|
|||
Some Information on our Companion Synod
The NT-NL Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra LeoneThe Story of Our Partnership In the late 1980’s Dr. Jeremiah Sinnah-Yovonie returned to his native Sierra Leone, having completed studies at the University of Iowa in Des Moines. He took with him the Lutheran faith that he had grown to love in the U.S., and he shared that faith with others, including Jacob & Sam Yovonie, Titus Ngebeh, and Tom Barnett. Together they determined to found the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone. When the ELCA was formed in 1988, the NT-NL synod was asked to be a “Companion Synod” with the Lutherans in Sierra Leone. In 1990 Pastor Rod Maeker, and in 1992 Bishop Mark Herbener, visited Sierra Leone, joining in the work of training lay evangelists to lead the Lutheran congregations that were springing up throughout Sierra Leone. Seven Sierra Leoneans entered Lutheran seminaries, including three who came to the U.S., studying at Wartburg Seminary and visiting our synod - Tom and Marie Barnett and Miatta Monrovia. Through the efforts of these native Sierra Leoneans the ELCSL was born as the first African Lutheran Church begun without the presence of missionaries from the West. In the early 1990’s Sierra Leone (which is the poorest English speaking nation in the world) became embroiled in a civil war waged by rebel terrorists, many of whom had fled from neighboring Liberia’s civil war. The rebels destroyed villages and wreaked havoc on the country. Many of the churches were destroyed and much of the population was forced to flee to Freetown, the capital city, where the population swelled to over a million in a very short time. A great number of these people became homeless or survived in refugee camps. 1996 Missionary Trip By this time congregations were falling into disarray due to lack of ordained leadership. With seven candidates having completed seminary training, our Bishop was asked to return to Sierra Leone to conduct their ordination. He joined Bishop Harris of the Lutheran Church in Liberia to officiate at the Service of Ordination. In early February 1996 several pastors and lay people from our synod joined Bishop and Mrs.Herbener and Dan Olson, the Director for Global Mission of the ELCA, spending a week in Sierra Leone. We visited congregations, baptized over 100 Christians on a Sunday morning and participated in the glorious celebration of the ordination of pastoral leadership for the ELCSL. Just five were ordained as two were unable to travel from Nigeria to be present, but these five serve a whole host of congregations in Freetown, Bo and villages in the provinces. 1997 Coup and Response Peace had come to Sierra Leone in early 1996 with the ousting of the rebels and election of a new president, but this peace was short-lived. In May 1997, after a year and a half of civilian-elected democratic leadership, there was a coup in Freetown. At that time there were seven ordained pastors in the ELCSL and congregations were growing. The coup, however, threw the country and the Church into disarray. In August 1997 Pastor Marie Barnett fled the country with her daughter Thelma and came to the U.S. We received her into our synod where she served at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Dallas as interim pastor. Pastor Tom Barnett remained in Sierra Leone as president of the ELCSL, and has been our channel for emergency relief funds. The country was overrun with starvation, murder, rape, looting and burning of homes and businesses, and overall anarchy. The coup was put down in the spring of 1998 and Pastor Marie returned in July to serve her country and the Church. Thelma remained behind in Texas with a foster family in our synod. The Companion Synod Committee arranged to send two emergency relief containers to Sierra Leone in 1998, but in perhaps the most serious uprising to date, these were destroyed along with St. Mark’s Lutheran Centre (the church headquarters) in January 1999. During this time the rebels committed unthinkable atrocities, including dismembering, raping and murdering innocent women and children. While these atrocities were brought to an end by the summer of 1999, by that time most of Freetown had been destroyed by fire and vandalism. The war had perhaps finally ended, but hunger, disease and psychological trauma prevailed. The Situation Today (2005) … and Our Hopes for Tomorrow In January of 2002 the war was declared officially over. In a stunning example of Micah's prophecy come true bonfires were held in four areas of the country and guns were burned, melted down, and remade into farming implements. The living conditions in Sierra Leone are still dire, and there are thousands of amputees, victims of the rebel terrorism, who need training and rehabilitation. While rebuilding will take many, many years the work has already begun. Trauma counseling has already begun, a weekly meal is served and worship takes place in the camps, in private homes or community facilities. At best, it is a “makeshift” situation, so there is a great need to establish actual buildings for the ELCSL in order to have a recognizable physical presence, places to DO church as well as BE the Church. In February of 2002 another group of representatives from the NT-NL synod including Bishop Kanouse traveled to Sierra Leone. The highlight of their trip was a groundbreaking ceremony for the Jubilee Lutheran Centre in Freetown. Phase I will require $150,00.00. Further funds will be needed over the coming months and years in order to complete this center for worship, teaching, offices, job skills training, and to complete the Amputee Center. In November of 2003 another delegation from the synod went to Sierra Leone for the Installation of Rev. Tom Barnett as the first Presiding Bishop of the ELCSL. Some unrest and a display of protest and violence marred the worship service & ceremony, giving testimony to the ongoing traumatized emotions of this people as they work to find the truth of who is truly working for justice in this post-war society. As a counterpoint to this, the group viewed the fruits of ongoing education, rehabilitation and relief ministries of the ELCSL. With excitement they saw the progress being made in the construction of the Jubilee Lutheran Centre. Hope abounds, but there is much work still to be done; building of structures and programs that will continue for many years to come. What Can We Do to Help? · Pray! Pray for continued peace in Sierra Leone. Pray for the growth of the Lutheran churches and their ministry. Pray for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone and their Church Council. Pray for their pastors: Bishop Tom Barnett and Reverends Marie Barnett, Momoh Foh, Samuel Yovonie, Dalton Levi-John, Yashim Turay, and Edward Lavally. Pray for the newly trained evangelists and seminarians. Pray for the people who hunger to hear the Gospel of hope in a land where homelessness, hunger, disease, and poverty abound. · Help your congregation become aware of the work of our committee by utilizing the resources being made available for education. Consider becoming a member of this committee to help spread the word about Sierra Leone and the ELCSL. Invite a committee member to come speak at your church. Have your congregation become a partner with one of the sister churches in Sierra Leone - applications available by contacting the Companion Synod Committee · Make a (tax deductible) donation to the work of the ELCSL and the Companion Synod Committee by sending your check clearly marked for “Sierra Leone Fund” to the NT-NL Synod Office, PO Box 56087, Dallas, TX, 75356. This includes personal contributions given to help defray travel expenses for the Barnetts. Donations specifically intended for the Jubilee Centre should be clearly marked as such. Who do I Contact? Rev. Peder Sandager St. Luke’s Lutheran Church 1210 W. Beltline Rd. Richardson, TX 75080 (972) 234-8804 Email: Psandager@att.net Debra Loudin-McCann 1107 Country Club Ct. Mansfield, TX 76063 Email: topcat@mindspring.com |
| Copyright 2008 Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |