Sinodo Epirito Santo a Belem Brazil Pr. Michael Althauser Chair of Brazil Task Force
From its earliest days, the Christian church has moved outward. Disciples and apostles moved away from their home cultures, sharing their faith over unfamiliar meals with strangers whose ways were new to them. As Christ was made known in these relationships, the act of sharing changed guest and host. Teacher became learner, learner became teacher.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan
Country: Kazakhstan
Northern capital - Astana (the Kazakh word for "Capital" is "Astana").
Southern capital - Almaty.
Congregations and religious groups
54
Pastors
11
Preachers
33
Partnerships
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Mecklenburg and Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Westphalia
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan (ELCRK) encloses 61 congregations and religious groups. On the whole 14 pastors and 35 preachers work for the church. Bishop Juri Nowgorodow is the clerical head of the Church since June 2005. The ELCRK maintains partnership with Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Mecklenburg and Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Westphalia.
Address ul. Bajan Aul, 101 473000 Astana, Kazakhstan elkrk@mail.kz
The Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Oesterlen was honored to welcome Bishop Yuri Novgorodov of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kazakhstan for a visit to our campus on May 28, 2008. The Kazakhstani church is a companion synod of the Southern Ohio Synod, ELCA, and Bishop Novgorodov was in Springfield to attend the Southern Ohio Synod Assembly, held at Wittenberg University May 29-31.
Bishop Novgorodov shared an interest in visiting a church-related institution serving youth while in the U.S., and Oesterlen was most pleased to welcome him. The opportunity to show and share our facilities and programs offered an occasion also for learning about life and culture and religious practices in Kazakhstan. While language differences provided some barrier to our communications, genuine love and warmth flowed through easily.
Bishop Novgorodov is the father of a 14-year-old son, so he was quite able to relate to Oesterlen's teenage residents. While touring Oesterlen cottages, Bishop Novgorodov interacted with many Oesterlen residents and staff. In a touching moment, one resident, while showing his bedroom to the Bishop, spontaneously gave him a small stuffed animal which had been given to the resident by his brother.
We learned that there are 52 congregations and one small seminary which make up the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kazakhstan. Current pending legislation would place severe restrictions on Christian churches in this predominately Muslim nation, and the Bishop asked us to pray for religious tolerance in his nation.
Regular updates from Oesterlen Services for Youth will be posted to the synod website to keep all members of our synod aware of the work being done in our synod by our affiliated agency.
COMPANION SYNODS –
Bishop Nuyrei Novgorovdov from Astana, Kazakhstan extends his eternal
thanks for the prayer shawls. He asks for your prayers, for their political and
religious system is not at all stable right now and there is question what form the Lutheran
Church will take in the future. As a synod, we are NOT collecting shawls due to costs, but if
individuals groups want to continue sending them, we will forward information. Keep in mind
that their postal service is censored, and therefore there is a specific process to follow for
sending mail to Kazakhstan.
Bishop Francis Gunda from East Lake Victoria, Tanzania, also, extends his thanks for the
donations from the Red Eye fund and the many visitors he has been honored to meet. The
funds were used to buy some sterilization machines, as you can imagine sanitation is a
grave concern in this very impoverished nation. Other funds have secured a vehicle for
transporting larger items to sites, since roads are, at times, impassable. Additional funding
has been and will be diverted to two areas: assist in building a refuge for the Red Eye refugees
and assist in providing scooters and salaries for workers serving in these areas.
Since illiteracy is very high, there are few qualified and educated workers available. And,
often they have to travel long distances between sites to carry out the ministries entrusted
to their care. Like us, they often lack the resources to adequately pay for this staff. For
them, it is even more critical, since education precludes locals from ‘taking over the task’.
Bishop Gunda has asked us to consider assistance in this area. He is also in the process
of setting up a communications link to keep us informed on current news in the region and
looks forward to future visits, if homeland security does not inhibit his entry into the country
again.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, Germany
Mecklenburg – the name means “the great fortress” – is located on the eastern side of the River Elbe and close to the Baltic. Mecklenburg was Christianized during the 12th century. In 1549, after a period of dual confessionalism, at a meeting of the state parliament in Sternberg the Reformation was accepted for the country. A Lutheran church constitution was introduced in 1552. In 1919-20 a republican constitution led to the setting up of a synodal system of church government. In 1994 the relationship between the state and the Lutheran Church was laid out in the Güstrow Agreement.
Besides 50 Roman Catholic congregations there are some smaller churches like the Methodists and Baptists, and one Reformed congregation in the territory. A particular concern of the church is evangelism and outreach in this part of Germany, where only about 20 percent of the population belong to a Christian church. A new approach to youth, care for the elderly, social and diaconal services to the underprivileged and the disabled (migrant workers, the sick, the handicapped and the unemployed) are high on the agenda. Ecumenical relationships with other churches give ideas and inputs. Especially after the end of the communist era it became possible to develop special relations with the Pare Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan and the Hungarian-speaking Lutheran Church in Romania. There are other close ties to the Southern Ohio synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the diocese of Lichfield in the Anglican Church of England.
Since 2007 discussions are in progress about a merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, the Pomeranian Evangelical Church and the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Along the "European street of Gothic brick architecture" in northeastern Germany, close to the old Hanse city of Rostock, is the Minster of Bad Doberan, the Ex-Cistercian abbey dedicated in 1368. The first abbey in Mecklenburg, founded in 1171, which was also used as the burial site for the regional rulers, became important both politically and historically. Through the activities of its inhabitants, the abbey greatly contributed to the cultural and economic development of Mecklenburg and became the centre of Christianity in this region. Of special importance are architecture and furnishings in the Minster. The interior was mostly spared the turmoils and ravages of war. No other Cistercian abbey in Europe can lay claim to such a large amount of original interior still intact. Among the treasures are the main altar which is the oldest wing-altar in art history, the monumental cross altar and the sculpted tomb of Danish Queen Margarete Sambiria. Even after the reformation and the dissolution of the abbey in 1552, the church continued to serve as the main burial place for the ruling Mecklenburg nobility as well as the place of worship for the Evangelical-Lutheran congregation.
Schwerin Cathedral, built in 1260–1416 in Brick Gothic style.
East of Lake Victoria Diocese Tanzania
The East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELVD) is one of the 20 Dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT). The Diocese covers a total area of about 85,952 sq km in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions. The data, though needed to be revised, indicates that this area that covers 16% of the country population, 94% of that population belongs to traditional religions. Actually, it is within this population where the witchcraft and superstition are widely practiced. Despite modern technology, human rights, justices and judiciary in the country, aged people especially women are victims of the killings that resulting from the witchcraft practices.
Historically, East of Lake Victoria Diocese came into being in may 14 1989 from by then the Central Synod, now the Central Diocese of ELCT, with seven parishes. Today, the diocese has serves 40 parishes with total number of 47,000 Lutheran members , 100 evangelists and 167 subcongregations. This indicates that though ELVD is one of the youngest Dioceses in ELCT, but with high Christian growth rate than other areas. The diocese has recently witnessed a contribution from mission training centres to this growth.
The ELVD Head Quarter is situated in Mwanza, which is the second largest City in Tanzania located on the heart of Lake Victoria about 1,200 km north west of Dar-es-Salaam the capital of Tanzania. Mwanza, also is near to other cities/capitals of East Africa – Nairobi in Kenya – Kampala in Uganda – Kigali in Burundi – Bujumbura in Rwanda. Mwanza is also near to the Serengeti National Park.
This is the Sinema Van. The car contains the following items: 16 millimeter projector (needs replacement), a huge screen which can be viewed from both sides, generator and gas to run the projector and sound system. An announcement is sent to an area that the Sinema Van is coming. When it arrives, the car is driven around the area for a few minutes and the whole operation is set up. Usually about 4000 people show up for the Sinema by dark.There is usually a choir that sings, some educational films are shown and then a very old but effective film on the life of Jesus. Then time is allowed for questions.This method has proven to be very effective in teaching people about Jesus and has resulted in many people being baptized. You can see that the van is very well used. The needs for this program to continue are: a new or well running 16 millimeter projector (no spare parts are available for the present one) or another method of projection and diesel fuel. Fuel is expensive and prohibits using this effective method of ministry as frequently as is needed. All personnel needed for the project are volunteers and receive no extra money for these overnight mission trips.
"Sinema Leo" mean Cinema Today.
Piki Piki Preachers
The East of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Lutheran Church is spread over a large area. Christians are only 5% of the population, Muslims are 1 % and the rest hold traditional beliefs. These traditional beliefs include those of witchcraft in which killings especially of older women occur.
The police were unable to control the killings and so asked the Lutheran Church to evangelize in the area. They brought in many evangelists and talked to people house to house. Those whose profession was to kill burnt their instruments of death; those who led witchcraft chose Christianity and whole communities decided to be Christian. The police donated land to build churches.
The result: 1000 people baptized in one village, 500 in a smaller village and numerous others in the surrounding area. The problem: we need to teach them the basics of Christianity, but we don’t have enough evangelists and preachers to reach all those who are baptized. The solution: with a motorcycle, evangelists would be able to teach and preach services 3-4 times every Sunday and to continue to hold services on other days of the week. In other words, we could establish “Piki Piki Preachers.” (Swahili for motorcycle is piki piki.)
The purchase of one motorcycle could extend the effective range of a preacher over a large area.
The cost of a motorcycle purchased in Tanzania is - $3000 including helmet (Honda 250)
If you or a group of people would like to become a part of this ministry, we will purchase the motorcycle on your behalf, take a picture of the preacher on the “piki piki”, and send it to you with our grateful thanks. You would be helping spread the gospel, saving lives, and helping people learn to live a Christian life in a down to earth way.
Send your donations and a few details about you or your group to: ELVD-ELCT, PO 423, Mwanza Tanzania.
Standard Chartered Bank, Mwanza, Acct # 8702011096500
Women and Children
Under The Women and Children’s Directorate there are two sections. Members of its Executive meeting and the General Assembly monitor the Directorate. The Directorates funds come from local contributions, Finnish evangelical Lutheran Mission (FELM) and The Lutheran Mission Coordination (LMC).
The Directorates main aim is to gather the women of the Diocese to mutual co-operation under the leadership and constitution of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. Other aims are to encourage the growth and understanding the substance of their faith, to care for the needy and to raise the women’s and their families level of living through SACCOS, capacity building in various workshops, seminars, meetings and short and long courses, here in Mwanza and all around Tanzania.
Our main subjects are Christian spirituality in all the aspect of the human existence, marriage, sex and health education, business, handicrafts, environmental matters and domestic science/food processing. Our goals are to have spiritually and mentally resilient and independent women, with the awareness of their possibilities to affect the well being of their own lives and their communities.
For the Directorates seminars many experts from different Directorates within the ELVD are used. Our other working partners are individuals and experts from other organizations: Kuleana: Childrens rights, Kivulini: Women’s rights organizations and Veta.
Nyamahona Farm Project
Introduction
The ELVD (East of Lake Victoria Diocese) is blessed with two farms. One (Nyamahona) is about 200 acres and the other is over 1000 acres. They have been given to them by the government. With the gift of a tractor and plow by the Ohio Synod in the United States, farming has begun in earnest. This will enable the Diocese to start fulfilling commitments made at the receiving of the land, raise crops to supply food for people and also money to support its evangelistic activities.
Background Information
The Nyamahona farm is located about 30 km from Mwanza City about 5 km from the western part of Lake Victoria. The farm was acquired from the government on the condition that ELVD will use it for producing seeds which will be used by the population around the farm. ELVD was also suppose to plant trees around the farm for the purpose of protecting the environment.
The soil ranges from sandy loam to black heavy loamy soil. This soil is ideal from growing maize, paddy (rice), cassava, cotton and a variety of fruit trees and vegetables. Currently ELVD is only planting maize (corn.)
The area receives good rains from September to April in the good years with a dry spell during January and February and April to September. The area experiences a precipitation of about 650 – 800 mm. in good years.
Situational Analysis
At the present time, ELVD is growing only maize. The area in which the maize is cultivated is only 30 acres out of about 200 acres. Most of the area is covered by bush land and grass land. Production has always been low due to the fact that ELVD has had no qualified technical manpower to properly manage the farm. Now that ELVD has an expert farm manager, production can begin in earnest. (See Appendix 1 for picture and CV of farm manager.)
An additional problem with the land is the lack of rain during crucial times when there is very little rain. A small scale irrigation project will alleviate this low production trend during dry years. With irrigation, crop production is predicted to improve from 19 bags of maize to 300 bags of maize if all the 30 acres are planted with maize.
Paddy (rice) production can increase from 8 bags a year to 20 bags per acre and can be grown twice a year.
Vegetable growing can improve from one ton to 10 tons per year because irrigation allows growing vegetables throughout the year. Vegetables include tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, Chinese cabbages and spinach. These are excellent agents to improve the health of the people.
Project Costs
Item
Cost
Comments
Deep bore hole (well)
$13,000
Small reservoir or dam
$ 9,000
Farm Manager salary
$6,000
Per year ( $500 a month)
Irrigation technical officer
$3,000
Per year ($250 a month)
Vehicle
$35,000
Used car Toyota Land Cruiser
Farm Manager supervises 2 farms a good distance apart
Motorcycle for Irrigation technical officer
$3,000
Honda 250 cc with helmet
Daily labor
$10,000
Initial start up seeds:
Maize
Rice
Vegetable seeds
-
$1,000
$600
-
$500
Maize seed is $5 a kilo and 200 kgs = $1000
Rice seed is $6 a kilo and 100 kilos are needed
Variety of vegetable seeds
Herbicides and sprayers
$5,000
Fertilizer
$6,550
Fertilizer = ( Ammonia, CAP, NPK, Urea) $1,310 x 5 years
Trees: fruit and other
$2,000
Seeding and nursery start up
10% contingency
Will probably be used for diesel
Total Cost
$99,715
Indicators of Project Success
See Action Plan for specific time table.
Conservation area started.
Borehole and irrigation functional
Seedlings available for sale to people in surrounding area
Vegetables purchased and utilized by people in surrounding community thus increasing balanced diet.
Safe water will be available for free to surrounding community
ELVD will be able to have additional funds for projects especially the other large farm.
Rotating seed fund will be set up so farm has sustainability
With increased farm produce sales, the Farm Manager and Field Officer should be able to be paid from income accrued from the farm.
Executor of Project
The project will be executed by the General Secretary of the ELVD under the Supervision of the Farm Manager and the Technical Field Officer, both of whom report to the Bishop on the progress of the project.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Daily monitoring and supervision will be done by the Farm Manager and Technical Field Officer who will report any problems which might occur during the execution of the project.
Monthly reports will be submitted to the General Secretary showing the progress and any problems which may need his attention. The Board of Directors for projects has to make frequent regular visits to the Farm during the implementation period to check the progress. Yearly evaluation reports will also be made including farm progress and financial reports.
Action Plan
Activity
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
ELVD
Donor
ELVD
Donor
ELVD
Donor
ELVD
Donor
ELVD
Donor
Construction of deep well and channels
$2,000
$11,000
Dam, reservoir
$3,000
$11,000
Planting begins
$1,000
$2,100
Vehicle and motorcycle
$5,000
$25.000
Salaries and input purchases
$6,000
$6,000
Monitoring and Evaluation
$650
Sinodo Epirito Santo a Belem Brazil
Who is the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and what are its ministries?
The& Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (Igreja Evangelica de Confissao Luterana no Brasil - IECLB), a member of the Lutheran World Federation, has 716,911 members and is the largest Lutheran church in South America. IECLB membership was once predominantly rural but has increasingly been drawn to the bigger cities. Its primary ministries are mission, service, education, communication and interchurch and ecumenical relations. The formation of new congregations has been on the increase in recent years. There are 18 synods, 489 parishes with 1,800 congregations and 1,115 preaching points. The church has 912 active church workers (293 women) as pastors, catechists, deaconal workers and missionaries; 705 of these church workers are pastors (563 men and 142 women). The IELCB's mission focuses on service to the excluded members of society.
Unlike most other Protestant churches in Latin America, the IECLB is an immigrant church brought by the German immigrants in the 19th century, starting in 1824. Even today the vast majority of its members claim German cultural roots, but as the church becomes more urban this is starting to change.
The Escola Superior de Teologia (EST) in Sao Leopoldo is the IECLB's main center for theological education. As well as the basic bacehlor's degree it offers master's level and doctoral degrees in theology and trains lay leaders for congregations, catechists and parochial school teachers, and church musicians and music teachers.
Ecumenical dialogue and relations are an important part of the work of the IECLB. The National Council of Christian Churches in Brazil is working to alleviate suffering and to build a solid basis for a democratic society. Pastoral programs are trying to address the concern about migration.
The IECLB provides missionary outreach programs in Northern Brazil and in urban areas, as well as diaconic services with landless people, small farmers, indigenous peoples, street children and others. One office, Mission Council among Indigenes (Comin), provides pastoral accompaniment and legal advice, and also advocates for indigenous people seeking to claim their rights for land in Brazil. It also works with issues related to the militarization of indigenous territories. How do the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and the Evangelical Church in America accompany one another in ministry?
Through the churchwide ELCA Global Mission unit, the ELCA relates to and is in bilateral relationship with over 80 companion churches and institutions. The ELCA Global Mission unit stewards relationships with the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil.
This relationship is deepened and extended by the relationships, through the ELCA Companion Synods program, between the ELCA Southern Ohio Synod and the IECLB Sínodo Espírito Santo e Belém, and the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin and the IECLB Sínodo Centro-Campanha Sul.
Churchwide funding through the ELCA Global Mission unit supports key priorities identified by the IECLB, including grants for evangelism and outreach to develop mission work in new areas, evangelism and ministry grants for the Rivera congregation in the border city of Uruguay, a leadership development grant and ELCA mission personnel for the seminary. Ministry grants for Africa enable the IECLB to do mission work in Mozambique and Angola, Portuguese-speaking countries. An "identidade" grant enables the seminary to work with race issues from the faith perspective and support small farms of former African slaves in Quilombolas. Through World Hunger funds, the ELCA supports the Reconciliation Community Program, "Reconciliação", which serves a great number of children and youth who spend most of their time in the streets. It began its work in 1986 in a region south of Sao Paulo where immigrants from northeast Brazil have settled.
In addition, ELCA funds support Church World Service (CWS) in Brazil. Supported by 36 denominations, including the ELCA, CWS is a U.S.-based ecumenical organization that works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.
Brazil: The context in which the IECLB serves
Brazil is a federative republic that gained its independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822. About 186 million people live in Brazil and it is ethnically 55% white and 38% black or mixed race. Portuguese is the official language while some Brazilians also speak Spanish, French and/or English. Nominal Roman Catholics make up the largest religious group at 70%.
The biggest challenge facing Brazil is the need for agrarian reform to avoid continuing migration from the country to the cities. Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva’s platform called for sustainable macroeconomic growth and the reduction of poverty and inequality. He has adhered to classical economic approaches — controlling spending by trimming the public work force. Brazil has prospered from it membership in Mercosur, a regional trade organization. The trend is toward more trade with the EU and China. However, with the loss of 4.3 million jobs over the last 10 years, poverty remains a challenge. Class, rather than race distinctions, limits the upward mobility of Brazil’s poorer and frequently black population (blacks currently earn 40% less that whites in the same profession).
The burning of the Amazon forests and the decimation of the Indians of Brazil are of concern. Closing the gap between rich and poor remains a problem, as does violence by the police and other groups against street children, indigenous peoples, homosexuals and common criminals
Templo da Comunidade Evangélica de Confissão Luterana de Brasília
Companion Synods 
Oesterlen was honored to welcome Bishop Yuri Novgorodov of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kazakhstan for a visit to our campus on May 28, 2008. The Kazakhstani church is a companion synod of the Southern Ohio Synod, ELCA, and Bishop Novgorodov was in Springfield to attend the Southern Ohio Synod Assembly, held at Wittenberg University May 29-31.
Piki Piki Preachers 
