The Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) member churches held the LUCSA 11th Assembly from 19 – 22 September 2022, under the theme “This is my body,” as part of the Assembly, LUCSA also celebrated its 30th anniversary in communion.
The Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa meets for its 11th Assembly and celebrates 30-years of communion in the subregion. Photo: LUCS/R. Mofulatsi
The Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa celebrates thirty years of “walking together”
(LWI) - The member churches of the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) held their 11th Assembly 19 – 22 September 2022, under the theme “This is my body.” LUCSA also celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Assembly.
LUCSA President, Bishop Dr Joseph Bvumbwe opened the event, together with LUCSA Vice President, Bishop Mothusi Jairos Letlhage and LUCSA Executive Director, Rev Lilana Kasper, who co-chaired the proceedings. Delegates of 13 member churches participated in the assembly.
“This LUCSA meeting was a time of celebration, joy and reunion after the COVID pandemic kept us apart. In celebration we sang and danced together as a living body,” recalled LWF Regional Secretary for Africa Rev. Dr Samuel Dawai.
The assembly recognized LUCSA’s efforts toward gender and youth inclusion in leadership. It celebrated the appointment of LUCSA’s First Female Executive Director of LUCSA in September 2020; the election and consecration of the First Female Lutheran Bishop in Africa (ELCSA) in May 2021; and the ordination of the First Female Pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi in September 2021.
“My prayer is that God will continue to bless and guide LUCSA in the noble vocation to God’s mission in our African subregion,” encouraged Angelene Swart, the first woman and layperson to serve as vice-president of LUCSA.
Highlighting social challenges of the subregion, Executive Director Kasper reported that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively affect the lives of Southern African people and churches, that there is instability within some of the member churches, and that despite gender justice advancements of LUCSA, Gender-Based Violence remains a problem in the subregion. She named specifically corruption in many of the Southern African countries, xenophobia, youth unemployment, and teen pregnancy as challenges for people in the subregion.
“Lutheran churches in Southern Africa like to identify with one another. We like to hold hands and walk together because we face similar challenges in our way of witnessing for Christ, therefore we like to come together,” said Bvumbwe.
“We offer encouragement and support; we make pastoral visits to our member churches. LUCSA is here to support them and to offer them advice,” Bvumbwe said.
LUCSA President Bishop Bvumbwe and LUCSA Executive Director Rev. Kasper presided over worship together at the 11th LUCSA Assembly. Photo: LUCS/R. Mofulatsi
“During this celebration, I ask the LUCSA member churches to look back and reflect on when and where they joined the Lutheran Communion, what they have achieved in this partnership and what they would like to see more of going forward.” “The journey continues,” Bvumbwe concluded.
Bishop Kenneth Sibanda of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and Ms. Ann Mokhine of the Northeastern Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa were elected President and Vice President and inducted along with council members during the assembly.
The Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa is comprised of 16 member churches in 14 countries and is a regional expression of the Lutheran World Federation in Southern Africa.
