Evangelical Lutheran Church (N-T) of Southern Africa

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Circular 1/2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers!

1. Personnel News

Pastor Horst Müller will be moving to Pretoria at the beginning of April 2008 as Pastor Jost Herrmann’s successor at the St. Peter’s Congregation, Pretoria. He will be inducted on 13th April 2008. We would like to thank both pastors in retirement, Pastor Karlfrieder Walz and Pastor Joachim Burfeind, for assisting the congregation during the vacancy in a dedicated and loyal way.

Pastor Rudolf Schmid was called to the congregation in Windhoek as Pastor Erich Rust’s successor. The Church Council of ELCSA (N-T) has, in the framework of UELCSA agreed to this calling. According to an agreement the three member churches mutually assist one another as far as possible during vacancies and Pastors can be called by congregations of another member church. Pastor Schmid was inducted in Windhoek on 27th January 2008.

The East Rand Parish (Germiston, Brakpan, Heidelberg) was consequently declared vacant since mid January 2008. Mr. Olaf Gieseke, who has just successfully passed his Second Theological Examination in Hermannsburg, Germany, will assist the East Rand Parish, provisionally for a period of two years from August 2008. Pastors from the neighbouring congregations in the Central Circuit will assist to serve the parish during the vacancy. We thank the respective pastors and their congregations for this service.

Pastor Edgar Fröhling will now finally go on his well deserved retirement and the Piet Retief congregation will therefore be vacant with effect from July 2008. We are grateful to Pastor i. R. Karlfrieder Walz who has once again agreed to bridge the 6 months vacancy.

We are grateful to the EKD for accepting our application to extend the service contract in the congregations Empangweni (Moorleigh) and Winterton for Pastor Wolfgang Schilling by three years until end of 2011.

Pastor Burkhard Hecklau was elected as pastor of the New Hannover congregation. He has agreed to help out during the first two years of his retirement, i.e. until the end of 2009. He was inducted on 20th January 2008.

Pastor Georg Scriba will be inducted in the Pietermaritzburg congregation on 27th July, 2008, as Pastor Horst Müller’s successor. We thank him for the many committed, selfless years as lecturer and administrator at Lutheran Theological Institute (LTI) and the 5th Year students for UELCSA.

As Pastor Reinhold Schiele has been accepted by the EKD for the Exchange Programme for a period of six years, the Wartburg congregation will become vacant in August 2008.

The New Germany congregation has extended the pastoral post by another half. Pastor Claudia Nolte-Schamm was called as pastor of the half post. As from April 2008 she will be on maternity leave.

Pastor Ronald Küsel from Trinity Zululand congregation was elected and called to the full pastoral post of the New Germany congregation. He and his family will be moving to New Germany after Easter 2008.

Trinity Zululand congregation will therefore become vacant as from April 2008. We are grateful to Mr. Bernhard Kreft, who has also successfully concluded his theological training at the ELM-Seminary in Hermannsburg, Germany and for his willingness to serve in our Church for a provisional two-year period in this parish. He is expected to commence his service in May or June 2008.

We thank Pastors Kornelia Schauf and Volker Lubinetzki, who have agreed, after being re-elected in their respective congregations, to extend their services for a further period of three years, and hope that the EKD will also agree to this extension. This way also Pastor Kees Appelo, Pastor Kornelia Schauf’s husband, will be able to stay in the Church of Peace congregation, Hillbrow for another three years.

The ELCSA (Cape Church) requested an extension of Pastor Siegfried Hambrock’s service contract until his retirement in June 2014. Even though we are experiencing a difficult phase with regard to personnel posts in the ELCSA (N-T), Church Council has consented to their request. Also in this instance it is of importance to look at the overall needs within UELCSA.

Due to unforseen circumstances the position of several pastoral posts in our Church has suddenly changed. At the beginning of 2007 we were still under the impression of having sufficient students of Theology. In 4-7 years time a number of pastors will be retiring. We need more students of Theology just to cover the future pastoral needs of the member Churches of UELCSA. We need even more students, if we want to fulfill our missionary calling and commitment. Let us take this matter up in our prayers and intercessions and thereafter approach eligible and suitable young people for this special service.

I would like to thank all pastors for their dedicated service in our congregations and wish them and all congregations involved God’s richest blessing for their new beginning in their new congregation.

2. Students and Interns

Our interns, Udo Lütge and Anja Spiske are presently completing the second half of their internship training in Germany. They will be writing their Second Theological Examination in January 2009 in Pietermaritzburg.

Mark Meier will complete his internship training next year in Germany, while René Risch will remain in Pietermaritzburg for his second year.

Rolf Schmidt and William Frost will both absolve their First Theological Examination on 27/28 March 2008 in Pietermaritzburg. After having successfully passed the Examination they will start their internship training; Rolf Schmidt will remain in Pietermaritzburg because his wife, Jessica is presently completing the 5th Year, and William Frost will be doing his internship training in Port Elizabeth.

Hans-Peter von Fintel is a 4th year student and Frank Schütte is in his 3rd year. We regret that Nicola Schmidt is still incapacitated due to chronic fatigue syndrome and unable to continue her studies this year. Heidrun Tobler started her 2nd year. No new students were admitted this year.

Heinz Hiestermann is continuing his studies via the Theological Education by Extension Programme (TEE).

3. Joint Pastoral Convention

From 20-25 April 2008 the biennial Joint Pastoral Convention of our Church will be held in Elandsheim. Theme: „Crime and Violence- Causes and Consequences – What can we do about it?“ We sincerely hope, besides working on and reporting on the many traumatic experiences that have occurred in our congregations and in our country, that we will rather be able to constructively discuss the various causes and effects of criminality and violence and find ways and means how we as Church, congregations and individual members can contribute in combating both.

4. Fraternals

The following themes were discussed in the circuit fraternals:

Fundamentalismus; The Lutheran Church and Church Planting; Understanding Scripture and Working with the ‚Tools’ of Kingfisher Programm for congregational growth.

5. ELKSA (N-T) Celebrations in 2008

New Germany 160th Anniversary on 12th October 2008

New Hannover: 150th Anniversary on 10th August 2008

Piet Retief: 25th Anniversary of the Church building on 18th August 2008

Church Choir, Northern Region: 10th August 2008 at Johannesgemeinde, Pretoria

Church Choir, Southern Region: 1st June in Hermannsburg.

Church Choir, Central Region: 14th September in Piet Retief.

Church Brass Band: 27th April 2008 in Bethanien, Izotsha

6. Choir Association

A choir-conductor workshop will be held on Saturday, 10th May 2008, under the leadership of Mrs. Rona Hagedorn in Pietermaritzburg.

Our congregations need more conductors to further and strengthen the work of the Choir Association. Anyone who can read music and has a basic knowledge of music is most welcome to attend, whether young or old, beginner or experienced. We are especially looking forward to welcoming young interested musicians!

7. SABC Radio Services

A radio service was broadcast on 17th February from the Pietermaritzburg congregation.

Further radio services will be broadcast on 11th May from Bellville congregation,
on 31st August from Hillcrest congregation, and
on 30th November from St. Peters’ Pretoria congregation.

The broadcast time is at 11h00 on a Sunday morning, on the SAFM radio channel.

8. Co-Worker Training

Several courses will be offered this year:
1st Semester: Weekend Course 4 -6 April, in Gauteng. Topic: ‘Bible’ ;
July Course, 23 -27 July in Harburg, Topics: ‘Lutheran Theology; Liturgy; Counselling’.
2nd Semester: Weekend Course 5.-7. August in Natal, Elandskraal and 10.- 12.October in North-West Province. Topics: ‘Devotion, Preaching, Counselling, Preaching’.

Information: Pastor G. Tönsing, or Pastor R. B. Schiele

More information can be obtained from the local pastors.

9. Mission Projects of our Church

We are happy to announce that the “Mission Congregation” in Hillcrest was able to commence with the building of the parsonage on the church property. The congregation is doing its utmost to finance this venture on its own. Should any one wish to support the endeavours of this congregation, donations can be deposited or transferred to:

Church of the Redeemer,
Standard Bank Hillcrest,
Bank Code 045 726; Account Number 250 792 494

10. UELCSA

The General Synod of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa [ELCSA (Cape), ELCIN (GELC) and ELCSA (N-T)] will be held in Windhoek from 1-4 May, 2008. The Synod Topic is: „The Lutheran Contribution within the Worldwide Body of Christ”. Other matters that will be discussed are the joint Theological Training in Pietermaritzburg, Finances and liturgical questions.

The Synod comprises 9 delegates from ELCSA (N-T); 5 each from the other two member churches, plus the Church Council (5 persons) and a representative of the LTI, Pietermaritzburg.

11. Bishops’ Conference

The Evangelical Bishops’ Conference of the three churches ELCSA, ELCSA (Cape Church and ELCSA (N-T) was held on 14/15th February 2008 at our Lutheran Church Centre (Lakeview Airport Lodge) in Bonaero Park, Kempton Park.

As already announced at our Church Synod, these three Churches intended establishing a National Committee. Synod was also informed that the Bishops’ Conference is examining the possibility of a joint Church Council based on the joint constitution of the three Lutheran Churches in Namibia. The conference agreed to create such a combined council.

This resolution still has to be accepted by the three church councils and their respective synods/ assembly.

The duties of such a Council shall be amongst others:

• To prepare and issue statements on common concerns
• Prepare joint conferences for pastors and co-workers of the church
• Prepare, promote and coordinate an overall plan of establishing new congregations and church buildings
• Coordination and Information on the placement of pastors in towns where more than one of the three churches are working
• Find possible ways of joint diaconal and missionary work with the aim to finally become one desk
• Decide who shall represent and clarify the number of delegates representing the three Lutheran churches at meetings of church organizations of which churches are members (SACC, LUCSA, LWF etc).

May God bless all the work in our congregations and in our Church, that it may be a true witness of his love and that it may be done to glorify his Name.

With sincere greetings,
D.R. Lilje,
Bischof

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