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Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya

Kenya’s Lutherans respond to flooding

by | Jun 21, 2024

An emergency shelter for displaced people in Kisumu County, including displaced Lutherans.
An ELCK church devastated by flooding in Kitui.

KENYA – Throughout April and May, Kenya experienced devastating flooding, with more than 300 killed, hundreds more injured, and 300,000 people displaced. And though the initial crisis has receded, Lutherans are still at work, picking up the pieces and ministering to the victims of the disaster.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) reports that more than 20 of their congregations and several schools were affected. Among the dead are three children of Lutheran members in Lopedot. Numerous church members were forced from their homes and forced to seek refuge in government-established emergency shelters. Nor is the ELCK alone in facing the current situation: the Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium of Kenya (ELCMK) has also been seriously affected by the tragedy.

“This is the worst flooding disaster our country has experienced since 1963,” said ELCK Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo. “The water filled lakes and ponds, then started coming onto the land where people live, sweeping everything away: houses, households, livestock, and humans.”

The ELCK’s Lake Diocese provides medical care following flooding.

The church has provided assistance to those affected by the flooding—hosting, for example, medical clinics and distributing clothes and other emergency goods. But the need is greater than the church’s current capacity. “We are still overwhelmed by the situation,” Archbishop Omolo reported. “So many families are in dire need of shelter, food, medication, and clothing, among other basic needs.”  The ELCK invites anyone moved by their plight to contact them if they wish to support their work aiding victims of flooding.

Bishop Titus Okoda of the ELCK’s Lake Diocese baptizes a child born to Lutheran parents seeking refuge during flooding.

In addition to works of mercy, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya is also prioritizing spiritual care for those affected by the flooding. “Natural disasters like this can be so cruel and destructive,” Archbishop Omolo explained. “But it is also true that in the midst of such calamites, we can see and experience God’s protective hand upon His creation. We ask you to join Kenyans in prayer.”

“I encourage Christians everywhere to remember their brothers and sisters in Kenya in prayer,” said Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “May God bless the work of the church in these tragic circumstances, equipping them to reach out with the comfort of Jesus Christ, as well as with practical support for those in need.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya is a member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of Lutheran church bodies grounded in the authority of Scripture and faithful to the Lutheran confessions. The Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium of Kenya is an observer member in the ILC.

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Sri Lankan Lutherans consecrate first bishop, seek ILC membership

by | Feb 16, 2023

Participants at the consecration of CELC Bishop Arulchelvan.

SRI LANKA – On October 9 2022, the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC) consecrated its first Bishop, Rev. Arumanayagam Arulchelvan. Approximately 200 members from across the church were present for the event.

The consecration was conducted by Archbishop Joseph Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), joined also by ELCK Bishops Kispin and Titus. Archbishop Omolo, who also serves as the Africa Region Representative for the International Lutheran Council (ILC), expressed great satisfaction at being able to participate in the event, noting “it was a good opportunity for the Africa region to have fellowship with the Asia region in same-saying the faith and strengthening one another in the Lord.”

ECLK Archbishop Joseph Omolo consecrates CELC Bishop Arulchelvan.

Also present for the consecration were representatives of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), including the church’s Sri Lanka Mission Manager, Rev. Steven Mahlburg, and Regional Director for Asia, Rev. Charles Ferry.

The consecration was the culmination of a long process for the CELC. Plans for the election and consecration of a bishop were initially planned for May 2020, with the ELCK’s Archbishop planning to attend at that time. But the outbreak of civil unrest, in addition to the effects of the pandemic and an economic crisis, led the church to delay its Diocesan Assembly several times.

On September 27, 2022, the church was finally able to hold its Diocesan Assembly, gathering in Colombo. Representatives from every congregation in the church, along with CELC’s pastors and lay evangelists, formally ratified their new constitution and elected Rev. Arulchelvan to be their new bishop. They also elected a Diocesan Council.

CELC Bishop Arulchelvan (centre front) and LCMS Sri Lanka Mission Manager, Rev. Steven Mahlburg (front right), pose with the newly elected Sri Lankan church’s Diocesan Council in September 2022.

The CELC also voted to seek membership in the International Lutheran Council (ILC). The Sri Lankan church previously held membership in the ILC but its membership lapsed in recent years as it attempted to restructure itself. CELC also voted to seek altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS, with whom it has historic ties.

The history of Lutheran missions in Sri Lanka, go back more than 150 years but the CELC traces its particular history to 1958 when Rev. James Fergin, an LCMS missionary from India, arrived to minister to Tamil workers in Sri Lanka’s tea plantations. This eventually led to the formation of the Lanka Lutheran Church in 1978.

In 1983, civil war broke out Sri Lanka—war which would last for 26 years and put significant pressure on the church. The Lanka Lutheran Church’s government registration subsequently lapsed in the mid-2000s, though the church itself continued to function.

A few years after the civil war ended in 2009, the LCMS began to send resident missionaries to Sri Lanka again, helping the church to reconstitute itself. The church eventually obtained new government registration in 2017 under its new name: the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Today, the CELC has about 15 congregations and mission stations; four ordained pastors; five lay evangelists; and an approximate membership of 2,000 people. The vast majority of people in the country are Buddhist, with Christians making up just over seven percent of the population, meaning outreach can be difficult. Historic tensions between Tamil and Singalese people in the country also create challenges.

The LCMS’ Sri Lanka Mission Manager, Rev. Mahlburg, encourages Lutherans across the world to remember the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church in prayer. “Though they’re small in numbers, there is a core group of Christians in Sri Lanka that are committed Lutherans,” he says. “They are proud of their heritage and are struggling to carry out the ministry there and reach out to people as they are able.”

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2022 World Conference: Works of Mercy

by | Sep 16, 2022

ILC World Conference participants arrive at the Lake Diocese cathedral in Kisimu.

KENYA – Late on September 15, participants in the ILC’s 2022 World Conference visited the cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya’s (ELCK) Lake Diocese in Kisimu, where they joined in worship and learned about the Kenyan church’s works of mercy.

Provost Martin Orende preaches.

After a welcome from diocesan Bishop Titus Okoda, the church held a service of vespers. Provost Martin Orende of the ELCK preached on John 1:29-34, while Rev. Charles Froh served as liturgist.

Following the service, delegates heard from representatives of four of the ELCK’s mercy projects. First, they heard from Rev. Isaiah Apeyo of Capstone Ministry, an agency which helps to reunite street children with their families and provide reconciliation work. Children can end up on the street for a number of reasons, Rev. Apeyo noted, and so successful reintegration requires regular follow-ups and family counseling. A key part of the work is encouraging children and their families to engage with local congregations, Rev. Apeyo said, as helping people to heal their relationships with God also helps them to heal their relationships with each other.

Deaconess Lorna Meeker of Point of Grace Academy was next to speak. Point of Grace Academy provides education for underprivileged and needy children who otherwise could not afford an education, including orphans, disabled children, and those suffering from HIV/Aids. The school has almost 800 students in total, with nearly 350 of these from the local area, and just over 450 of these coming as boarding students from elsewhere in Kenya. Point of Grace Academy not only cares for needy children, Deaconess Meeker noted, but also provides care for elderly people, the addicted, and widows in the local area. As part of their care for the whole person, Grace Academy provides regular catechesis to children, teaching them about Jesus. More than 300 children have been baptized through their encounters with Point of Grace Academy. (Conference participants were invited to visit the school on the following day, as part of a selection of excursions.)

Presenters speak on mercy projects of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya.

Deaconess Rispah was next to speak, highlighting the work of Project 24, a joint project of the ELCK and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Project 24 has eight boarding sites throughout Kenya that care for orphans with nowhere else to go. Deaconess Rispah, who is the director of one of Project 24’s sites, noted that the proclamation of the Gospel is central to this ministry’s work as well, recognizing that children have not only physical needs but spiritual needs too.

Finally, conference attendees learned about the ELCK’s school for at-risk people with intellectual disabilities. This school, which is on the same campus as the ELCK’s cathedral in Kisumu, accepts children and adults on the recommendation of the government, and helps them to achieve greater independence. Students have often previously not learned how to clothe themselves, bathe, or use the washroom. Beginning with these basic life skills, students advance to higher skills, culminating in vocational training. The school also seeks to offer a sheltered workshop where graduates of the program can continue to find meaningful work together in a safe and loving environment. Teaching the students about Jesus is a key part of this wholistic ministry.

Students sing and dance.

Conference attendees visited the school after the presentations, where they were greeted by students eager to share their musical gifts and say hello. The choir of students sang two songs, with conference participants considering it a highlight of the trip. Following the performance, participants had the chance to tour dormitories, classrooms, and the workshop for handicrafts.

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ILC Prepares for 2022 World Conference

by | Aug 18, 2022

KENYA -The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is preparing for its forthcoming 27th World Conference, which will take place in Kisumu, Kenya from September 13-16, 2022. During that time, leaders of confessional Lutheran church bodies across the globe will gather to worship together, to study Scripture, and to consider their mutual proclamation to the world of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Liturgy and Culture: How Worship Shapes Our Life Together and Why We Do What We Do.”

The Liturgy serves and shapes the missionary task of the Church,” conference material explains. “It is in its very nature mission work in which people are brought out of one culture and integrated into another. The Liturgy teaches within the context of prayer. It shapes faith and life. It serves the common confession and fosters unity.”

“The ‘worship wars’ of recent generations continue,” the workbook explains, “while the Church is also experiencing an escalation in the more lethal ‘cultural wars.’ Churches are denied freedom of speech and access to the public square. Conference speakers will address a variety of topics in which liturgical theology and practice and church life are being challenged by external influences.”

ELMDF Bishop Juhana Pohjola

Serving as keynote speaker for the 2022 World Conference is Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF). Bishop Pohjola’s address is entitled: “Church and Culture: The Devastating Effects of the Progressive Socio-Political Ideology and Cultural Trends on the Church, with Special Attention to Recent Events in Finland.”

The conference will feature three other presentations on the subject of liturgy and culture given by: Rev. Dr. Alexey Streltsov, Rector of Lutheran Theological Seminary in Novosibirsk, Russia; Rev. Dr. Joseph Tom Omolo, Principal of Neema Lutheran College in Matongo, Kenya; and Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki, Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA).

During the conference, the ILC will hold elections, hear reports, and conduct other business. Participants will also visit sites affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), the host church for this year’s conference, where they will learn about the ELCK’s works of mercy and human care as well as theological education, among other activities.

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South Sudan celebrates bishop’s consecration

by | May 17, 2022

Bishop Nathaniel Bol (centre left) is invested as bishop of SSELC.
Bishop Nathaniel Bol (front right) following his consecration.

KENYA – On April 24, 2022, Rev. Nathaniel Bol Nyok Apar was consecrated as Bishop of the South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church (SSELC).

The consecration took place at Kakuma in northwestern Kenya. Kakuma is the site of a United Nations refugee camp which hosts refugees from Sudan. The church has four congregations in the camp (three South Sudanese and one Sudanese).

Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) presided over the consecration service, and Bishop Charles Bameka of the Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU) preached for the event. Also participating in the consecration were Bishop Emmanuel Makala of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania – South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELCT-SELVD), Bishop Robert Kaumba of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Africa—Zambia Diocese (LECA), and diocesan Bishops William Lopeta and Titus Okoda of the ELCK.

“I want to congratulate Bishop Bol on his formal consecration,” said General Secretary Timothy Quill of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “He has served the South Sudanese church for many years already, and I pray that God will continue to bless him in his ministry.”

Rev. Nathaniel Bol is consecrated as bishop of the South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Bishop Bol was elected in December 2011 but attempts to hold a formal consecration service in South Sudan were complicated by civil war which raged in the country from 2013-2020. The conflict led approximately 2.5 million people to flee the country as refugees, primarily to Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan.

An earlier attempt to hold a consecration service in Kenya in 2021 was also delayed.

The South Sudan Evangelical Lutheran Church is an observer member church of the International Lutheran Council, a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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Former Kenyan bishop enters into glory

by | Dec 11, 2020

Rt. Rev. Francis Nyamwaro Onderi

KENYA – The Rt. Rev. Francis Nyamwaro Onderi, former Chairman and Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), entered into glory on November 17, 2020.

In 1996, Rev. Nyamwaro was installed as the first bishop of the ELCK, following a decision of the church a year prior to transition to an episcopal structure. Prior to that transition, he also served as the church’s last chairman. Rev. Nyamwaro would continue to serve as bishop until his retirement.

In a post announcing his death, the ELCK highlighted some of his accomplishments as head of the church body. “It was during his watch that the Lutheran Church grew, and reached all the then-nine provinces of the Republic of Kenya,” the church notes, including work among Somali refugees in the north-east of the country. The church also praised his work among the Borana in Marsabit and the Digo in Kwale, as well as new outreach to the Kalenjin, the Masai, Sumburu, Kamba, Kikuyu, Meru, and Embu. Work in traditionally strong Lutheran areas, like Kisii, Luoland, and amongst the Pokot, also expanded during this period.

“He was first of all a pastor and servant of God, and should be honoured as such,” the church writes.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya is a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

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