From: "Robert L. Rahn (by way of Rev. Eric J. Stefanski, )" <74301.2325@compuserve.com> To: Subject: CLIMB: LHF Mission News Africa Trip Report- PART II Date: Friday, November 02, 2001 12:54 PM Subject: CLIMB: LHF Mission News Africa Trip Report- PART II Sent: 9/12/19 1:53 PM Received: 9/16/99 9:31 AM From: Robert L. Rahn, 74301.2325@compuserve.com To: Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness, CLiMB@CAT41.org LUTHERAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION MISSION NEWS AFRICA, "I WAS THERE" Mission Trip Report- PART II Ordination of Andrew Mbugo Elisa First Lutheran Pastor Serving First Lutheran Church Body In Sudan August 29, 1999 Khartoum, Sudan Preparations for the ordination of Andrew began months in advance. One of the strong characteristics of the Zande people, we were told, is their administrative ability. There was clear evidence of this as the massive festivities had received detailed attention. This was not easy as guests for the event starting arriving a week in advance. Special activities and visits were arranged to occupy time in between ELCS Council Meetings and staff meetings. The Council, comprised of representatives from the eight ELCS congregations, had historic decisions to make. A special Call document was prepared for Elisa to verify his pastoral and presidential role in the ELCS. The Council also discussed the doctrinal aspects of the Call and ordination. Dr. Anssi Simojoki, LHF V.P. African Region, Nairobi, Kenya, led the discussion and pointed out that ecclesiastical jurisdiction did not apply in the usual sense since this was a new church body and it had authority to call and ordain. Dr. Simojoki pointed out that the ordination would be conducted with the full knowledge and blessing of the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya. The ELCK Bishop had intended to conduct the ordination but was subjected to some pressure by officials of the LWF not to participate. Reasons for this could only be conjectured but the Bishop would not have been able to attend anyway as he was hospitalized for emergency surgery. It was clear to the Council that LWF participation or approval was not a factor to be considered. The ordination could be carried out according to Lutheran confessional standards and not the bureaucratic dictates of an organization bent on the relinquishing the very confessions to which Andrew would pledge allegiance. Women of the congregation had been busy all week making preparations for the meal to follow the service. On the night before the ordination a heifer was delivered to the compound gate. It would be butchered on site and become part of the Sunday meal. Early Sunday morning a huge colorful tent was erected at the entrance to the ELCS headquarters with some 300 chairs for seating. Permission from authorities allowed the street to be closed where the tent was erected. Around 9:00 A.M. members started arriving from the Lutheran stations, some coming 1300 miles to participate in this historic event. Not all chairs were filled when the service began at 10:00A.M. but at 10:15 A.M. a huge bus stopped and when it unloaded all seats were filled in the tent. So began a five hour service in the heat of Sudan. Water pots had been set all around the tent and servers dispensed water throughout the service. All Lutheran Pastors participated in some way. Dr. Simojoki served as liturgist and ordaining minister. Dr. Alan Buckman presented the sermon. The Rev. Dr. David Adams presented the stole, the Rev. Japhet Dachi bestowed the chasuble, and I presented a gift of a pectoral cross. As part of the ordination rite, the Call issued by the Council was read in three languages- English, Zande, and Arabic. Following the ordination and the bestowing of vestments, members of the congregation presented ornate plastic leighs along with a live white dove placed on Andrew's shoulder. The Rev. Andrew Mbugo Elisa then officiated at the service of Holy Communion. The Rev. Ken Greinke, LCMS World Mission Africa Area Director and the Rev. Japhet Dachi, LHF Special African Associate, served as assistants. Following the service, I was given opportunity to bring special greetings from the LHF Board, staff, and donors. Greetings were also given on behalf of the LCMS. General Alison Magaya, Deputy Speaker of the Sudan Parliament and member of the Khartoum Congregation, spoke on behalf of the congregation citing the strong early support from the LHF even though the people forming the ELCS were unknown and it was uncertain how the funds were being used. In spite of this the LHF continued to help until Dr. Anssi Simojoki was able to witness personally the life of the church. Brief greetings were extended by Pastors present and by lay leaders from other congregations. Huge trays of food were brought to the tent and groups of seven or eight gathered around them and in African style used their fingers to enjoy the feast. After the meal there was special music and a special African dance that continued the celebration for another two hours. At 5:00 P.M. buses and pick ups began to load participants and the historic celebration came to an end. The service provided quite a contrast as hymns were sung and choirs presented special music. Throughout the service one could look out the end of the tent and see goats grazing, donkey-drawn carts passing, and Muslim people pausing to see what this was all about. It was obvious that the ELCS was at the cutting edge of bringing the Gospel to those people making up the majority of the population. The entire service was professionally video taped and we are anxious to provide footage of this historic event. Rev. Elisa apologized for not having the time to complete Luther's Small Catechism prior to his ordination as he had planned. It will now be completed and published in the Zande language. Electricity is totally erratic and regularly resulted in dark and hot meetings. A $10,000.00 generator is being purchased so that the office can function more effectively and the clinic can operate with some degree of comfort. By the end of the year three new congregations will have been developed by Rev. Elisa and will become part of the ELCS. Should the question be asked again as it was numerous times on this trip- "Is this really the first Lutheran Church in Sudan and is Andrew really the first Lutheran Pastor?" The answer each time was "Yes!" It is hard to fathom that you have had a direct part in bringing this church into existence and providing pastoral leadership. Your prayers, your interest, and your gifts, all indicate that YOU ARE THERE. You have permission to duplicate, edit, and use this report as you see fit. Rev. Robert L. Rahn LHF Executive Director + + + Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness + + + The CLIMB e-letter brings you unedited, uncut reports directly from the mission field, whether in South America, Africa, Europe, inner-city, rural, or collegiate America, or military installations and battle sites around the world. It is our contention that those who truly hold to the ~Book of Concord~ as the pure exposition of Holy Scripture and the true confession of the Christian faith are also the most zealous supporters of the preaching of the Gospel in every corner of the world and, as such, ought to be kept thoroughly informed of how those endeavors are faring and shown how they may be rightly carried out without the destruction of orthodox doctrine and practice that some within the pale of Lutheranism now advocate. You may contact the authors of individual posts to this list simply by using the 'Reply' feature of your email reader (unless otherwise indicated in the above message). Because of the demands of their endeavors, there is the possibility that not all responses will be able to be answered. You may freely discuss the contents of these columns on other CAT41.org mail lists AND, (unless otherwise indicated) as long as proper acknowledgement is provided, you may reprint them for dissemination via free media. List subscription instructions (found below) should also be included. Subscribe? Send any message to: CLIMB-on@CAT41.org Unsubscribe? Send any message to: CLIMB-off@CAT41.org For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski + + + Confess And Teach For Unity + + +