The World Mission Board meeting at Redeemer Lutheran in Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 14-16, authorized the immediate calling of a missionary for Latin America and a friendly counselor for India. The calls will temporarily increase WELS manpower in those two fields.

The missionary to Latin America will be a shared call with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) and funded through the existing authorized budget and special funds. Rev. Dan Koelpin, administrator for World Missions, says the missionary will be sent to either Brazil or Colombia where "the needs are real."

The new man is being called in anticipation of retirements within the ranks of the Latin American Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) team. The call represents a change in strategy for World Missions in Latin America as it seeks to better balance the number of "street" missionaries called to develop congregations and members of LATTE.

The friendly counselor to India will be the fourth WELS friendly counselor serving in that country. This call is also funded through the existing authorized budget and special funds; it is being issued in advance of the anticipated retirement of a WELS friendly counselor in India within the next two to four years. Koelpin says the new call is needed now because "it takes time to get a new man up to speed."