Global Connection
Global connection is helping our immigrant communities stay connected to their nations of origin. This is a very natural inclination of immigrant communities. In the case of African national ministries of the EOCM, ELCA we strive to guide our churches and our communities go through the proper channel of our Global missions office to enhance their proper relationship with their churches of natural connections.
In most cases African national ministries in the ELCA have a Lutheran church origin in some part of Africa. However there are also some African national communities where there are no Lutheran church presences or where there are very few Lutherans. Nonetheless most of the African refugees in the ELCA have come across the Lutheran World Federation or Lutheran World Relief or Lutheran Immigration and refugee services or Lutheran Social services. Either in refugee camps in the remotest parts of Africa or at their arrival here in the United States most of them have been served and blessed through the ministries of our social services.
In the case of those communities where there are no Lutheran presence in their countries they are trying to start Lutheran churches in collaboration with the Global missions office of ELCA, neighboring Lutheran churches in Africa, Lutheran World Federation and local efforts on the ground. As an African national ministries in the EOCM our involvement is this venture is very limited. We usually limit our services to referring people to the appropriate person in the Global mission and other church organization.
In the mean time we strive to collect best practices in the areas of missiology, evangelism, lay leadership, revival, church planting and spirituality to share with brothers and sisters in the west. This is to show our missional interconnectedness and share the gift of God as we continue to strengthen the body of Christ around the world.
African national ministries is also working on organizing international mission trips to Africa. This is to take people to places in Africa where Lutheran churches are rapidly growing. The goal would be to do missiological reflection on the way we do mission and see how we can trade mission and ministry best practices two ways. At this juncture the African national ministries team is looking at 2009 at the year of international mission trip. Exact date and details will be posted at preparations are finalized.