Executive Director

Rev. Steve Hughey is currently the Executive Director of the Central American Lutheran Mission Society (CALMS). Just seven years old, CALMS was initially organized as an independent non-profit mission society to support our LCMS mission work in Panama. Today, CALMS' ministry reaches out also to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize and the Dominican Republic.

In these past seven years, CALMS has:

1. Provided scholarships and training programs for educating and ordaining national pastors.
2. Provided consultation and support for church planting and leadership development.
3. Created a Sponsor-a-Child Program for needy children connected with our Lutheran mission work in Panama, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.This program is similar to World Vision and Compassion International in that it encourages regular communication between .
4. Provided funding for special projects to help build the capacity of national workers and expand the church.
5. Provided spiritual, emotional and prayer support for missionaries and national workers in Panama, Belize Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
6. Begun a new housing program to provide much-needed homes for fellow Lutherans in Guatemala and is in the process of working with Lutheran medical doctor, Elry Orozco to facilitate a new medical clinic for the poor in the Lake Amatitlan area of Guatemala.
7. Facilitated strategic planning for both missionaries and the national churches.
8. Facilitated strategic short-term mission teams to Belize, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Panam. Projects have included building and repairing churches, building church playgrounds, building Habitat houses for Lutheran families, teaching English as a Second Language, conducting basketball camps, creating and facilitating family life seminars, giving Christian concerts to schools, helping university and seminary students from the USA learn about cross-cultural ministry, etc. Currently, CALMS has over 50 short-term projects available for 2007 and 2008. Check out the Short-term section on our web site for more information!

CALMS is a partner with Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, the Brazil Lutheran Church and LCMS World Relief/Human Care in planting new churches and providing needed human care in the Dominican Republic. Recently, CALMS facilitated a strategic short-term team of highly qualified Christian baseball coaches who helped the mission team develop relationships with young men in a poor community near Santiago. As a result of this special event, the missionaries have been able to begin a new worship service focusing on young men between the ages of 15 and 22. The goal in the Dominican Republic is to plant Lutheran churches with an intentional outreach to families with members who are developmentally disabled. CALMS has also recently been facilitating human care projects in Belize and helped the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua with an electronic library. This is an exciting time for CALMS!

Since graduating from Concordia Seminary in 1968 with a Masters of Divinity, Steve has been a missionary in Venezuela and El Paso, Texas and worked on the LCMS World Mission staff in St. Louis since 1988, most recently as the Director for Mission Response & Involvement. Steve founded the Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies (ALMA) and continues his role as adviser to the board. He has a passion for reaching lost people for Christ and equipping Christians for active participation in God’s mission. His experience, creative thinking, and existing relationships with mission-minded congregations and organizations are enabling CALMS to expand its influence in Central America and the Caribbean for the cause of Christ.

• Photo of CALMS' Executive Director, Steve Hughey and CALMS' Manager for Logistics, Cindy Dube: