wfn.org | The painful context of Lutheran ministry in Africa

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

The continent is bleeding from war, poverty, corruption, AIDS/HIV

WITTENBERG,Germany/GENEVA, 27 October 1999 (lwi) - "Does the Lutheran
heritage have anything to say about the painful context within which
Lutheran theologians in Africa carry out their ministry? What is the
Lutheran or Christian response to the black man's situation?"

These questions were posed by one of the international co-chairpersons
of the Conference of International Black Lutherans (CIBL Rev. Dr.
Ambrose Moyo, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ)
when he addressed the opening session of the CIBL's third conference
taking place at the Leucorea University, Wittenberg from 25 to 31
October 1999.

He told the more than 90 black Lutheran lay and clergy theologians drawn
from Africa ,North America, the Caribbean and Europe that Africa is
bleeding as a result of the wars, dictatorships, extreme poverty,
AIDS/HIV, ignorance and increasing violence against women and children
and other forms of oppression.

The challenge then in the context of such a background is how "we
examine the relevance and contexuality of the Lutheran heritage and our
faith as we deal with the issues confronting us in the Third Millennium
-- such as justice, peace, reconciliation, gender and racial
discrimination."

The CIBL co-chair reminded the participants that the choice of
Wittenberg as the venue for this meeting of the body of theologians was
made so that black Lutherans can understand and receive a better
appreciation of the roots of the Protestant tradition.

Bishop Moyo described Martin Luther as a shining example of Christian
discipleship despite his shortfalls. "Luther was able to stand for what
he believed in despite the consequences, and we see him as an
inspiration for us to stand up for justice" in Africa and in the other
parts of the world.

Luther was clearly a German, Dr. Moyo said, but his impact has been not
only on Germans but universal. "We are here (in Wittenberg) to register
our claim to the Lutheran heritage and to demonstrate that it has
relevance and meaning for African Christians on the mainland Africa and
in the diaspora," he added.

The CIBL's third conference is meeting under the theme: "Confession for
the Third Millennium: Black Lutheran Experiences." The objectives of the
conference are to bridge the gap and strengthen the link between
Africans and Africans in the diaspora, explore, acknowledge and
demonstrate the plurality of ways of being Lutheran within the body of
Christ; and review and critique Lutheranism by working through the power
of Jesus Christ towards the spiritual and physical liberation of all
human beings.

Also the CIBL aims to review and critique Lutheranism by facilitating a
coherent correlation of peace, justice and reconciliation in daily
living; and by exploring, articulating , formulating and declaring the
essence of a Black confessional identity within Lutheranism.

The challenge for CIBL at the threshold of a new millennium is indeed an
emphasis on the fact that it is appropriate for African and African
people in the diaspora to articulate the nature of their confession for
this new era by demonstrating how they can combine their cultural
identity and their denominational heritage.

The first CIBL conference which brought together 40 participants and
observers was held in Harare in 1986, and reflected on "The Meaning of
the Lutheran Heritage and the Black Experience in Africa and North
America". The conference concluded with the adoption of "A Message from
Harare by Black Lutherans" that included both a call and commitment to
establish CIBL. Subsequently the conference papers and the "Message from
Harare" were both published by Augsburg Press (1988) in a book entitled
"Lutheran Theology and the Black Experience".

The second CIBL conference held in Harare's second city Bulawayo also
celebrated the body's tenth anniversary. The topic addressed was
"Poverty and Plenty: Bridging the Gap". From this conference "A Message
from Bulawayo" was produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) Division for Global Mission for the participants in the
conference and other interested groups or individuals.

(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.)

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Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
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