Our Mission Partnership with Africa
St. John Lutheran Church, Chester, was honored to have guest speaker, Bishop David Tswaedi, on Sunday, March 1. Bishop Tswaedi and Mr. Mpolaise Masibi completed a two-week visit on March 8 in Nashville as they met the congregations of the Southern Illinois District (SID); of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The Southern Illinois District is presently in a mission partnership with The Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LSCA) where Bishop Tswaedi is pastor and Mr. Masibi is a Lutheran layman and a principal of a public school in the Northwest province of Southern Africa.
Pastor Mark Willig of St. John is the Southern Illinois District chairman of the Task Force for the Mission Partnership of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. Rev. Herbert Mueller is president of the Southern Illinois District.
The goals of these leaders and the congregations in the SID with the Mission Task Force Partnership is to strengthen lay leadership in the LCSA, to strengthen missions/church planting in the LCSA, and to contribute to seminary support in the LCSA, as well as addressing the issue of HIV/AIDs.
In 2004, the LCSA celebrated 10 years of independent indigenous leadership and continues today to make great progress in developing leadership among its pastors. There is, however, a need for lay leadership which involves funding and training. Support to the LCSA provides workshops and Bible studies to train Bishop Twaedi’s local people in stewardship and evangelism training. The LCSA has identified a number places where it would like to plant new congregations so they are working toward purchasing tents for each of the five dioceses in the LCSA.
Once a congregation has erected its own building, the tents are moved to another place. Congregations in the SID are encouraged to match the LCSA grant funds to provide the means for church buildings.
The LCSA operates a seminary in Pretoria. Their vision is to develop Lutheran Theological Seminary Pretoria into a first class confessional Lutheran Seminary in Africa. A top priority for the LCSA is addressing the HIV/AIDs issues. Every diocese in the LCSA has appointed a HIV/AIDs committee to develop a plan on how the church can respond to the crises.
If anyone wishes to support the Task Force’s Partnership, you are welcome to send proceeds to the Southern Africa Mission Fund, Southern Illinois District, 2408 Lebanon, Belleville, IL 62221. Anyone who wishes to invite one of the Task Force members to come and make a presentation to their group or congregation is encouraged to contact the District office at 618.234.4767.