The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania,

1 9 6 3 -2 0 1 3
by G o d so n s. M a a n g a

he Evangelical L utheran C h u rch in Tanzania (ELCT) was b o rn

T on June 19, 1963, follow ing a u n io n o f the Seven L utheran
C hurches o f Tanganyika fo rm ed by E uropean and A m erican m is-
sion societies. H ow ever, the nam e Evangelical L utheran C h u rch in
Tanzania was n o t adopted until the n ex t year, follow ing the political
u n io n betw een Tanganyika M ainland and Z anzibar on A pril 26 ,
1964. T h e u n io n w ith Zanzibar also gave the E L C T a greater and
m ore reliable o p p o rtu n ity for doing m ission w o rk th ere‫ ؛‬it was in
1964 that the first A frican m issionary was sent to Z anzibar to revive
foe L utheran m ission w ork started there by C e rm a n m issionaries
(from B ethel M ission) in 1886. ‫أ‬T h e m ission societies that started
the Seven L utheran C hurches that un ited in 1963 and fo rm ed foe
E L C T w ere foe B erlin M ission, B ethel M ission, Leipzig M ission,
A ugustana M ission, C h u rch o f Sw eden M ission, Finnish Evangelical
L utheran M ission, and the N orw egian L utheran M ission, am ong
others. In 1937 a L utheran body k n o w n as M ission C h u rch
Federation was form ed by som e o f the L utheran m ission societies
w orking in Tanganyika and in 1952 it was given foe nam e Federation
o f the L utheran C hurches inTanganyika.*
Statistically, in 3‫ق‬0 ‫ ل‬w h e n the E L C T was celebrating its 50th
anniversary, there w ere about six m illion a m b e r s (in 1963 there
w ere 380,000 m em bers), m aking it the third largest church in foe
L utheran com m unity, after T h e C h u rch o f Sw eden, and the
(Ethiopian) L utheran C h u rch M ekaneY esus.T he E L C T began w ith
only seven units b u t now has tw enty-tw o dioceses, all led by
indigenous bishops. T h e Seven L utheran C hurches o f Tanganyika
w ere the pro d u ct o f the gospel preached by com m itted m issionaries
sent to different areas o f foe co u n try by volunteer m ission societies
ftom Europe andA m erica. These churches were T he Lutheran C hurch
in U bena-K onde, T h e Lutheran C hurch in U zaram o-U luguru,T he

179

LUTHERAN QUARTERLY Volume XXVIII (‫ ﻟﻬﺖ‬4‫ر‬

 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

L utheran C h u rch in L ^am bara-D igo, T h e L utheran C h u rch in

N u rth e rn Tanganyika, T h e L utheran C h u rch in M bulu, T h e
Lutheran C h u rch in Iram ba-T uru, and the L utheran C h u rch in
Buhaya. M ost o f these L utheran C hurches w ere nam ed after the
m ain ethnic groups found in the areas eYangelized by the early
nhssionaries to Tanganyika.
T h ree m ain reasons m ade the L utheran C hurches unite: preaching
the gospel as one L utheran team , getting representation before the
g overnm ent, and fighting for religious rights as one u nit. As explained
by D avid H un ter, the idea o f churches w orking as one u n it or as one
b ody presents to us a very dlm trative picture about o u r discipleship.^
F orm ation o f one L utheran C h u rch ^ ^ n ^ n y i k a m ade it possible
to get re ^ e s e n ta tio n in national, regional and international church
organizations such as the L utheran W orld Federation and W orld
C o uncil o fC h u rch es. R ig h t from the beginning, the E L C T founders
w anted to fo rm a church that w ould continue being defined, as it
has b een defined over the centuries, as “ the assembly o f all believers
am ong w h o m the C ospel is preached in its p u rity and the holy
sacraments are adm foistered according to the Cospel.”*
Even p rio r to establishing the ELC T, m em bers o f the L utheran
church saw the necessity for all Christians to live and w ork in
u n i t y - u n i t y in faith, in theological teachings, in education and
m edical care, and in basic L utheran w ritings. Talking about unity.
Rev. C arl Johansson says that as C hristians,

w e contem plate about unity in m any ways. B u t the source o f everything in

G od’s C hurch is the unity we have in C hrist him self and his reconciliation... .
T h e fruits o f this unity are seen in ou r desire to be u n ited as the family o f
L utherans in Tanganyika . . ٠ and also unity betw een a C hristian and a
C hristian.*

T h e decision to unite enabled foe L utheran churches in Tanganyika

to have one constitution and a un ited leadership, contrary to the
fo rm er system w here each church stood alone in term s o f constitution
and leadership.T he idea o f having bishops was first proposed in 1955
by foe C hagga Param ount C h ie f (M angi Thom as M arealle) at a
L utheran C onference held at M arangu Teachers’ C ollege, u n d e r the
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 18

chairm anship o f Dr. Fridtjov B irkeh, the D irecto r o f N o rw egian

M ission Society.6 So the m erger o f the Seven L utheran C hurches
bro u g h t the possibiiity o f having one autonom ous L utheran church
in Tanzania.
T h e people selected to sign the historic m erger in 1963 (two
from each o f the m erging parties) w ere three m issionary leaders and
eleven Africans. From the theological p o in t o f view, the people w h o
decided to unite and fo rm the E L C T k new that the H o ly sp irit
brings unity and n o t schism (Eph. 2:18; 4:1-6). T h ey realized that
Christians are one body in C hrist, and that all followers o f C hrist
b ecom e Christians th rough one Baptism . From the ecum enical
p o in t o f view, as F P ortm ann rem inds us, th ro u g h sharing one
baptism C hristians receive peace and unity.^
Each year the E L C T produces a co m m o n lectionary called
Kalenda in Swahili. T here is also a Swahili hym nal w hich contains
the liturgy used by the E L C T units. This particular hym nal, first
k n o w n as Nyimbo za Kikristo and later Mwimbieni Bwana, is currently
k n o w 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 un ited in
liturgy and w orship. H ow ever, som e variations on foe traditional
L utheran liturgy and w orship have follow ed the increasing im itation
o f charism atic churches’ m odes o f worship. In the ELC T, liturgy and
hym ns are com panions ofocripture w h ich are given first p rio rity in
all tw enty-tw o dioceses. T h e E L C T is very m uch aware, as Carl
B raaten has w ritten , that the holy rcriptures “ are the source and
n o rm o f the know ledge o f G o d ’s revelation w hich concerns the
C hristian faith.”8

The E L C T fro m 1963 to the Present

From June 1963 to date, the E L C T has experienced trem endous

changes in term s o f grow th and mission. From a small church
d ependent on aid from m ission societies, the w orld has w itnessed
the E L C T expanding and b ecom 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 th er things, the strength o f this particular church is attributed to
 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

com m endable ^ s s i o n w ork done by lay Christians (males and

females) in all areas covered by the E L C T .9 hike the Israelites,
w herever these lay Christians go, they do n o t leave their faith behind.
As business people and governm ent employees, they keep on
w itnessing o r sharing C hristian precepts, thus planting L utheranism
all over Tanzania.10

Offering Religious and Secular Education

T h e 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.A s n o ted at an international conference organized and
hosted by L utheran W orld Eederation in collaboration w ith M ission
E ineW elt in 2012, religious institutions established or ow ned by
churches (like the E L C T ) m ust “provide orien tatio n 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 w ere rem oved from church ow nership by the
educational act placing all schools in Tanzania under the governm ent’s
authority. R ealizing the consequences o f having n o 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 establishm ent o f a L utheran Ju n io r Sem inary
w h ich began at Vuga and later o n shifted to M orogoro w here it
continues today as a com prehensive educational center for the
ELCT
In the theological arena the E L C T started Lw andai T heological
School (in 1947) w h ich in 4‫ل‬9 ‫ و‬was transferred to M akum ira and
nam ed M akum ira T heological C ollege, a theological institution
w h ich 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 to T u m ain i U niversity (ow ned and
ru n by the E L C T ), w ith six constituent colleges by th en — M akum ira
Uffiversity C ollege, Stefano M oshi M em orial U niversity College,
K ilim anjaro C hristian M edical U niversity College, Sebastian Kolowa
U niversity C ollege,T um aini U niversity D ar es Salaam College, and
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 183

Iringa U niversity College. Sebastian Kolowa has also no w b eeom e a

full-fledged university k n o w n as Sebastian Kolowa M em orial
U niversity; an o th er eonstituent eollege, Josiah K ibira U niversity
College, came in to existence in 2012. Iringa C ollege becam e the
E L C T U niversity o f Iringa in 2013 and o th er colleges in various
units o f the E L C T are o n their way to becom e full-fledged
universities. H a n d in hand w ith theological education, the E L C T
has established th rough its dioceses a n u m b er o f Bible schools w h ich
have trained innum erable evangelists, parish w orkers, 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 e rn D iocese, R u h ija in the N o rth -w e ste rn D iocese,
Kidugala in the S o u th ern D iocese, K iabakari in the D iocese in M ara
R e g io n ,M an e ro m a n g o in the Eastern and Coastal D iocese,K iom boi
in the C entral D iocese, W aama in the M bulu D iocese, O ldonyo
Sam bu in the N o rth -c e n tra l D iocese, and U sangi in the Pare
Diocese.
W ith its theological colleges and Bible schools, the E L C T has had
an effective and successful m ission outreach, inside and outside
Tanzania. Pastors and evangelists trained at these institutions have
done considerable m ission w ork in outlying areas in Tanzania such
as R u k w a , K igom a, M tw ara, Lindi, Liwale, Songea, N achingw ea,
N ew ala and Zanzibar. O utside Tanzania, the E L C T has sent pastors
and evangelists to Kenya, the D em ocratic R ep u b lic o f C o n g o
(form erly kn o w n as Zaire), M alawi, U ganda, R w anda, M ozam bique,
and Z am b ia. T h e E L C T m ission outreach outside Tanzania has
produced T h e E L C T Kenya S y n o d - n o w Kenya Evangelical
L utheran C h u rch — w h ich was fo rm ed by Tanzanian employees and
business people living in Kenya, and the L utheran C h u rch in the
D em ocratic R ep u b lic o f C ongo, w h ich by 2010 had five dioceses.12
T h e 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 h ich was first led by a C e rm a n L utheran ^ s s io n a r y pastor. Like
o th er institutions offering education in the country, since 1969 this
college has b een u n d e r governm ent control and foe E L C T has been
struggling to b rin g it back to its ow nership. M arangu Teachers’
C ollege produced m any teachers w h o later on becam e pastors.T he
college was started at O ld M oshi in 1902 by Johannes R a u m (from
 84 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

the Leipzig Mission) as a teachers’ training school for assistant teachers

and in 1912 it was transferred to M aran g u .13 A n o th e r E L C T u n it
w h ich runs a coliege for training teachers is the N o rth -w e ste rn
D iocese w h ich owns B ukoba L utheran Teachers’ College. Now adays
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
L utheran J u n io r Sem inary at M orogoro and tiLe V a c h e rs ’Training
C ollege in M beya, rather than num erous small schools.

Participating in Health and Diaconic Ministry

In matters pertaining to health and medical care, the E L C T has

rem ained very active.Among the big hospitals estabhshed by the E L C T
are Kilimanjaro Christian M edical C entre in M oshi, Selian Lutheran
Hospital in Arusha, Kiom boi Lutheran Hospital in Singida, llembula
Lutheran Hospital in N jom be, Bunda Lutheran Hospital in Mara,
Ndolage and Izimbya Hospitals in Bukoba, the Lutheran Hospital ‫ط‬
Arusha Town, and Bum buli Lutheran Hospital in Tanga. T here are also
many dispensaries ‫ س‬health centers started and ow ned by the E L C T
m em ber dioceses. T he E L C T participates fully and happily in diaconia
(service) and kerygma (preaching).14 T he traditional task o f deacons is
caring for needy persons as well as (kstributing alms or hum anitarian
donations. From the ve!‫־‬y beginning, such w ork has becom e part and
parcel o f all missionary activities o f the E L C T and this very im portant
w ork continues in all dioceses o f the ELCT, through parishes and
institutions.15 Deacons, sisters, social workers, and volunteers provide
hum anitarian 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
E L C T that w ithout diaconic w ork and hum anitarian activities its role
in the society is questionable and rather incomplete.

Venturing in Income-generating Projects

T h e E L C T also owns guest houses, restaurants and hotels, such as

the N ew Safari H otel ‫ ط‬Arusha and K unduchi H otel ‫ ط‬D ar es Salaam.
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A

T h e N o rth e rn D iocese owns the prestigious L utheran U h u ru H o tel

in M oshi, the N o rth -c e n tra l D iocese owns C o rrid o r Springs H o tel
in A rusha, and the N o rth -w e ste rn D iocese owns B ukoba L utheran
H otel. T h e L uther G uesthouse and R estaurant in D ar es Salaam,
U m o ja L utheran H ostel in M oshi, K aratu L utheran H ostel in K aratu,
N jo m b e L utheran C entre in N jom be, and Tum aini L utheran
R estaurant in Lushoto are som e attractive hostels and restaurants
ow ned by various units o f the ELCT. All these centers have been
established as a m eans o f supplying service w hich goes hand in hand
w ith C hristian evangelization.
B y way o f its different dioceses, the E L C T has ventured into
ii^ m e - g e n e r a tin g enterprises such as bookshops. Savings and
C redit U nions as well as b anks.T he first diocese to estahhsh a bank
was the E L C T N o rth e rn D iocese w h ich in 2006 began a successful
b a n k k n o w n as U c h u m i C o m m erc ia l B ank. It was follow ed by
Benki ya Maendeleo (D evelopm ent Bank) ow ned by the E L C T
E astern and Coastal Diocese. V isionary scholars like W albert
B u h lm a n n 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 w ili be p u t o n one side.” 16 W ith tim ely prophecy
such as B u h lm an n ’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 h e E L C T participates in com m unication by ow ning radio

stations, as well as publishing a n u m b er o fnew spapers and magazines.
A church, after all, is “ com m unication . . . [and] the m ediation o f a
message to the w orld.” ^ To com m unicate and m ediate b o th religious
and non-religious messages, the E L C T makes m axim um use o f
various tools and techniques in mass m edia. Since 1962, the E L C T
has b een broadcasting th rough the R a d io Voice o f the Gospel, long
established in Ethiopia, w ith program s prepared first at M w ika Bible
School and th en in Addis Ababa. A fter the toppling o fH a ile Selassie,
the program s w ere broadcast from M anzini Swaziland before being
tran sferred to M o sh i, w h e re th ey have b e e n broadcast to date.
T he E L C T Eastern and Coastal Diocese owns Upendo F M Radio, and
 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

the E L C T Iringa D ioeese owns Radio Furaha FM. T h e E L C T also

publishes and distributes a popular m agazine entitled Uhuru na
A m ani, w hile Umoja Magazine is published by the E L C T N o rth e rn
D i o e s e . T h e re is Upendo w h ie h is p u b lish ed by th e E L C T E ast-
e rn and Coastal D ioeese, and the E L C T K onde D iocese publishes a
paper called A m ka.
All these newspapers and magazines are used by the E L C T as the
m edia for sharing w ith the public b o th secular and religious news.
T h ey are the forum s by w h ich the E L C T makes a m ission outreach
to m em bers o f the society, Christians and n o n - C h r is t a s . From the
sociological p o in t o f Yiew, m ission outreach is extending G o d ’s loYe
to the n eighbor because we “practise the love o f G od th rough love
o f the n eig h b o u r and vice versa.” 18A pplying m etaphorical language,
the E L C T (as a dynam ic church in an A frican country) “ can be
visualized as a large extendedfamily homestead w ith different houses in
the same co m p o u n d and o th er similar hom esteads in the same
n eighborhood.” ^ C hristian m ission, as it is realized by m ission
enterprise across the w orld, makes it necessary for us to “participate
in and co n trib u te to the com prehensive salvation that G o d is
brin g in g about. O u r prayers, efforts, and service as G o d ’s people sent
into G o d ’s w orld are n o t to be s ^ u e s te re d o ff into a religious co rn er
o f life, b u t we are to be engaged w ith all aspects o f G o d ’s gracious
w o rk 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

h u m an rights, advocating or fighting for genuine dem ocracy as well
as fair distribution and sharing o f foe national resources, ? rio r to
general elections the E L C T tries as m uch as possible to in fo rm
people on foe necessity o f voting and how to use foe balloting
procedures. A t the headquarters o f the E L C T there is a desk for
h u m an rights and rocial justice, and gender equity is given p rio rity
in all dioceses o f the E L C T F ighting for h u m an rights is o ne o f
the key responsibilities o f the E L C T because, as Jurgen M o ltm an n
contends, the dignity o f the h u m an being is the foundation o f all
kinds o f rights, and h u m an rights pro m o te hum an dignity.21 A rguing
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 187

OH the same line, R o g a th e M shana says that the C h u rch should

stand for hum an rights because

the m eaning 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, im prisoned, exiled, etc.
A n o th er kind o f hum an rights is for a person to go w herever he wants, and
getting freedom o f speech and w orship.“

Bold Decisions amid Serious Challenges

O n e o f the achievem ents o f the E L C T was the decision to ordain

w om en. A fter a to u g h debate, the decision to ordain w o m en was
finally m ade in 1990. T h e first w o m e n theologians w ere ordained
in 1991 ; by 2013 the E L C T had m ore than fifty w o m en pastors. T h e
n u m b er is grow ing fast and in the n ext fifty years, if the cu rren t
trend o f ordaining w o m en continues, the cu rren t figuro o f fem ale
pastors in the E L C T m ight be m ore than doubled. T h e decision by
the E L C T to ordain w o m en was an obvious rejection o f the distorted
b elief that the role o f w o m en is only staying in the kitchen and
reproduction. It was indeed a social revolution, the p en d u lu m o f
w h ich can never be reversed. As tru e 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 h ich cannot be elim inated from the present w orld.”^
W o m e n ’s ordination in the E L C T is a sign o f stam ping o u t age-old
discrim ination and oppression against w om en. In the past “w o m en
wero identified . . . as a separate social category only as m others or as
potential wives. . . . A few dom estic science program s trained w o m en
w ith great emphasis on child care, [including] m o d e rn (or western)
cooking, em broidery and housekeeping.”^
In 1994, as a way o f addressing the problem o f co rru p tio n w h ich
prevailed in the nation, the E L C T issued T h e Bagam oyo Statem ent
(Tamko la Bagamoyo). T h e church to o k its stand o n econom ic and
political changes in the country, opposing m aterial and m o n etary
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 h e E L C T stated defiantly and fearlessly that it
 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

w ould only support a governm ent that is accountable and

tra n s p a re n t- a dem ocratic governm ent that respects hu m 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 n o th e r challenge for the E L C T cam e about w h e n som e p artn er
churches in E urope and A m erica sanctioned sam e-sex relatiom hips.
T h e 2010 D o d o m a Statem ent (Tamko la Dodoma)— available from
the E L C T Eiterature D ep artm en t in A ru s h a -s a y s categorically that
it “ strongly opposes using incorrectly or distorting holy scriptures to
justify sam e-sex m arriages,”26 because these m arriages are indeed
contrary to the teachings o r principles o f the W ord o f G od. T h e
E L C T Bishops believed that circum stances like the ones w h ich
pro m p ted the D o d o m a Statem ent stem from m isinterpreting the
Bible to fit o r justify h u m an w him s. H e n ry O ro m b i (the A nglican
A rchbishop o f U ganda) once argued along similar lines that these
days, especially am ong nom inal Christians ha the West, Bible
in terp retatio n “is no longer w hat it was before. . . .T h a t is w hy the
church life in A m erica and B ritain is so anaem ic 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. Som e people may w o n d er w hy the
ELC T, a holy institution w ith here-after objectives, involves itself in
secular affairs w h ich have led to statem ents like the ones m ade at
Bagam oyo and D odom a. It should be rem em bered that the E L C T
is n o t treading o n a secular g ro u n d b u t ra th e r o p e ra tin g w ith in
th e fram ew o rk o f useful social laws o r guidelines. A ny kind o f faith,
including the C hristian faith, has laws w h ich guide people as well as
enabling th em to live in peace and o rd er.W ith o u t laws, the h u m an
society becom es utterly chaotic. In order to understand situations or
events like th e ones w h ic h fuelled th e B agam oyo and D o d o m a
Statem ents, w e need som e understanding o f social laws.
T h ere are o th er 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 f e d u -
cation is falling, and crim e is o n the increase. T here is alarm ing reli-
gious intolerance, m urder o f in n o ce n t people, rigging o f elections.
 T H E EVANGELICAL· L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 189

and em bezzlem ent o f public funds. M ore and m ore Lutherans are
drifting to m ushroom ing charism atic churches and, as Bishop
B enson Bagonza has observed in his interesting sociological theory,
the E b C T “is grow ing in the p erip h ery and disintegrating in the
centre.”^ T h e E L C T is faced by social problem s such as juvenile
delinquency, rape, abortion, and n ew 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 b etw een the haves and the have-nots
w idens every day, even am ong Christians. Poverty is o n the rise and
the negative effects o f globalization and injustice caused by fiscal
m ultinationals is causing u n to ld pain o n the citizens, including
m em bers o f the L utheran c.hurch in Tanzania.
N om inal Christianity is also increasing w ithin the ELCT. There arc
m any people w ho do not go to church, despite the superficial impression
that m ost houses o f worship are packed. In many congregations there
are young people w ho are confirm ed w ithout enough education,
m aking it easier for false prophets and m isguided preachers to lead
m any Lutherans astray T h ere is a tendency in foe E L C T for som e
m em bers to belong to m ore than one d n i f o n a t i o n . Even church
elders, evangelists, and choir m em bers belong to the Lutheran church
but at the same time are camouflaged m em bers o ^h arisn iatic churches
led by people like M w ingira o f Efatha Ministry, Kakobe o f Full Gospel,
and Lwakatare o f Mountain ofFireAssemblies ‫ —ﺻ ﻬ ﻲ‬to naention only a
few. T h e denoifonational syncretism w h ich is increasingly popular
should be addressed.There are even pastors w ho publicly pose as faith-
fill w orkers o f th e E L C T b u t secretly th ey are m em b ers o f foe
m ushroom d o m i n a t i o n s . This lukew arm confessional stance (dis-
guised as ecumenical cooperation) can only weaken the E L C T
A n o th e r challenge facing foe E L C T is fear o f confessing C hrist
openly Eollow ing the grow ing tide o f persecution, som e pastors are
said to be so fearful that they do n o t dare p u t on their clerical garb,
b u t rather hide or suppress th eir identity as C h rist’s servants. In their
serm ons and public utterances they w hisper, as far as adm onishing
sinners is concerned, and in social interactions they keep a low
profile. Som e ardent donors o r supporters o f the church are very
c o rru p t politicians and business people, so som e pastors decide to
keep quiet, to please those w h o support th em and their congregations.
 LUTHERAN QUARTERLY

In som e areas there are clashes w h ich tarnish the good im age o f
the ELC T, the typical ones being the M e ru and M w anga conflicts
w h ich haYe b een sparked by a plethora o f causes. Som e conflicts in
the E L C T are consequences o f nepotism w h ich is bred by tribalism
cam ouflaged in regionalism and localization. Tribalism has had an
enorm ous and catastrophic effect on the ELC T, since m ost E L C T
dioceses w ere established or dem arcated along tribal lines . ‫ ﺀ‬Even ‫و‬
recom m endations for fu rth er studies, pro m o tio n , and perform ance
appraisal are som etim es influenced by ethnic dim ensions. Tribalism
is n o w a pitfall that can be avoided by the E L C T because, as Jose
C hipenda w arns, the church should be a tool for u n itin g people and
n o t a tool for dividing th em using the w edge oforibalism.^°
For a period o f fifty years since its inception, the E L C T has been
influencing people fiom all walks oflife. Starting w ith n o t even h alfa
m illion m em bers, foe E L C T has m ade a long stride in spiritual and
m aterial developm ent. T h e E L C T will now improve considerably if
stewardship can be taught effectively w ith the intention o f m aking
this C hurch m ore self-reliant. W ell-planned teachings on stewardship
will make the E L C T less and less dependent, and thus m ore effective
in fulfilling Its role in society. H and in hand w ith stewardship, the
E L C T needs to reexam ine the increasing trend o f form ing new
dioceses, o p e ra tin g a diocese is e ^ re m e ly costly in term s 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 E L C T
foere are m any legacies fiom the form er mission societies. It is
im portant to harm onize these legacies so that foe E L C T can be a
cohesive church, able to speak or witness as one unit. D u rin g foe fifty
years o f its existence, the E L C T has had a Presiding Bishop (Mkuu ‫س‬
Kanisa) but n o t an Arehbishop w ith overall authority. W ould such a
developm ent lead to better m anagem ent and administration?
For foe future, in summary, foe E L C T faces several needs or
challenges. First, internal conflicts threaten the overall stability o f foe
ELCT. T here 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 E L C T so far. T h e second challenge is the spirit o f
tribahsm and nepotism witnessed in some units o f foe E L C T As
m entioned, m ost dioceses in the E L C T have tribal orientations or
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 191

interests, w hich accounts for the difficulty o f transferring high profile

officials o f the E L C T fiom one diocese to another. A third challenge
facing the E h C T is the increasing tendency am ong some E h C T
m em bers to drift into other denom inations— som ething w hich
depicts doctrinal instability and lack o f effective teaching. R elated to
this is the issue o f nom inal Christianity, m em bers w h o have Christian
names but w ho are n o t active participants in the day-to-day activities
o f the church. A fourth need for im m ediate action concerns the
grow ing rate o f unem ploym ent and poverty, to a certain degree
caused by the dwindling quality o f education. T he E L C T should take
initiative in em pow ering young people w h o 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
ru n and ow ned by the E L C T units.T he unhealthy ^ f f im - C h r is tia n
relationship is the fifth challenge w hich the E L C T should deal w ith.
Sincere C ristia n -M u s lim dialogues are needed across ffie country, on
the local level, to prevent the situation from becom ing worse.
M ost im portantly, the E L C T should w ork to be relf-reliant in
term s o f finance and personnel. If 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
o n m oney and personnel from sister churches overseas. T h e E L C T
should be self-supporting so that it can m aintain a good image,
nationally and ffi^m ationally. W ith o u t being self-reliant, the E L C T
cannot be self-governing and self-propagating, essential qualities
expected o f any stable church.

NOTES

1. See Gods©n s. Maanga, Injili Kamili: Historia ya Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri

Tanzania 1963-2013 [H©listic G o p e l:T h e History o f the Evangelieal Lutheran Church in
Tanzania 1963-2013] (Moshi: N e w M illennium Books, 2012), 147.
2. H enrik 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, “Um oja wa Ulutheri Tanganyika [Lutheran U nity 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 (LCN T),
Vol. 20 (August, i960), 2.
 L UTHERAN QUARTERLY

7. F. Portmann, Uekumene (Tabora:TM P B ook Department, 1986), 15-20.

8. Carl E. Braaten, ed., Christian D o g m a tic s,01. : (Philadelphia: Eortress Press
1984), 61.
9. See Carl-Erik Sahlberg, From Krapfto Rugambwa:A Church History of Tanzania
(Nairobi: Evangel Publishing H ouse, 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 C odson s. Maanga, Church Growth in Tanzania (Erlangen: Erlanger Verlag
für M ission und Ö kum ene, 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 ‫و‬£ Aiso see http ://w w w .oik ou m en e.org/en /m em b er-
churches/regions/africa/dem ocratic-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 M ission und Ö kum ene, 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, Docum entation N o. 54 (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lutheran University Press,
2009),43.
16. Walbert Buhlmann, The Coming ofthe Third Church (N ew York: Orbis Books,
1976), I II.
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. N elson Jennings, “Editor’sN o tes” in Missiology 37.4 (October, 20©9), 483.
21. See Jurgen M oltmann, “Christian Faith and Human R ights” in E. Lorenz, ed.,
How Christian are Human Rights (Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1981), 16.
22. R ogathe 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 M a‫؟‬jorie M bihnyi, Women in Tanzania (Stockholm:
Scandinavian Institute o f African Studies; Uppsala: Swedish International D evelopm ent
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, “T he R o le o f African Churches in Dem ocratization” in
Questsfor Integrity in Africa, Grace Wamue and M athew M .T h eu ri (eds.), (Nairobi: A cton
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], D odom a, 7 /1 /2 0 1 0 , 14. (Translation into English
m ine).
 THE EVANGELICAL L U T H E R A N C H U R C H IN T A N Z A N I A 193

27. Samuel Kobia, Called to One Hope (Geneva: World C ouneil o f Churches Publi-
cations, 2006), 63, quoting Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi.
28. Benson K. Bagonza, “‘Global’ to ‘Glocal’ Mission: N e w Areas o f M ission in 50
Years to C om 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, 2‫ ﻣﻦ‬June 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 M ission und Ö kum ene, 2007), 230-235; and Ludwig Prieder, Church
and State in Tanzania: Aspects of a Changing Relationship, 1961-1994 (Leiden/Boston/K oln:
Brill, 1999), 51f.
^٠. See Jose Chipenda, “T he 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·
 ‫آلﻣﺂورلم؛‬

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