wfn.org | Marangu Dream Was Joint Vision for Africa*s Future, LWF

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

Marangu Dream Was Joint Vision for Africa's Future, LWF General
Secretary Says 
Namibian Premier Nahas Angula Calls for Partnerships with Religious
Organizations 

WINDHOEK, Namibia/GENEVA, 18 November 2005 (LWI) - When delegates of
African Lutheran churches gathered for their first conference in 1955,
they shared a dream. "This dream became a common vision about the future
of Africa." Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), made these remarks during celebrations to mark
the 50th anniversary of the All Africa Lutheran Conference (AALC) in
Marangu, Tanzania [then Tanganyika]. 

The November 13 commemoration took place in Windhoek, Namibia, in the
context of a regular meeting of the Africa Church Leadership Conference
under the theme, "From Isolation to Communion: For the Healing of
Africa."

The theme "connects us with the Marangu vision," Noko said. It was also
appropriate in its invitation to every single person in Africa: "It
invites Lutherans to come into fellowship, Christian communities to
engage in ecumenical dialogue for the sake of Christian unity in faith
and witness, the public community and politicians to develop Africa into
a community and, the religious communities in Africa to work together
for the transformation of the human race into a human family," he
emphasized.

Affirming the Marangu gathering as a milestone, Noko recalled that there
were no African delegates at the Federation's 1947 founding in Lund,
Sweden. "We were represented by missionaries," he said.

But a lot has changed since the 1955 first joint meeting of African
Lutheran church leaders. At the Namibia conference, as LWF general
secretary, Noko, a Zimbabwean, represented Lutherans from all over the
world -- Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North
America.

"A Rich Continent with Poor People"

Namibian Prime Minister Nahas Angula brought greetings from President
Hifikepunye Pohamba, and thanked the church representatives for their
respective countries' joint contribution to Namibia's struggle for
independence. 

This meeting has a great symbolism, Angula said. "The liberation of
Namibia was a joint effort by all of us, and we are indebted to you and
your support and encouragement. We in Namibia can proudly say that our
birth was conceived through the support of Tanzania. Your coming here
has to prick our conscience: what are our next challenges in Africa?"
When the Marangu conference took place, the winds of change were
starting to blow in Africa, and in 1961 Tanganyika became independent
and the home of the struggle for Africa's liberation, he recalled. 

The prime minister noted that Africa faced three major challenges -
poverty, unemployment and disease. Lack of opportunities to work had
become a major source of suffering, especially among youth, many of who
had fallen into antisocial behavior. Other concerns included the
HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria and tuberculosis.

He described Africa as "a rich continent with poor people," and went on
to cite its endowment in oil and diamonds, among other natural
resources. Confronting Africa's debilitating problems calls for
partnerships and alliances between governments, the private sector,
civil society and faith-based organizations, Angula added.

Second Chance for the Churches

Preaching at the AALC commemorative worship service, Bishop Martin F.
Shao, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), Northern Diocese,
said halting and reversing the spread of HIV, and addressing related
issues of malaria and tuberculosis remained among the highest priorities
of churches on a continent where nearly 75 percent of the total
population lived in poverty. 

The ELCT bishop challenged African Lutherans to speak out with one voice
on critical issues at home, and globally. "We must be the conscience of
Africa and the world," Shao said, reminding them that the AALC's 50th
anniversary had provided a second chance for the churches. 

The Africa Lutheran Church Leadership Conference was jointly hosted by
the LWF and the three Lutheran churches in Namibia -- the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN); Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Namibia (ELCIN); and German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Namibia (ELCIN-GELC). Around half of Namibia's population of
1.8 million people is Lutheran. (660 words)

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140
member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total
membership of nearly 66 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
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 the LWF's information service.
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*	*	*

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