Proclaiming God’s love: From Cambodia to Costa Rica


By Erin Strybis Lutherans from Usolanga, a congregation in the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, stand outside their


church after worship. Lutherans in Tanzania number 6.5 million. To get a sense of how zealous Tanzanian


Lutherans are, you could start by worshiping with them. Not only is the average service two to three hours long, including multiple choral performances and offerings, the sheer amount of people gathered is impressive. “Wanna see a Lutheran megachurch? Go to


Tanzania,” said Rahel Mwitula-Williams. “You’ll see 500 people in worship. There are more Lutherans in Tanzania—my birth country—than in America.” She’s right. The Evangelical Lutheran Church


in Tanzania (ELCT) has 6.5 million members— approximately 13 percent of the country’s popula- tion—compared to the ELCA’s 3.7 million. It is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. An April report from the Pew Research


Center predicted that by 2050 four out of every 14 JULY 2016


10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa if trends continue. In The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Philip Jenkins argues that the center of Christianity has shifted to Africa, Asia and Latin America. “That’s a reality for Lutherans,” said Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for ELCA Global Mission. “We are seeing a tremendous growth in the Lutheran community in the global south.” Through its global mission work and membership


in the Lutheran World Federation, a communion of 72 million Lutherans from 98 countries, the ELCA is in regular communication with these fast-growing churches and with those whose membership is stagnant or in decline. As the ELCA considers its future, what can it learn about evangelism from its Lutheran brothers and sisters around the world?


Photo: Julia Hubbard


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