Sister Congregation in Tanzania

The Sister Congregation Partnership
First Lutheran Church has a sister congregation in Ketumbeine Parish, in the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT), East Africa. God has blessed us in this udugu (partnership/companionship), and we pray God will continue to sustain it for the sake and growth of the Gospel and God's mission to the world.

Our Activities in Partnership
Visits in Person
Three times members of First have visited the Ketumbaine Parish. They were nourished in hospitality, passion for evangelism, and God's grace.

Love Auctions
Twice a year First Lutheran members simulate the Ketumbeine practice of holding an auction at the end of church services. In Ketumbeine, the practice allows those without cash to donate goods whose purchase provides funds for the church. First Lutheran's version of the practice is called a "Love Auction." In these auctions, First Lutheran members donate goods that are auctioned off to other members, with the proceeds going to Ketumbeine Parish.

Ongoing Communications
In addition, we maintain ongoing communication with the Ketumbeine Parish by means of letters, e-mail, and children's pen pals.

Our Larger Project - Companions in Ministry
First Lutheran's partnership with Ketumbeine Parish is part of a larger Companions in Ministry project that matches ELCA congregations in Northern Illinois with ELCT congregations in Tanzania. The project encourages the building of personal relationships between the congregations by means of a focus on prayer and communication.

Tanzanian Lutheran bishop visits First Lutheran staff

DEKALB - On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, the staff of First Lutheran Church was blessed with a visit from Bishop Thomas O. Laiser, head of the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania.

The Arusha Diocese is the official companion of the Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Bishop Laiser, who was visiting ELCA Lutheran churches in the DeKalb area, presented Pastor Marilyn Hanson and each of the staff members with handmade beaded crosses made by the women of Ketumbeine Parish, First Lutheran's Companion district in the diocese. He also presented Pastor Hanson with two colorful hand-made beaded vases for the church.

Bishop Laiser praised First Lutheran for its steadfast support of the work in Tanzania and encouraged its members to be diligent in evangelism.

"When you evangelize here, you do it on our behalf. When we evangelize there, we do it on your behalf," he said.

Above, Bishop Thomas O. Laiser (center), head of the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, poses with staff members of First Lutheran Church in DeKalb during a visit earlier this week. Provided photo

The growth of the Lutheran church in Tanzania is has been impressive in recent years. When the ELCT was formed in 1963, it had just 300,000 members. Today there are 3.5 million. The Arusha Diocese headed by Bishop Laiser had 30,000 members when it was formed in 1973, and today it has 350,000.

As for First Lutheran's companions in Ketumbeine Parish, it had just 60 members when Bishop Laiser was ordained as a pastor there in 1973. Today the parish has more than 2,000 members meeting in four church buildings and at more than a dozen additional preaching points (most under the branches of acacia trees) - all served by a single pastor assisted by 18 trained lay evangelists.

Bishop Laiser told the First Lutheran staff that church growth is not just for Tanzania: "First Lutheran is also a tool of God for salvation."

He said that "witnessing by words and deeds" are important tools for evangelism, and he reminded the staff that evangelism is not just for the few.

Bishop Laiser said that 60 percent of Tanzanians are Christian, 30 percent are Muslim and 10 percent are neither religion.

Most of the ELCT's converts come from this last group. He also said that the church is working hard to secure the (re)commitment of those who may have adopted Christian names but are not being faithful to Christ.

Reminding his listeners of Romans 1:16 ("I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of our Lord for salvation."), he said "if everybody is an evangelist, then there are more opportunities for outreach."

Besides, he said, we are all commanded to "go and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19).

He closed by reminding staff members that First Lutheran has been playing an important supporting role in the work of Arusha Diocese and especially Ketumbeine Parish.

And he wished through his gifts and his message to bring some of those blessings back to DeKalb on their behalf.

For more on the Companions in Ministry Project, including resources and ideas for sharing with companion congregations, visit the Northern Illinois Synod's website at www.nisynod.org/ministries/companions.