What no one knows is that James was not the agressor here. The girl was a foster care kid, and she was sexually active long before this. I have talked to the girl’s foster mother, and this is what SHE tells me. SHE chased James, not the other way around.

Now, that does NOT make what James did right. Never. But, I think that society has NOTHING to gain by locking him up.

I know that you had no way of knowing all of this, and that is understandable.

James is a great young man who made one serious error in judgment. Haven’t we all?

“Dear Jennifer,

Thanks for your recent email regarding Rev. May. It is helpful to discuss issues when they are not completely understood.

Rev. James May will be concluding his ministry in West Africa. Upon completion of his term this month, LCMS WM will be working with him to depart the field. LCMS World Mission will continue to support James and his family as he seeks to share his gifts in new ministry opportunities. The May family will receive financial support and benefits through the BFMS transition allowance. We thank God for all that has been accomplished to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in Africa through James’ involvement with LCMS World Mission

We want you to know LCMS World Mission’s ministry in West Africa will continue. Many other missionaries in Africa and serving around the world need prayer and financial support. We ask that you prayerfully consider transferring your support to another missionary or consider continuing
support of the ongoing work.

I would like to share with you the reasons for Rev. May returning to the states. However, I cannot share them all but I can assure you it was not for financial reasons. I need to respect confidentiality issues as any pastor would do with his parishioners.

Secondly, LCMS WM is not closing the mission field in Burkina Faso. There is no LCMS WM work in Burkina Faso. Rev. May was simply in Ouaga learning French at a French school located there. The work he was to do in the future was connected with the Togo Lutheran Church.

I try desperately to understand how things can look from the outside. In mission, we are in the business of spreading the Gospel, not disrupting it. We make decisions prayerfully with much consideration and consultation. We work with complete, reliable information. We rely on our own spiritual gifts and on the wealth of mission experience that surrounds us here at LCMS WM. I know that Bethlehem has been supporting Rev. May. Others have expressed similar concern about this turn of events. But as noted above, we desperately are trying to follow God’s lead in our decisions -both for God’s mission as noted in Scripture and as it moves forward in contexts and places around the world.

If you have other questions, please address them to Sharon Whitlock in the LCMS WM office in St. Louis. She serves Rev. David Birner, Associate Executive Director of International Mission.

Please continue to pray for the Mays and LCMS WM. I believe Rev. May’s gifts will be used in powerful ways in another missional ministry in which God places him.”

Walking in the Resurrection . . .

Proclaiming that Good News!

Jesus said, “I have come to seek and to save those who are lost”,
Luke 19:10.

Rev. Paul Mueller, PhD Missiology <
Regional Director - Africa, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod World Mission

It has been brought to my attention that money was not the issue behind Rev. May’s termination as a missionary in West Africa. My apologies for any misconceptions.

More information should be coming out before too long.