catechist, and by his grandfather, who was also a pastor. When Rev. Sundaram visited the LHF World Mission Center in 2005, he had just retired from 42 years of active ministry in the India Evangelical Lutheran Church. “If my grandfather, my father and I could stand with fingertips touching, we would span 100 years in ministry,” he reflected. As a boy, he accompanied his father every evening, carrying his violin box and walking miles, as his father shared the Gospel to villagers along the way. In later years, Rev. Sundaram served as president of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church for six years, and later as the synod’s mission director. He had many talents and used them all for bringing people to Christ: a musician who composed Lutheran songs, a dramatist who wrote Christian plays staged throughout southern India, an author who wrote literature for children. He was also a beloved pastor to the end of his days on earth. At the side of Rev. Sundaram’s coffin, two people were baptized. These were the people who were to have been baptized by him on that Sunday, had he been alive. Rev. Sundaram is survived by his wife, Kasthuribai, sons Cherubin and Rev. Meega, daughter Jeba, daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. Memorials in Rev. Sundaram’s honor are being received by LHF, which will publish the completed Tamil Book of Concord in his memory. Click here to contribute.
| SOUTH AFRICA 
Afrikaans-speaking churches emerge through confusion of apartheid. SOMALIA 
LHF translator Mohamed Gurhan tells of his journey to faith in Jesus Christ.
 Ten new translations released in India.
 Order your Spanish Bible with Luther's Small Catechism today!
 Click here to learn more about this children's mission project to provide hymnals for families in Kenya.
 Children in Thailand and Cambodia received copies of A Child's Garden of Bible Stories.
|