Partnership for Missional Churches, Listening Process – way forward

In August and September 2017 we had the privilege to have Prof Pat Keifert with us. He did not only engage with us at Synod, but also visited the CCE, CCW, various congregations and Pastors Convoca-tion. There was much hope expressed and a desire to continue to pursue this with the key question in mind: „What is God up to with His church? “

It is encouraging to hear and see how some congregations construc-tively engage and critically look at where they are at, and what habits need to change in order to be church, not only for themselves, but with and for the community living around them.

In the CCW the Listening Team will visit the congregations to journey with them in order to gain deeper insight into the Timeline, asking the question: „What useable past is there for the future? “

The visitations will also be used to deepen some of the aspects and tools that we have discovered through Pat Keifert.
Some material will be passed on to the Congregational Councils and Synod Delegates to be used on congregational level.

Visit by EKD (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland) in 2018

A delegation of members of the Board of the EKD (Rat der EKD) will visit us and other partner churches in Southern Africa in March 2018. They will be in Cape Town from 9 -11 March 2018. The aim is to get an insight and some understanding of the situation and challenges in which we are church. They will visit the Faculty of Theology in Stellenbosch, as that is where we will be training our pastors from 2018; iThemba Labantu, as a joint diaconical institution of the Moravian Church, ELCSA-COD and us; The Philippi Children’s Centre; a farm in Philippi area; the ‘Sion’s Gemeente’, St Martini and Strand Street and a meeting with Church Council.

CCE

Pastor Martha Weich was ordained during a wonderful celebration on 10.12.2017 at St Paul’s in Stutterheim. We wish her and the Inland Parish a fruitful journey together.

St Crucis

Pastor Dieter Trümpelmann has relocated to Gauteng. We trust that he and his family will settle in well, and that the children will be happy at school and make new friends soon.
During the vacancy Pastor H-P von Fintel will serve as locum tenens. We thank the retired pastors and preachers for sharing the responsi-bility of sharing the word during this time. May the Congregational Council have the wisdom and endurance to lead and serve the faith community. We trust the congregation will find a new shepherd soon.

UELCSA (United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa)

The University of Stellenbosch is the preferred institution of training for ministry. Mr. Herman Düvel from KZN has started studying for fulltime ministry. We wish him joy in his endeavours.
May many more students enrol to be equipped for fulltime ministry. Encourage especially the younger generation to prayerfully consider studying at SU!

Bishop Gilbert Filter