During the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique decided to affirm its support for the full participation and leadership of women in the congregation by ordaining two women as pastors — Zelda Cossa and Rosa Rafael.
The women were installed in the office of pastor by the bishop of the Mozambican church, Eduardo Sinalo. The ordination took place at the Martin Luther Church in the city of Maputo on 4 June this year. This church is experiencing only the second ordination of women in its nearly 30 years of existence. The previous ordination took place in September 2013, when the Mozambican church ordained its first woman pastor — Eliza Kuniu. Together with Eliza, Argentina Ngamba was ordained to the office of deacon.
“For me it is a great honour and a blessing from God to be among those women who were ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique, especially in a year in which the Protestant Christian family throughout the world is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation,” Zelda Cossa shared her impressions.
“It brings great and new hope to me and to the Mozambican church. I will minister, humbly respecting people, in my office without fear, in the village of Lionde in the Chókwè district, Gaza region,” added the 35-year-old pastor, who had graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
“The Lord, who has brought me to this place, will always be at my side,” says Rosa Rafael.
“Ordination means that I have accepted pastoral ministry and will devote my life to the proclamation of the Gospel in the congregation and in the world.”
Rosa obtained her theological education at the ecumenical seminary in Maputo.
Bishop Sinalo expressed great joy at being able to ordain the women. He welcomed them, saying that they are very warmly welcomed into pastoral ministry. The bishop also encouraged the women installed in the office of pastor, saying: “Now you have received the power to go into the world and to share the Word of God, to baptise and to administer the sacraments to God’s people.”
Now there are already three women Lutheran pastors in Mozambique.
The ordination service was attended by more than 150 people, including the retired bishop of the Mozambican church, José Mabaso. The regional networks of the Lutheran World Federation were represented by Anna Mokhino of the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa and the pastors Vera Rapo and Liliana Kasper of the LWF group “Women in Church and Society”.
The Mozambican Lutheran Church was founded in 1988 and is made up of 111 congregations, attended by 12,606 congregation members. The Mozambican church has been a member church of the LWF since 1999; it has 17 pastors, among whom are now also the newly ordained women. The main focus of ministry is diaconal ministry, evangelisation, Christian education and work with people affected by HIV and AIDS.
Source: Lutheran World Federation