Impact of ELCA redesign on West Africa

Friends have asked me how the changes  at the ELCA churchwide offices in October have affected my work.

First of all, I’m thankful I still have a job.  Many friends and fellow missionaries in the ELCA have lost theirs.   Already last November 2009, Global Mission lost 6 Chicago based positions including one of the Africa Area Directors and one of the Africa Area Administrative Assistants.   Since then, the two remaining Africa Area Directors and two remaining Administrative Assistants have given extra efforts to cover for the vacant posts.  During this latest round of cuts, four more Global Mission Chicago based positions were eliminated including one more of the Africa Area Secretaries.  We just said goodbye to Sharon Robinson, who had worked directly with West Africa for many years.   With three people doing what, one year ago, 6 people were doing, what gets done is what has to get done.  Global Mission assigned another staff member to the Africa Team at 50%, but the loss of positions means that work assignments are still being shifted around.

The ELCA’s engagement in God’s mission around the world depends on offerings from its 4. 6 million members.   If the members of the 10,000+  congregations don’t send offerings for the mission of the churchwide organization, then the ELCA’s engagement will decrease financially and transform into a different type of engagement.  The numbers, shared by the ELCA News Service, show that support for activities of the churchwide organization has dropped 50% since the start of the ELCA in 1988, and from 65  million to 48 million between 2008 and 2011.

This is a sign that ELCA members and congregations, in a time of economic hardship,  are choosing to give their offerings to mission work in their own local areas and through their own congregations.    I wish ELCA members would have a more global self-understanding.   Another explanation is that more congregations are becoming directly involved with mission around the world, making commitments to these activities but committing less to the ELCA’s churchwide agency for global mission.   Alternatively, some say the severe drop of 8 million dollars this past year is the result of people withholding offerings  because of their disagreement with decisions made by the delegates to the 2009 ELCA Assembly.   If this is true, then it is an example of how the poorest people get hurt when people use money for political goals.

Since I began work as an ELCA regional representative in the spring of 2009, our grants for ministry in West Africa, as in other parts of the globe, have decreased; in fact, there have been annual decreases since 2001.   In late 2009, our program grants to companion churches and organizations in West Africa saw a 7% cut which meant that in some cases, 4th quarter funds were not sent, and consequently programs of local organizations came to a stop.   In 2010, budgets were set at roughly 10% below the 2009 figures and in June of 2010, another 5 % underspend order was given.  At this point, planning for the 2011 budget is still in the air and we are working with two scenarios: one, that we stay at about 2010 levels; second, that we reduce 2009 figures by 15% again.  Like at the end of 2009, 2010 4th quarter funds are not being sent to companion chruches until the counting is finished at the end of the fiscal year at the end of January.

The impact on the churches in West Africa is pretty severe when funds don’t come or don’t come in time.  Imagine:  People who are involved with companion church programs depend on their program budget for their salaries, so if the ELCA money doesn’t come, most workers in programs supported by the ELCA will go without salary.  Remember this is not a place where people have bank accounts with reserve funds.  People without salaries will begin to live on credit, creating a debt that will be difficult to pay.   Church groups, like women’s groups or youth groups, will cancel meetings and planned events.  Bible schools will close, and students will go home.  Cars won’t be repaired, so visitations and monitoring will decrease.   A list of likely consequences, based on experience, could go on.

In conversations here about these financial difficulties,  I see the ELCA’s relationship with churches in West Africa is transforming.    Many churches here are beginning income generating activities (from real estate ventures, to agricultural projects to selling merchandise) in order to keep their church ministries going.   The need for better organizational priority setting and decision-making  is creating process and building organizational capacity .   The perception that the ELCA and other churches in the West are on the decline even as the African churches grow in membership every day is making Lutherans in Africa realize they need to pray for Christians in the West.   For the last 20 years, people have used a metaphor of mother and child to explain the need for the African churches to be weaned from dependency.  Suddenly, the metaphor is changing to children who are now mature enough to care for their elderly parents.

Because we are a church catholic, churches in the West and churches in West Africa – in this case the ELCA and its companions – will go on relating.  That relationship is changing, and I don’t see what it all might mean.  If the members of the ELCA embrace their global reality, they can still help the mission and Christian witness in West Africa.   It’s really a question of what we choose to do with our resources, even in economically difficult times.

ELCA Global Mission Africa leadership team, Summer 2010.

Back row: James Gonia, Bob Lowden, Willie Langdji, Sharon Robinson, Benyam Kassahun, Viking Dietrich. Middle row: Janice Lowden, Barbara Berry-Bailey, Amy Honore, Barbara Hinderlie. Front row: Andy Hinderlie, Anne Langdji, Phil Knutson.

The leadership team of the Global Mission Africa Desk, including Program Directors, Regional Representatives and Chicago based staff, met in July to consult and strategize for more effective regional work.

The Rev. James Gonia is Desk Director for Western and Central Africa, Tanzania and Madagascar.  The Rev. Benyam Kassahun is Desk Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.  As Desk Directors, Rev. Gonia and Rev. Kassahun are based in Chicago and are responsible for Global Mission’s engagement with companion churches and institutions in twenty countries in Africa.

The Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey, also Chicago based,  is Desk Director for Companion Synods.  There are 52 companion synod relationships between African companion churches and dioceses and ELCA synods.

Ms Amy Honore and Ms Sharon Robinson are Chicago based Administrative Assistants.  They are key to the teams efficiency assuring logistical support and communications for the team.

Regional Representatives nurture relationships between the ELCA and its companion churches and partners in mission by being an extension of the leadership team present in the region.  They assist the Desk Directors by providing support to ELCA missionaries, offering interpretations of context, monitoring grants, and acting as a liaison between multiple partners.

–  Anne Langdji and Willie Langdji, like myself, are Regional Representatives to Western and Central Africa.  As Iwork primarily in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana, Anne and Willie work primarily in Senegal, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.  To learn more about our regional work go to the Global Mission West Africa Team site.

–  Regional Representatives for Eastern Africa are the Rev. Andy and Dr. Barbara Hinderlie and the Reverends Janice and Bob Lowden.   JMe and Bob are returning from their work in Tanzania, and the work will be continued by Tom and Sally Roach.    The Hinderlies work in Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda, with Barbara having primary responsibilities in Madagascar.  There are over 13 million Lutherans in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Madagascar, representing 3/4 of Lutherans in Africa.  For more information go to the Hinderlie’s regional site.

– The Rev. Phil Knutson is the ELCA Regional Representative in Southern Africa, as such he is responsible for work in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.  For more information about the ELCA engagement in Southern Africa go to the site: Southern Africa Connections.

As a team, the Global Mission Africa leadership group is completed by more than 30 missionaries and dozens of volunteers and young adults in mission who live and work in over 15 countries in Africa.

Lutherans in Canada, United States to Engage in Global Service Together

I am sharing an article that came from the ELCA News service.  I added a few links I hope will be helpful .

ELCA NEWS SERVICE,  CHICAGO (ELCA)   March 5, 2010

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will engage in mission and ministry overseas together as part of a new agreement between both denominations.

The Global Mission program unit of the ELCA embraces the “accompaniment” methodology, which calls for the ELCA to build mutually supportive relationships with Lutheran churches overseas.  Under the new agreement, the ELCIC will embrace the accompaniment model for its global service and has developed a new program called “ELCIC Global Mission.”

The Rev. Carla Blakley, a pastor in the ELCIC, began her work as ELCIC assistant to the bishop for global mission in January.  Blakley said she recently visited with ELCA Global Mission staff in Chicago.  “I’m thrilled” about the new partnership, said Blakley.  “In a situation where churches are dividing over issues, we are forging a strong partnership for work in the world.  It is God’s work in God’s world that can be done together.  I was so graciously received in Chicago, and there’s such a nice atmosphere of ‘let’s work together.’  It’s a win-win situation,” she said.

“It is very unique for two churches to share deeply in global mission,” according to the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for ELCA Global Mission. “We are looking forward to developing the organic implementation of this agreement and the programmatic collaboration between both churches.”

The 65 synods of the ELCA have “companion relationships” with more than 120 international Lutheran churches.  ELCA congregations and individual members visit and host their companions.  Together Lutherans explore the complexities of building cross-cultural relationships and engage in mutually dependent mission and ministries.  Each of the five synods of the ELCIC also shares companion relationships with Lutheran churches overseas.  As part of the agreement, the ELCA and ELCIC will work together to “facilitate” these companion relationships and form new church-to-church relationships.

Global service will be another key element in the agreement.  The ELCIC is no longer recruiting mission personnel directly.  ELCIC members interested in global service can now work with ELCA Global Mission staff. The ELCA has about 250 mission personnel in 50 countries serving in a variety of positions, such as teaching at educational institutions, working at medical institutions and in church administration.  ELCIC members who qualify for global service may be placed by ELCA Global Mission staff to volunteer or serve in compensated positions.

The ELCIC will also participate in ELCA global events and program committee meetings.

“The ELCA and ELCIC are still working on defining the relationship within the framework of the agreement,” said Malpica Padilla. “ELCA Global Mission is taking more responsibility for the administration of the ELCIC Global Mission engagement in the areas of supervision for new mission personnel, companion synods relationships and volunteers from Canada serving through ELCA Global Mission programs.”

The ELCA and ELCIC are members of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a global communion of 140 churches in the Lutheran tradition, representing 68.5 million Christians.    For more Information about the ELCIC partnership with ELCA Global Mission go to  ELCA’s Web site.