Lutherans move towards unity

THE three Lutheran churches in Namibia want to speak with one voice and work together as a Lutheran family, Bishop Erich Hertel of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia said in Windhoek yesterday.

He was briefing the media on the creation of the United Church Council of the Namibia Evangelical Churches (UCC-NELC), which is aimed at the unification of the three Lutheran Churches in the country. Hertel said although the three churches would remain independent from each other, the council would bring Lutherans together and work hand in hand for the common good.”This is the Namibianisation of the Lutheran churches in Namibia,” said Reverend Ngeno Nakamhela of the Inner-City Lutheran Church in Windhoek.The Inner-City Lutheran Church, situated in Pasteur Street, brings together Lutherans from all three Lutheran churches as well people from non-Lutheran churches.The three Lutheran churches in Namibia are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), the Evangelical Lutheran in Namibia (Elcin) and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church (GELC).At present, the three churches do not get any funding from the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation (LWF), although they pay membership fees to the LWF.The UCC-NELC will be launched this Sunday at the Inner-City Lutheran Church by the Managing Director of the Lutheran Communication in Southern Africa, Bishop Ambrose Moyo, whose office is based in Johannesburg.The sermon will be conducted by the Secretary General of the Lutheran World Federation, Dr Ismael Noko, while the Council of Churches in Namibia will be represented by its Secretary General, Reverend Phillip Strydom.UCC-NELC will consist of 15 members of which Elcin has six, ELCRN five and Elcin-GELC four.The positions of chairperson, executive secretary and the treasurer will be filled on a rotating basis.President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Prime Minister Nahas Angula have also been invited to the event, while other guests will be from as far afield as the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and South Africa.Hertel said although the three churches would remain independent from each other, the council would bring Lutherans together and work hand in hand for the common good.”This is the Namibianisation of the Lutheran churches in Namibia,” said Reverend Ngeno Nakamhela of the Inner-City Lutheran Church in Windhoek.The Inner-City Lutheran Church, situated in Pasteur Street, brings together Lutherans from all three Lutheran churches as well people from non-Lutheran churches.The three Lutheran churches in Namibia are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), the Evangelical Lutheran in Namibia (Elcin) and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church (GELC).At present, the three churches do not get any funding from the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation (LWF), although they pay membership fees to the LWF.The UCC-NELC will be launched this Sunday at the Inner-City Lutheran Church by the Managing Director of the Lutheran Communication in Southern Africa, Bishop Ambrose Moyo, whose office is based in Johannesburg.The sermon will be conducted by the Secretary General of the Lutheran World Federation, Dr Ismael Noko, while the Council of Churches in Namibia will be represented by its Secretary General, Reverend Phillip Strydom.UCC-NELC will consist of 15 members of which Elcin has six, ELCRN five and Elcin-GELC four.The positions of chairperson, executive secretary and the treasurer will be filled on a rotating basis.President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Prime Minister Nahas Angula have also been invited to the event, while other guests will be from as far afield as the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and South Africa.