Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern

Africa
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern
Africa is a Lutheran church in South Africa. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
church has 580,000 baptized members[2] in seven Southern Africa
dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and
Eswatini, and is (by a wide margin) the largest
Lutheran church in the southern African region. It
is a member of the Botswana Council of
Churches.

The ELCSA was constituted from older churches

in 1975, and became a member of the Lutheran
World Federation in 1976. The presiding bishop's Classification Protestant
office is currently held by The Rt Rev Bishop
Orientation Lutheranism
Myaka of the South Eastern Diocese (KwaZulu-
Natal Region). Polity Episcopal
Primate The Rt. Rev Bishop Myaka
History Associations Lutheran World Federation,
World Council of Churches,
A number of regional Lutheran churches in South African Council of
southern Africa began unity discussions in the late Churches,
1960s. A 1969 meeting of the Unity Committee All Africa Conference of Churches
made the decision to proceed to merger, with the
resulting unified church to be divided into four Region South Africa,
constituent dioceses. In 1972, the Cape Orange Eswatini,
Lutheran Church joined the process, and the Botswana,
number of proposed dioceses was subsequently Lesotho
increased to five. Origin 1975
A constituting assembly was held at Tlhabane, Congregations 2,300 churches[1]
Rustenburg, from 15 to 20 December 1975. This Members 589,582 members[1]
assembly was unexpectedly attacked, with teargas
bombs thrown through the windows, resulting in Official website http://www.elcsa.org.za/home.html
seventeen delegates being hospitalised.[3] During
the assembly, on 18 December 1975, the new unified church was formally constituted and named the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. It formally joined the Lutheran World Federation the
following year.

Structure
The church practises episcopal polity, with the day to day pastoral and administrative care of each diocese
in the hands of its bishop, and the presiding bishop exercising that role nationally. There are seven dioceses.
The presiding bishop is elected from amongst the diocesan bishops, and retains his role as ordinary of his
diocese, whilst also exercising the authority of metropolitan bishop. The dioceses of the church are:
 Botswana Diocese
Cape Orange Diocese
Central Diocese
Eastern Diocese
Northern Diocese
South Eastern Diocese
Western Diocese

The Kingdom of Lesotho forms an eighth administrative area, but does not have the status of a diocese. It
functions as a mission area. It has no bishop, but is entitled to send one lay person and one ordained person
to the Church Council.[4]

The main decision making forum of the ELCSA is the General Assembly. All bishops are ex officio
members, as are all members of the Church Council. Additionally, there are 84 elected representatives.
Each diocese elects 12 representatives (4 clergy and 8 laity) to serve on the General Assembly.

The executive function of ELCSA is vested in the Church Council, a smaller body that can meet more
frequently. Again, all bishops are ex officio members, together with two lay members and one ordained
member from each of the diocesan synods.

There is also an Episcopal Council, consisting of the bishop of each diocese together with one (elected)
ordained pastor from each diocese. The Episcopal Council may meet to consider any decision made by any
person, diocese, or committee, including the General Assembly or the Church Council, that it considers to
be controversial, divisive, or erroneous. The Episcopal Council has the authority to postpone any decision
of any church council or agency until the next meeting of that council or agency in order to promote further
reflection and discussion.

Ethnicity
Owing to the complex racial history of the region, the Lutheran churches of southern Africa still experience
some degree of racial grouping within denominations. The ELCSA has a predominantly black membership,
but actively seeks the full racial integration of Lutheran Christians and denominations in the region. The
ELCSA website states, "We are looking forward to a day when all the Lutheran Churches in South Africa
will be constituted into one Lutheran Church and be geographically grouped not according to colour and
race."[5]

Contemporary issues
In 2005, Bishop Louis Sibiya spoke in support of polygamy and homosexuality, "provided they promote
the cause of the Gospel...[saying] 'If a gay presiding bishop would - in our opinion - advance even better
the course of the Gospel, let it be so.'"[6][7]

In 2007, the church received approval to perform same-sex marriages, but it is unclear how many
congregations have chosen to do so.[8] In 2015, the ELCSA synod discussed same-sex unions but stated
that "a marriage is understood as a union only between a man and a woman. Furthermore the valid and
unchanged position of our Church is that the blessing of same sex unions is rejected".[9] However, Bishop
Dr. Biyela stated that the ELCSA "embraces homosexuals and allows them to worship in their churches as
full members".[9]

Nelson Mandela
During the long period of his incarceration in the Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela received pastoral
care and spiritual counsel from the ELCSA, principally through the offices of Bishop Adalbert Brunke of
the Cape Orange diocese, who was subsequently to receive public thanks from President Mandela for his
sacrificial ministry.[10]

External links
Official website (https://web.archive.org/web/20210513090720/http://elcsa.org.za/home.html)
recorded in May 2021 on archive.org

See also
List of Lutheran dioceses and archdioceses

References
1. "World Council of Churches" (https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/evangelical-
lutheran-church-in-southern-africa). oikoumene.org. World Council of Churches. Archived (ht
tps://web.archive.org/web/20161219231411/https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churche
s/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-southern-africa) from the original on 19 December 2016.
Retrieved 23 January 2017.
2. LWF Statistics 2009 (http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2009.pd
f) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100821080424/http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF
_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2009.pdf) August 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. Report at ELCSA website (http://www.elcsa.org.za/history-.html) Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20180430120930/http://elcsa.org.za/history-.html) 2018-04-30 at the Wayback
Machine.
4. Church Council membership details (http://www.elcsa.org.za/church-council-.html) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20170909012122/http://www.elcsa.org.za/church-council-.html)
2017-09-09 at the Wayback Machine outlined.
5. Reference in final quarter of this (http://www.elcsa.org.za/history-.html) Archived (https://web.
archive.org/web/20180430120930/http://elcsa.org.za/history-.html) 2018-04-30 at the
Wayback Machine webpage.
6. "Gay OK 'if good for Gospel' " (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Gay-OK-if-good-fo
r-Gospel-20051030). News24. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20161026081044/htt
p://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Gay-OK-if-good-for-Gospel-20051030) from the
original on 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
7. "SA Lutheran prelate supports ordination of polygamist, gay priests" (http://www.panapress.c
om/SA-Lutheran-prelate-supports-ordination-of-polygamist,-gay-priests--13-575472-17-lang
2-index.html). www.panapress.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2016102608014
1/http://www.panapress.com/SA-Lutheran-prelate-supports-ordination-of-polygamist,-gay-pri
ests--13-575472-17-lang2-index.html) from the original on 2016-10-26. Retrieved
2016-10-25.
 8. "Churches get nod for gay marriages | IOL" (http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/churches-
get-nod-for-gay-marriages-353635). IOL. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2016042716
4200/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/churches-get-nod-for-gay-marriages-353635)
from the original on 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
9. "Homosexuality in South Africa – KZNCC" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160817065831/ht
tp://kzncc.blazanor.com/homosexuality-in-south-africa/). kzncc.blazanor.com. Archived from
the original (http://kzncc.blazanor.com/homosexuality-in-south-africa/) on 2016-08-17.
Retrieved 2016-08-01.
10. "Bischof Abromeit: Adalbert Brunke überwand Rassenschranken" (http://www.nordkirche.de/
pressestelle/pressemitteilungen/detail/bischof-abromeit-adalbert-brunke-ueberwand-rassen
schranken.html) (in German). Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland. Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032906/http://www.nordkirche.de/pressestelle/presse
mitteilungen/detail/bischof-abromeit-adalbert-brunke-ueberwand-rassenschranken.html)
from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-01-22.

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