30.09.2022

New Moderator Elected: Bishop Dr. Keshomshahara

Our new Moderator: Bishop Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara from Tansania. © Lara Diederich Fotodesign

The newly elected UEM Council at the site of the General Assembly in Villigst, Germany. © Lara Diederich Fotodesign

Bishop Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara is the new Moderator of the United Evangelical Mission.

66 delegates from the 39 members of the United Evangelical Mission elected in the plenary of the General Assembly in Villigst, Westphalia, Tanzanian theologian Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara as Moderator. Keshomshahara is head of the Northwest Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. During his PhD studies in Germany from 2003 to 2008 he already got to know the UEM through its scholarship program. He has been a member of the UEM Council since 2016. 

In addition, the General Assembly elected four representatives each from Africa, Asia and Germany as well as one youth delegate to the fourteen-member UEM Council from among the delegates present. The selection of candidates for the international governing body took into account a balanced gender ratio and ratio of lay people and theologians.

In the future, the Africa region will be represented on the UEM Council by the following persons: Mrs. Henriette Malinyota from the Baptist Church of Central Africa (CBCA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mrs. Vuyokazi Christine Vinqi from the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) in South Africa, Bishop Mothusi Letlhage from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB) and Bishop Gehaz Alex Malasusa from the Eastern Coast Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT-ECD).

Elected from the Asia region were: Rev. Simpon Ferdinant Lion from the Evangelical Church of Kalimantan (GKE) in Indonesia, Mrs. Fransina Yoteni from the Evangelical Church of West Papua (GKI-TP), Ephorus Robin Butarbutar from the Toba Batak Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia (HKBP), and Bishop William P. Ebenezer Joseph from the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka (MC-SL).

The German region will be represented in the future by Church Councilwoman Wibke Janssen from the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, Ms. Annette Salomo from the Evangelical Church of Westphalia, Pastor Thomas Fender from the Evangelical Reformed Church, and Pastor Bernd Müller from the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck.

The Youth from the three UEM regions will be represented on the board by Mr. Mikhael Sihotang from Indonesia. In addition, Mrs. Salomo, Bishop Letlhage and Ephorus Butarbutar were also elected by the delegates as Vice-Moderators.

We wish Bishop Dr. Keshomshahara and the new Council Members all the best and God's blessing for their new tasks.