ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar/Geneva
11/6/2018
The Malagasy Lutheran Church celebrates its 150th anniversary
“150 years of existence, or the proclamation of the gospel in one’s own country and beyond it for 150 years, is a blessing not only to others, but especially to the Malagasy Lutheran Church itself, which has grown both in numbers and in its capacities,” said the Vice-President for Africa of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr. Jeannette Ada Epse Maïna.
She greeted the Malagasy Lutheran Church, which [in May] celebrated the 150 years of existence of its church.
“Today Christianity in Africa is growing, and this is because everyone has become involved – men, women and young people,” added Rev. Epse Maïna.
A whole year of celebrations
About 25,000 participants, including representatives from the Malagasy Lutheran Church, the ecumenical churches of Madagascar, partners and the LWF, had gathered in a stadium in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. In order to ensure greater participation of congregation members and their ability to travel from the various parts of the country, the celebrations were held in the context of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Together this made up a jubilee year, in which celebrations took place in various places ever since May of last year.
Among the participants were the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the Mayor of Antananarivo, Lalao Ravalomanana, and other state officials.
On the eve of the annual celebrations, the national executive council of the Malagasy Lutheran Church was held. During the jubilee, there were lectures on missions and Lutheranism, as well as an exhibition on the history and work of the church. Choirs of various synods and ministry groups of congregations also took part in the festive events and Sunday worship services.
Holistic ministry
The roots of the Malagasy Lutheran Church reach back to the time when Lutheran missionaries from the Norwegian Missionary Society arrived in Madagascar in 1866. The church directed its ministry holistically – with an emphasis on evangelization and diaconia. Today the church has ten hospitals and several medical buildings (clinics, infirmaries) all around the island. The church has also established seven schools for people with visual, hearing and intellectual disabilities. This special educational ministry has substantially reduced the stigma surrounding people with special needs and has included them in society. The Malagasy Lutheran Church is also known for its revival ministry.
The Malagasy Lutheran Church currently has three million congregation members, and it is one of the largest member churches in the Lutheran World Federation. In his greeting to the church, the country’s President, Rajaonarimampianina, highly valued the cooperation between the church and the state in providing social services to the people of Madagascar.
There are 25 synods in the country, and one synod gathers in Europe, uniting congregations in France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. The Madagascar church, which at its beginning consisted of only a few families, now sends its missionaries to Thailand, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Cameroon and Papua New Guinea with the help of its “South to South” programme. The majority of the missionaries work as pastors or in diaconal ministry, for example as medical staff.
Life as an example
“We thank God for our church, which began from little and was very dependent on outside help, but which has grown both in numbers and in capacity, so that it almost fully provides for itself in missionary work. Our church continues to found new congregations and open new mission fields every year. There is growth also in the assistance that we provide, in fields such as education and integrated development. We will continue to grow in faith for the proclamation of the gospel with the help of evangelization and holistic mission,” recounts the President of the Malagasy Lutheran Church, Rev. Dr. David Rakotonirina.
“We thank God for our church, which began from little and was very dependent on outside help, but which has grown both in numbers and in capacity, so that it almost fully provides for itself in missionary work,” said the President of the church, Rev. Dr. David Rakotonirina.
Our church continues to found new congregations and open new mission fields every year. There is growth also in the assistance that we provide, in fields such as education and integrated development. We will continue to grow in faith for the proclamation of the gospel with the help of evangelization and holistic mission,” the President of the church added.
In her address, LWF Vice-President Epse Maïna reminded the church of its responsibility for the unity and inclusion of “all the sons and daughters of the church as members of the body of Christ”. The Malagasy Lutheran Church, with its life in the gospel, now sets an example for the whole world.
“Today the churches in the north look to us, the churches of the south, for leadership in ministry in future missions that they carry out for God and for their neighbour. Churches in Africa, Malagasy Lutheran Church, we are called to live the faith that Jesus, our Lord, has taught us,” she said.
The Secretary for Africa of the LWF, Rev. Dr. Elieshi Mungure, conveyed greetings from the LWF communion. “The LWF continues to accompany the Malagasy Lutheran Church. We hope that the church will continue to grow in capacity, become more sustainable and share its gifts within the communion.” She also advised the church “to become open to various opportunities for participation, to build a church in which all of God’s children are accepted and whose gifts are valued”.
Editorial note:
The Malagasy Lutheran Church is one of the few, but numerically significant, LWF member churches that do not ordain women. When we understand this, it becomes clear why a call for the church to recognize the gifts of all of God’s children resounds in both addresses by the LWF representatives.
In May 2018, the Malagasy Lutheran Church began official talks with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (USA) about affiliation. As is known, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, which prohibited the ordination of women in 2016, has had pulpit and altar fellowship with the Missouri Synod since 2001.
News source: Lutheran World Federation