“It is a great joy to welcome the Africa Regional Board members. We join in Dar Es Salaam to receive and reflect on the developments through the Co-workers’ reports.” With these words, Bishop Dr Gehaz Alex Malasusa opened the UEM Africa Regional Board. He is the leader of ELCT/ECD* who hosted the meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
This April, the 10 members of the Regional Board of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) come from seven different African countries. They meet once a year or more when necessary to receive Co-workers reports and share on the supported projects in the respective member churches of their countries of origin. Additionally, the Board members themselves give reports about UEM work in their churches. This year, Rev Dr Emmanuel Muhozi was a guest to the Board: He will take over as Executive Secretary Africa, succeeding Rev Dr John Wesley Kabango, who is going to retire in November 2025.
Ownership and Commitment
UEM General Secretary Rev Dr Andar Parlindungan joined the meeting online to appreciate the commitment of the Board members. He shared that it is few weeks ago that the Council had their annual meeting hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB) in Gaborone, Botswana. UEM members appreciate the African members’ ownership, participation and commitment as particularly shown by their readiness to financially contribute to the forthcoming General Assembly 2025.
Among the topics discussed by the Regional Board was the financial and spiritual commitment of the African member churches to the communion. It is well known and appreciated in all three regions, becoming visible in things like a visit to ELCRN*, to visit and accompagny the churche’s leadership, as well as the United Action Fundraising Campaign and a newly created Disaster Relief Fund of the African Member Churches. Bishop Malasusa also shared about an event that will be hosted by his diocese later this year: “This Regional Board is an opportunity for the ECD to share with the Board members the progress of our General Assembly preparations as planned from September 11th -20th, 2025, here with us in Dar Es Salaam.”
For the closing Sunday worship on April 13, 2025, all delegates were distributed in pairs to join seven ECD congregations in their worship. They passed on greetings and newest developments to the congregants and in one service gave a sermon about Luke 5, 17-26, focusing on diaconia work and the last General Assembly theme “The Beam in our eye: Fighting Discrimination in Church and Diaconia.” ELCT/ECD is especially requesting prayers and support for a project of Bagamoyo Diaconia Centre to be a large centre of people living with disabilities.
A more detailed report on the Africa Regional Board can be found here.
*ELCT/ECD = Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, Eastern and Coastal Diocese
*ELCRN = Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia
*ELCB = Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana
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