wfn.org | Kenyan Bishop Calls for Peaceful Elections, Fight Corruption

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Lutheran Christians Urged to Work toward Mission-Oriented
Evangelism

KISUMU, Kenya/GENEVA, 18 December 2002 (LWI) - Bishop Walter E.
Obare, recently installed as the new leader of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) took office with a call to the
Kenyan government to fight endemic corruption in the country,
saying it had become a serious menace to society.

Pointing out that general elections in the past have been marred
by violence, Obare appealed for a peaceful voting process this
year. On December 27, Kenyans will elect a new president,
parliament, and local councils in the third multi-party general
election in the country's history. At the end of 2002, the
incumbent President Daniel arap Moi, head of state since 1978,
concludes his second and final five-year term under the current
system.

Obare urged Lutheran Christians to work toward a more
mission-oriented approach to evangelism. He called for spiritual
awakening which he said was the only way to combat growing
secularism in the country.

The Rev. Dr Samson Mushemba, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Tanzania, conducted Obare's November 24
installation in Kenya's western town of Kisumu. The event was
witnessed by among others, representatives of local and
international mission partners.

Obare, 55, succeeds Bishop Francis Nyamwaro Onderi, who had led
the 55,000-member church since 1995. The ELCK joined the Lutheran
World Federation in 1970.

(Contributed by Rev. Erick P. Omondi, ELCK.)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
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material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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