wfn.org | Strong call for single African sub-regional Lutheran church

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Churches plan special millennium prayers on Christmas eve

ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA, 23 July 1999 (lwi) - Member churches of the
Lutheran Communion in Central and Eastern Africa (LUCCEA) have been urged
to overcome their differences and unite to form a single Lutheran church of
central and eastern Africa.

This challenge was proposed by the secretary general of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), Mr. Amani Mwenegoha, when he addressed
the first General Assembly of LUCCEA during its meeting held in Tanzania's
north-eastern city of Arusha from 8 to 10 July 1999. The assembly's theme
was: "So that they may be one, as we are one," derived from John 17: 11.

During the LUCCEA meeting, member churches resolved to conduct special
prayers to usher in the new millennium on Christmas eve this year.

The 40 participants in the assembly also agreed to develop a common
lectionary so that all members of the Lutheran Communion in the area could
use the same scripture readings in their services.

The participants urged closer cooperation among LUCCEA member churches
through the exchange of lecturers, students, curriculum information and
publications in order to know what the theological and other training
institutions in the sub-region can offer.

Among other decisions made by the assembly was the adoption of the LUCCEA
Constitution, acceptance of the Lutheran Church of Rwanda as a new member
of the sub-regional body and election of office bearers.

The president of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY),
Rev. Yadessa Daba is the chaiperson of LUCCEA, the treasurer, Mr. Mathew
Dambala comes from the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) while the
secretary, Mr. Aminiel Mungure is from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Tanzania (ELCT).

Founded in 1993, LUCCEA currently coordinates seven Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) member churches, namely the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Tanzania, Malagasy Lutheran Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya,
Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo,
Evangelical Church of Eritrea and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane
Yesus, all of which have a combined membership of nearly 7 million people.
The new member of the sub-regional body, the Lutheran Church in Rwanda, is
not an LWF-member church.

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans. Its highest
decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven years.
Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council which meets
annually, and its Executive Committee.)

[Lutheran World Information is the information service of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material presented does
not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units.
Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (lwi), the material
may be freely reproduced with acknowledgement.]

(This article was contributed by Elizabeth Lobulu, a journalist with the
communication desk of the ELCT Communication Unit.)

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/