The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, 1963-2013

by G o d s o n s . M a a n g a

T he Evangelical Lutheran C hurch in Tanzania (ELCT) was bo rn on June 19, 1963, following a union o f the Seven Lutheran

Churches o f Tanganyika form ed by European and A m erican mis- sion societies. However, the nam e Evangelical Lutheran C hurch in Tanzania was no t adopted until the next year, following the political un ion betw een Tanganyika M ainland and Zanzibar on April 26, 1964. T he union w ith Zanzibar also gave the E L C T a greater and m ore reliable opportunity for doing mission w ork there؛ it was in 1964 that the first African missionary was sent to Zanzibar to revive foe Lutheran mission w ork started there by C erm an missionaries (from Bethel Mission) in 1886. T أ he mission societies that started the Seven Lutheran Churches that united in 1963 and form ed foe E L C T were foe Berlin Mission, Bethel M ission, Leipzig Mission, Augustana Mission, C hurch o f Sweden M ission, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, and the N orw egian Lutheran M ission, am ong others. In 1937 a Lutheran body know n as Mission C hurch Federation was form ed by some o f the Lutheran mission societies w orking in Tanganyika and in 1952 it was given foe name Federation o f the Lutheran Churches inTanganyika.*

Statistically, in 3 ق0ل w hen the E L C T was celebrating its 50th anniversary, there were about six m illion a m b e r s (in 1963 there were 380,000 m em bers), m aking it the third largest church in foe Lutheran community, after T he C hurch o f Sweden, and the (Ethiopian) Lutheran C hurch M ekaneY esus.The E L C T began w ith only seven units but now has tw enty-tw o dioceses, all led by indigenous bishops. T he Seven Lutheran Churches o f Tanganyika were the product o f the gospel preached by com m itted missionaries sent to different areas o f foe country by volunteer mission societies ftom Europe andAmerica. These churches were The Lutheran Church in Ubena-Konde, The Lutheran Church in U zaram o-U luguru,The

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Lutheran C hurch in L^am bara-D igo, T he Lutheran C hurch in N u rth e rn Tanganyika, T he Lutheran C hurch in M bulu, T he Lutheran C hurch in Iram ba-Turu, and the Lutheran C hurch in Buhaya. M ost o f these Lutheran Churches were nam ed after the m ain ethnic groups found in the areas eYangelized by the early nhssionaries to Tanganyika.

T hree m ain reasons made the Lutheran Churches unite: preaching the gospel as one Lutheran team, getting representation before the governm ent, and fighting for religious rights as one unit. As explained by David H unter, the idea o f churches w orking as one unit or as one body presents to us a very dlmtrative picture about our discipleship.^ Form ation o f one Lutheran C hurch ^ ^ n ^ n y i k a m ade it possible to get re^esen ta tion in national, regional and international church organizations such as the Lutheran W orld Federation and W orld C ouncil ofC hurches. R ig h t from the beginning, the EL C T founders w anted to form a church that w ould continue being defined, as it has been defined over the centuries, as “ the assembly o f all believers am ong w hom the Cospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are admfoistered according to the Cospel.”*

Even prio r to establishing the ELCT, m em bers o f the Lutheran church saw the necessity for all Christians to live and w ork in u n i ty - u n i ty in faith, in theological teachings, in education and medical care, and in basic Lutheran writings. Talking about unity. Rev. Carl Johansson says that as Christians,

we contem plate about unity in many ways. B ut the source o f everything in G od’s Church is the unity we have in Christ himself and his reconciliation.. . . T he fruits o f this unity are seen in our desire to be united as the family o f Lutherans in Tanganyika . . ٠ and also unity betw een a Christian and a Christian.*

T he decision to unite enabled foe Lutheran churches in Tanganyika to have one constitution and a united leadership, contrary to the form er system w here each church stood alone in term s o f constitution and leadership.The idea o f having bishops was first proposed in 1955 by foe Chagga Param ount C h ie f (M angi Thom as Marealle) at a Lutheran Conference held at M arangu Teachers’ College, under the

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chairmanship o f Dr. Fridtjov Birkeh, the D irector o f N orw egian M ission Society.6 So the m erger o f the Seven Lutheran Churches brought the possibiiity o f having one autonom ous Lutheran church in Tanzania.

T he people selected to sign the historic m erger in 1963 (two from each o f the m erging parties) were three missionary leaders and eleven Africans. From the theological po in t o f view, the people w ho decided to unite and form the E L C T knew that the H oly sp irit brings unity and no t schism (Eph. 2:18; 4:1-6). They realized that Christians are one body in Christ, and that all followers o f C hrist becom e Christians through one Baptism. From the ecumenical po in t o f view, as F Portm ann reminds us, through sharing one baptism Christians receive peace and unity.^

Each year the EL C T produces a com m on lectionary called Kalenda in Swahili. There is also a Swahili hymnal w hich contains the liturgy used by the E L C T units. This particular hymnal, first know n as Nyimbo za Kikristo and later Mwimbieni Bwana, is currently know n as Tumwabudu Mungu Wetu (since 2012), and is used in all foe dioceses o f the E L C T — thus m aking foe E L C T largely united in liturgy and worship. However, some variations on foe traditional Lutheran liturgy and worship have followed the increasing im itation o f charismatic churches’ m odes o f worship. In the ELCT, liturgy and hymns are com panions ofocripture w hich are given first p rio rity in all tw enty-tw o dioceses. T he E L C T is very m uch aware, as Carl Braaten has w ritten , that the holy rcriptures “are the source and no rm o f the knowledge o f G od’s revelation w hich concerns the Christian faith.”8

The E L C T from 1963 to the Present

From June 1963 to date, the EL C T has experienced trem endous changes in term s o f grow th and mission. From a small church dependent on aid from mission societies, the w orld has witnessed the E L C T expanding and becom ing m ore self-reliant, although, in view o f the present econom ic conditions, there is still a long way ahead to be com pletely self-supporting and I f-g o v e rn in g . A m ong o ther things, the strength o f this particular church is attributed to

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com m endable ^ s s io n w ork done by lay Christians (males and females) in all areas covered by the ELCT.9 hike the Israelites, w herever these lay Christians go, they do no t leave their faith behind. As business people and governm ent employees, they keep on witnessing or sharing Christian precepts, thus planting Lutheranism all over Tanzania.10

Offering Religious and Secular Education

T he E L C T is active in providing social services because it recognizes that religion goes hand in hand w ith diakonia and developm ent.As no ted at an international conference organized and hosted by Lutheran W orld Eederation in collaboration w ith M ission EineW elt in 2012, religious institutions established or ow ned by churches (like the ELCT) m ust “provide orientation for the com m unities as well as basic services in the areas o f health and education.11״ In the educational sector, the E L C T established schools like Ilboru Boys Secondary School and Ashira Cirls Secondary School w hich in 1969 were rem oved from church ownership by the educational act placing all schools in Tanzania under the governm ent’s authority. R ealizing the consequences o f having no school affiliated to it, the E L C T appealed to the governm ent to be allowed to start a ju n io r seminary. In response to the appeal, the governm ent granted perm ission for the establishment o f a Lutheran Junior Seminary w hich began at Vuga and later on shifted to M orogoro w here it continues today as a comprehensive educational center for the ELCT

In the theological arena the E L C T started Lwandai Theological School (in 1947) w hich in 4 ل9و was transferred to M akum ira and nam ed M akum ira Theological College, a theological institution w hich has had a big im pact on the society, educating theological students from inside and outside Tanzania. It was this particular college w hich in 1997 gave b irth toT um ain i University (owned and run by the ELC T), w ith six constituent colleges by then— M akum ira Uffiversity College, Stefano M oshi M em orial University College, Kilimanjaro C hristian M edical University College, Sebastian Kolowa University College,Tum aini University D ar es Salaam College, and

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Iringa U niversity College. Sebastian Kolowa has also now beeom e a full-fledged university know n as Sebastian Kolowa M em orial University; another eonstituent eollege, Josiah Kibira University College, came in to existence in 2012. Iringa College becam e the E L C T University o f Iringa in 2013 and o ther colleges in various units o f the E L C T are on their way to becom e full-fledged universities. H and in hand w ith theological education, the EL C T has established through its dioceses a num ber o f Bible schools w hich have trained innum erable evangelists, parish workers, and church musicians. A m ong the leading Bible schools in the E L C T are M w ika in the N o rth ern Diocese, R uh ija in the N orth -w estern Diocese, Kidugala in the Southern Diocese, Kiabakari in the Diocese in M ara R egion ,M anerom ango in the Eastern and Coastal D iocese,K iom boi in the Central Diocese, Waama in the M bulu Diocese, O ldonyo Sambu in the N orth -cen tral Diocese, and Usangi in the Pare Diocese.

W ith its theological colleges and Bible schools, the E L C T has had an effective and successful mission outreach, inside and outside Tanzania. Pastors and evangelists trained at these institutions have done considerable mission w ork in outlying areas in Tanzania such as R ukw a, Kigoma, M twara, Lindi, Liwale, Songea, Nachingwea, Newala and Zanzibar. O utside Tanzania, the E L C T has sent pastors and evangelists to Kenya, the D em ocratic R epublic o f C ongo (formerly know n as Zaire), Malawi, Uganda, R w anda, M ozam bique, and Zam bia. T he E L C T mission outreach outside Tanzania has produced T he E L C T Kenya S y n o d -n o w Kenya Evangelical Lutheran C hurch— w hich was form ed by Tanzanian employees and business people living in Kenya, and the Lutheran C hurch in the D em ocratic R epublic o f Congo, w hich by 2010 had five dioceses.12

T he E L C T has been involved in training prim ary and secondary school teachers at its institutions, such as M arangu Teachers’ College, w hich was first led by a C erm an Lutheran ^ s s io n a ry pastor. Like o ther institutions offering education in the country, since 1969 this college has been under governm ent control and foe E L C T has been struggling to bring it back to its ownership. M arangu Teachers’ College produced m any teachers w ho later on becam e pastors.The college was started at O ld M oshi in 1902 by Johannes R au m (from

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the Leipzig Mission) as a teachers’ training school for assistant teachers and in 1912 it was transferred to M arangu.13 A nother E L C T unit w hich runs a coliege for training teachers is the N orth -w estern Diocese w hich owns Bukoba Lutheran Teachers’ College. Nowadays there is a grow ing tendency for eYery diocese to establish its ow n university, its ow n Bible school, and so on. It w ould be m ore strategic for the E L C T to have m ore strong central institutions, like the Lutheran Jun ior Sem inary at M orogoro and tiLe V ach ers’Training College in M beya, rather than num erous small schools.

Participating in Health and Diaconic Ministry

In matters pertaining to health and medical care, the ELC T has remained very active.Among the big hospitals estabhshed by the ELC T are Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Selian Lutheran Hospital in Arusha, Kiomboi Lutheran Hospital in Singida, llembula Lutheran Hospital in Njom be, Bunda Lutheran Hospital in Mara, Ndolage and Izimbya Hospitals in Bukoba, the Lutheran Hospital ط Arusha Town, and Bumbuli Lutheran Hospital in Tanga. There are also many dispensaries س health centers started and owned by the ELC T m em ber dioceses. The ELC T participates fully and happily in diaconia (service) and kerygma (preaching).14 The traditional task o f deacons is caring for needy persons as well as (kstributing alms or humanitarian donations. From the ve!־y beginning, such work has become part and parcel o f all missionary activities o f the ELC T and this very important work continues in all dioceses o f the ELCT, through parishes and institutions.15 Deacons, sisters, social workers, and volunteers provide humanitarian service to orphans, widows and widowers, as well as refiagees, and extend help to victims o f various epidemics and natural calamities such as famine, earthquakes, and floods. It is clear to the ELC T that w ithout diaconic work and humanitarian activities its role in the society is questionable and rather incomplete.

Venturing in Income-generating Projects

T he E L C T also owns guest houses, restaurants and hotels, such as the N ew Safari Hotel ط Arusha and Kunduchi Hotel ط Dar es Salaam.

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T he N o rth e rn Diocese owns the prestigious Lutheran U huru H otel in M oshi, the N orth -cen tra l Diocese owns C orrido r Springs H otel in Arusha, and the N orth -w estern Diocese owns Bukoba Lutheran H otel. T he Luther Guesthouse and R estaurant in D ar es Salaam, U m oja Lutheran H ostel in M oshi, Karatu Lutheran Hostel in Karatu, N jom be Lutheran C entre in N jom be, and Tum aini Lutheran R estaurant in Lushoto are some attractive hostels and restaurants ow ned by various units o f the ELCT. All these centers have been established as a means o f supplying service w hich goes hand in hand w ith C hristian evangelization.

By way o f its different dioceses, the E L C T has ventured into ii^ m e -g e n e ra tin g enterprises such as bookshops. Savings and C redit U nions as well as banks.The first diocese to estahhsh a bank was the E L C T N o rth e rn Diocese w hich in 2006 began a successful bank know n as U ch u m i C om m ercial B ank. It was follow ed by Benki ya Maendeleo (Developm ent Bank) ow ned by the E L C T Eastern and Coastal Diocese. Visionary scholars like W albert B uhlm ann have said that “in the future m ore stress w ih be laid on developm ent, and if evangelization cannot consent to be the soul o f developm ent it wili be pu t on one side.” 16 W ith tim ely prophecy such as B uhlm ann’s,in the E L C T m aterial and spiritual developm ent should go hand in hand.

Witnessing and Serving through the Mass Media

T he E L C T participates in com m unication by ow ning radio stations, as well as publishing a num ber ofnew spapers and magazines. A church, after all, is “com m unication . . . [and] the m ediation o f a message to the world.” ^ To com m unicate and m ediate both religious and non-religious messages, the E L C T makes m axim um use o f various tools and techniques in mass media. Since 1962, the EL C T has been broadcasting through the R adio Voice o f the Gospel, long established in Ethiopia, w ith programs prepared first at M w ika Bible School and then in Addis Ababa. After the toppling o fH aile Selassie, the programs were broadcast from M anzini Swaziland before being transferred to M oshi, w here they have been broadcast to date. The ELC T Eastern and Coastal Diocese owns Upendo F M Radio, and

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the E L C T Iringa Dioeese owns Radio Furaha FM. T he E L C T also publishes and distributes a popular magazine entitled Uhuru na Am ani, while Umoja Magazine is published by the EL C T N o rth e rn D io e s e . T here is Upendo w h ieh is published by the E L C T East- e rn and Coastal Dioeese, and the E L C T Konde Diocese publishes a paper called Amka.

All these newspapers and magazines are used by the E L C T as the m edia for sharing w ith the public bo th secular and religious news. T hey are the forum s by w hich the E L C T makes a mission outreach to m em bers o f the society, Christians and n o n - C h r is ta s . From the sociological po in t o f Yiew, mission outreach is extending G od’s loYe to the neighbor because we “practise the love o f G od through love o f the neighbour and vice versa.” 18 Applying m etaphorical language, the EL C T (as a dynamic church in an African country) “can be visualized as a large extendedfamily homestead w ith different houses in the same com pound and o ther similar homesteads in the same neighborhood.” ^ Christian mission, as it is realized by mission enterprise across the world, makes it necessary for us to “participate in and contribute to the comprehensive salvation that G od is bringing about. O u r prayers, efforts, and service as G od’s people sent into G od’s w orld are no t to be s^ u es te re d off into a religious corner o f life, bu t we are to be engaged w ith all aspects o f G od’s gracious w ork am ong all peoples and situations.’’̂

Advocatingfor Human Rights and Socialjustice

A lthough a religious body, the E L C T involves itself in dem anding hum an rights, advocating or fighting for genuine dem ocracy as well as fair distribution and sharing o f foe national resources, ? r io r to general elections the E L C T tries as m uch as possible to inform people on foe necessity o f voting and how to use foe balloting procedures. At the headquarters o f the E L C T there is a desk for hum an rights and rocial justice, and gender equity is given priority in all dioceses o f the E L C T Fighting for hum an rights is one o f the key responsibilities o f the E L C T because, as Jurgen M oltm ann contends, the dignity o f the hum an being is the foundation o f all kinds o f rights, and hum an rights prom ote hum an dignity.21 A rguing

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OH the same line, R ogathe M shana says that the C hurch should stand for hum an rights because

the meaning o f hum an rights is for all citizens to get equal rights in front o f law, being protected by the governm ent (not being segregated), being given the right to live, getting security, and not to he tortured, imprisoned, exiled, etc. A nother kind o f hum an rights is for a person to go wherever he wants, and getting freedom o f speech and worship.“

Bold Decisions amid Serious Challenges

O ne o f the achievements o f the E L C T was the decision to ordain w om en. After a tough debate, the decision to ordain w om en was finally m ade in 1990. T he first w om en theologians were ordained in 1991 ; by 2013 the E L C T had m ore than fifty w om en pastors. T he num ber is grow ing fast and in the next fifty years, if the current trend o f ordaining w om en continues, the current figuro o f female pastors in the E L C T m ight be m ore than doubled. T he decision by the E L C T to ordain w om en was an obvious rejection o f the distorted belief that the role o f w om en is only staying in the kitchen and reproduction. It was indeed a social revolution, the pendulum o f w hich can never be reversed. As true in the E L C T and elsewhere, various types o f social revolution are essential because “revolution is a fact o f life w hich cannot be elim inated from the present world.”^ W om en’s ordination in the E L C T is a sign o f stam ping out age-old discrim ination and oppression against w om en. In the past “w om en wero identified . . . as a separate social category only as m others or as potential wives. . . . A few domestic science programs trained w om en w ith great emphasis on child care, [including] m odern (or western) cooking, em broidery and housekeeping.”^

In 1994, as a way o f addressing the problem o f corrup tion w hich prevailed in the nation, the E L C T issued T he Bagamoyo Statem ent (Tamko la Bagamoyo). T he church took its stand on econom ic and political changes in the country, opposing m aterial and m onetary aids em bedded in conditions, violation o f the constitution, illegal trade, misuse o f public funds and robbing citizens o f their land to sell it to foreigners. T he E L C T stated defiantly and fearlessly that it

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w ould only support a governm ent that is accountable and tra n sp a re n t-a dem ocratic governm ent that respects hum an rights, is directed by the constitution and the rule o f law, and prom otes solidarity and unity am ong its citizens.25

A nother challenge for the E L C T came about w hen some partner churches in Europe and Am erica sanctioned same-sex relatiomhips. The 2010 D odom a Statem ent (Tamko la Dodoma)— available from the E L C T Eiterature D epartm ent in A ru sh a-say s categorically that it “strongly opposes using incorrectly or distorting holy scriptures to justify same-sex marriages,”26 because these marriages are indeed contrary to the teachings or principles o f the W ord o f God. T he EL C T Bishops believed that circumstances like the ones w hich prom pted the D odom a Statem ent stem from m isinterpreting the Bible to fit or justify hum an whims. H enry O rom bi (the Anglican Archbishop o f Uganda) once argued along similar lines that these days, especially am ong nom inal Christians ha the West, Bible in terpretation “is no longer w hat it was before. . . .T ha t is w hy the church life in Am erica and Britain is so anaemic and feeble.”*?

Future Challenges

In term s o f socio-cultural and religio-political challenges, the E L C T has a long way to go. Some people may w onder w hy the ELCT, a holy institution w ith here-after objectives, involves itself in secular affairs w hich have led to statements like the ones m ade at Bagamoyo and D odom a. It should be rem em bered that the E LC T is no t treading on a secular g round b u t ra ther operating w ith in the fram ew ork o f useful social laws or guidelines. Any kind o f faith, including the C hristian faith, has laws w hich guide people as well as enabling them to live in peace and order.W ithou t laws, the hum an society becom es utterly chaotic. In order to understand situations or events like the ones w h ich fuelled the Bagam oyo and D odom a Statements, we need some understanding o f social laws.

T here are o ther challenges pressing on the E L C T w ith in the society. In Tanzania, the rate o f divorce is rising, the standard o fe d u - cation is falling, and crim e is on the increase. There is alarm ing reli- gious intolerance, m urder o f innocent people, rigging o f elections.

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and em bezzlem ent o f public funds. M ore and m ore Lutherans are drifting to m ushroom ing charismatic churches and, as Bishop Benson Bagonza has observed in his interesting sociological theory, the E b C T “is growing in the periphery and disintegrating in the centre.”^ T he E L C T is faced by social problems such as juvenile delinquency, rape, abortion, and new cases o fE ilV /A ID S . Inflation (and thus falling econom ic standards) is a merciless m onster in the Tanzanian society and the gap betw een the haves and the have-nots widens every day, even am ong Christians. Poverty is on the rise and the negative effects o f globalization and injustice caused by fiscal multinationals is causing unto ld pain on the citizens, including m em bers o f the Lutheran c.hurch in Tanzania.

Nom inal Christianity is also increasing w ithin the ELCT. There arc many people w ho do not go to church, despite the superficial impression that most houses o f worship are packed. In many congregations there are young people w ho are confirmed w ithout enough education, m aking it easier for false prophets and m isguided preachers to lead m any Lutherans astray T here is a tendency in foe E L C T for some m em bers to belong to m ore than one d n i f o n a t io n . Even church elders, evangelists, and choir members belong to the Lutheran church but at the same time are camouflaged members o^harisniatic churches led by people like M wingira o f Efatha Ministry, Kakobe o f Full Gospel, and Lwakatare o f Mountain ofFireAssemblies ي ه —ص to naention only a few. T he denoifonational syncretism w hich is increasingly popular should be addressed.There are even pastors w ho publicly pose as faith- fill w orkers o f the E L C T b u t secretly they are m em bers o f foe m ushroom d o m in a t io n s . This lukew arm confessional stance (dis- guised as ecumenical cooperation) can only weaken the EL C T

A nother challenge facing foe E L C T is fear o f confessing C hrist openly Eollowing the grow ing tide o f persecution, some pastors are said to be so fearful that they do no t dare pu t on their clerical garb, bu t rather hide or suppress their identity as C hrist’s servants. In their serm ons and public utterances they whisper, as far as adm onishing sinners is concerned, and in social interactions they keep a low profile. Some ardent donors or supporters o f the church are very corrup t politicians and business people, so some pastors decide to keep quiet, to please those w ho support them and their congregations.

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In some areas there are clashes w hich tarnish the good image o f the ELCT, the typical ones being the M eru and M wanga conflicts w hich haYe been sparked by a plethora o f causes. Some conflicts in the E L C T are consequences o f nepotism w hich is bred by tribalism camouflaged in regionalism and localization. Tribalism has had an enorm ous and catastrophic effect on the ELCT, since m ost E L C T dioceses were established or dem arcated along tribal lines. ء Even وrecom m endations for further studies, prom otion, and perform ance appraisal are sometimes influenced by ethnic dimensions. Tribalism is now a pitfall that can be avoided by the E L C T because, as Jose C hipenda warns, the church should be a tool for uniting people and no t a tool for dividing them using the wedge oforibalism.^°

For a period o f fifty years since its inception, the ELC T has been influencing people fiom all walks oflife. Starting w ith not even halfa m illion members, foe EL C T has made a long stride in spiritual and material development. T he ELC T will now improve considerably if stewardship can be taught effectively w ith the intention o f making this Church m ore self-reliant. W ell-planned teachings on stewardship will make the ELC T less and less dependent, and thus m ore effective in fulfilling Its role in society. H and in hand w ith stewardship, the ELC T needs to reexamine the increasing trend o f form ing new dioceses, opera ting a diocese is e^rem ely costly in terms o f personnel and finance, although in the peripheral areas there m ight be factors w hich justify creation o f new dioceses. In some areas o f the ELC T foere are many legacies fiom the form er mission societies. It is im portant to harm onize these legacies so that foe ELC T can be a cohesive church, able to speak or witness as one unit. D uring foe fifty years o f its existence, the ELC T has had a Presiding Bishop (Mkuu س Kanisa) but no t an Arehbishop w ith overall authority. W ould such a development lead to better m anagem ent and administration?

For foe future, in summary, foe EL C T faces several needs or challenges. First, internal conflicts threaten the overall stability o f foe ELCT. There is a great need for seeking lasting solutions for foe current conflicts w fo fo ,if neglected, w ould erode the good reputation acquired by foe ELC T so far. T he second challenge is the spirit o f tribahsm and nepotism witnessed in some units o f foe E L C T As m entioned, most dioceses in the ELC T have tribal orientations or

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interests, w hich accounts for the difficulty o f transferring high profile officials o f the ELC T fiom one diocese to another. A third challenge facing the E hC T is the increasing tendency am ong some E hC T members to drift into other denominations— something w hich depicts doctrinal instability and lack o f effective teaching. Related to this is the issue o f nominal Christianity, m embers w ho have Christian names but w ho are not active participants in the day-to-day activities o f the church. A fourth need for immediate action concerns the growing rate o f unem ploym ent and poverty, to a certain degree caused by the dwindling quality o f education. The ELC T should take initiative in em pow ering young people w ho are increasingly becom ing victims o ^ n e m p lo y m e n t, as well as curbing ffie falling standards o f education־ a problem w hich is facing even the schools and colleges run and owned by the ELC T units.The unhealthy ^ f f im -C h r is t ia n relationship is the fifth challenge w hich the ELC T should deal with. Sincere C ristian -M uslim dialogues are needed across ffie country, on the local level, to prevent the situation from becom ing worse.

M ost importantly, the E L C T should w ork to be relf-reliant in term s o f finance and personnel. I f the E L C T wants to w iden its scope o f progress and respect it m ust try its best to be less dependent on m oney and personnel from sister churches overseas. T he E L C T should be self-supporting so that it can m aintain a good image, nationally and ffi^m ationally. W ithou t being self-reliant, the E LC T cannot be self-governing and self-propagating, essential qualities expected o f any stable church.

N O TES

1. See Gods©n s. Maanga, Injili Kamili: Historia ya Kanisa la Kiinjili la KilutheriTanzania 1963-2013 [H©listic G opel:T h e History o f the Evangelieal Lutheran Church inTanzania 1963-2013] (Moshi: N ew Millennium Books, 2012), 147.

2. Henrik Smedjebacka, Lutheran Church Autonomy in Northern Tanzania 1940-1963 (Abo: Abo Akademi, 1973), 155.

3. David Hunter, Christian Education as Engagement ( N ew York: Seabury Press, 1963), 81.4. Theodore G.Tappert, The Book of Concord (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), 32.5. Carl Johansson, “Umoja wa Ulutheri Tanganyika [Lutheran Unity in Tangan-

yika] in Umoja X V (September, 1962) 171, I. (Translation into English mine).6. See Vijana Magazine, The Lutheran Church in Northern Tanganyika (LCNT),

Vol. 20 (August, i960), 2.

L U T H E R A N Q U A R T E R L Y

7. F. Portmann, Uekumene (Tabora:TM P B ook Department, 1986), 15-20.8. Carl E. Braaten, ed., Christian D o gm atics,01. : (Philadelphia: Eortress Press

1984), 61.9. See Carl-Erik Sahlberg, From Krapfto Rugambwa:A Church History of Tanzania

(Nairobi: Evangel Publishing House, 1986), 165, eiting Dorothy A. Raber, Protestantism in Changing Taiwan (1978) and Hance A.O. Mwakabana’s frequently quoted study called The Life and Work ofthe Lutheran Church in Urban Tanzania (1982).

:0. See Codson s. Maanga, Church Growth in Tanzania (Erlangen: Erlanger Verlag für Mission und Ökumene, 2012), 292-301.

11. Martin Junge, “Preface,” in Religion: Help ٠٢ Hindrance to Development? Edited by Kenneth Mtata (Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsantalt, 2013), 7.

12. See Kambuli Bwanangela, “Historia ya Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri la Zaire.” [History o fth e Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zaire].Andiko la Cheti katikaTheolojia, M ^um ira, September 1992, 1 Aiso see http://w £و w w .oikoum ene.org/en/m em ber- churches/regions/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo 30/12/2008. (Translation into Enghsh mine).

13. See Joseph w . Parsalaw, A History of the Lutheran Church Diocese in the Arusha Regionfrom 1Ç04 to 1958 (Erlangen: Erlanger Verlag für Mission und Ökumene, 1997), 161.

14. John Macquarrie, Principles ofchristian Theology (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1966), 377.15. Sibongile Baker, “Africa: Global Diakonia at Regional Level” in Kjell Nordstrokke,

ed., Serving the Whole Person. The Practice and Understanding of Diakonia within the Lutheran Communion, Documentation No. 54 (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lutheran University Press, 2009),43.

16. Walbert Buhlmann, The Coming ofthe Third Church (N ew York: Orbis Books, 1976), III.

17. Buhlmann, 343.18. Buhlmann, 112.19. Joseph Healey and Donald Sybertz, Toward an African Christian Narrative Theology

(Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1997), 123.20. j. Nelson Jennings, “Editor’s N otes” in Missiology 37.4 (October, 20©9), 483.21. See Jurgen Moltmann, “Christian Faith and Human Rights” in E. Lorenz, ed.,

How Christian are Human Rights (Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1981), 16.22. Rogathe Mshana,“Katiba, Sheria na Haki za Binadamu” [Constitution,Law and

Human Rights] in Uhuru na Amani, Toleo la 4, 1995, Vol. 99, Na. 4, II. (Translation into English mine).

23. Buhlmann, 114.24. Ophelia Mascarenhas and Ma؟jorie Mbihnyi, Women in Tanzania (Stockholm:

Scandinavian Institute o f African Studies; Uppsala: Swedish International Development Authority, 1978), 35.

25. See ELCT, Tamko la Bagamoyo [Bagamoyo Statement: Bishops' Conference on Politi- cal and Economic Democracy], Bagamoyo, 9-13 March, 1994. (Translation into Enghsh mine). See Lyidia Wakanyi Kahindi, “The R ole o f African Churches in Democratization” in Questsfor Integrity in Africa, Grace Wamue and Mathew M .Theuri (eds.), (Nairobi: Acton Publishers, 2003), 137-138.

26. See ELCT, Tamko la Dodoma [Dodoma Statement: The Stand of the E L C T on Same-sex Marriages, Bishops' Conference], Dodom a, 7 /1 /2010 , 14. (Translation into English mine).

T H E E V A N G E L I C A L L U T H E R A N C H U R C H I N T A N Z A N I A 193

27. Samuel Kobia, Called to One Hope (Geneva: World Couneil o f Churches Publi- cations, 2006), 63, quoting Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi.

28. Benson K. Bagonza, “‘Global’ to ‘Glocal’ Mission: N ew Areas o f Mission in 50 Years to Com e (N ew strategies o f opening new frontiers, facing the challenges o f fast growing cities and the role ofEvangelism and Diaconate, Integrity o f Creation and Gender Issues”), Presentation at 50th ELCT Jubilee, Makumira, 2من June 2013, 3.

29. See Cuthbert K. Omari, “Episcopacy: A Sociological Trend in the Lutheran Church in Tanzania” in Africa Theologicaljournal 16.1 (1987), 4-12; George Mark Fihavango,

Jesus and Leadership: Analysis of Rank, Status, Power and Authority as Reflected in the Synoptic Gospels from a Perspective of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) (Erlangen: Erlanger Verlag für Mission und Ö kumene, 2007), 230-235; and Ludwig Prieder, Church and State in Tanzania: Aspects of a Changing Relationship, 1961-1994 (Leiden/Boston/Koln: Brill, 1999), 51f.

^٠. See Jose Chipenda, “The African Church at the Crossroads” in The Church and the Future in Africa, J.N.K. Mugambi, ed., (Nairobi: All-Africa Conference o f Churches, 1 9 9 7 ), 9 ·

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