Angola

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola

Who is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola and what are its ministries?

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola, (Igreja Evangelica Lutherana de Angola - IELA), is a member of the Lutheran World Federation and of the LWF's regional expression, the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA).  Present in 8 provinces of Angola, the church has 57 active and retired pastors, 27 evangelists, 8 deacons, a number of catechists, 29 congregations, and a membership of 29,000.  Its head office is located in the town of Lubango.

The IELA mainly works in the Cunene Province, which has a population of about 400,000. Many of the people are farmers, producing pearl millet, sorghum, cowpeas, and melons.

The IELA’s very active and established ministry programs include mission and evangelism, social action, health, education, and human rights promotion. It also has projects to support agriculture, HIV/AIDS education, drought relief and literacy.

How do the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America accompany one another in ministry?

Through the churchwide ELCA Global Mission unit, the ELCA relates to and is in bilateral relationship with over 80 companion churches and institutions. The ELCA Global Mission unit stewards a church-to-church relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola.

Churchwide funding through the ELCA Global Mission unit supports key priorities identified by the IELA. 

In Angola, the ELCA also funds significant work through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a global communion of 140 churches (including the ELCA) and 68 million people that is grounded in a common Lutheran faith.  The LWF provides space for Lutherans from around the world to share joys, challenges, and expertise as they seek the healing of the world. ELCA World Hunger funds help support the Department for World Service (DWS), the LWF’s relief and development arm, and the Department for Mission and Development (DMD), which focuses on holistic ministries through which the church participates in God’s mission to all creation.

In Angola, ELCA World Hunger funds help support Christian education and capacity building through LUCSA and the LWF's Department for World Service's Angola country program, which works with vulnerable, war-affected populations in Angola, focusing on seven key areas: 

• civil society building, human rights, peace and reconciliation
• water and sanitation
• agriculture and food security
• social infrastructure rehabilitation: schools
• social infrastructure rehabilitation: health posts
• HIV-AIDS and preventive health
• community development and emergency preparedness

Angola: the context in which the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola serves

The Republic of Angola won independence from Portugal in 1975, but this independence was followed by 27 years of civil war that ended in 2002. The official language is Portuguese, although Bantu and many African languages are spoken by its 12.1 million citizens. Indigenous beliefs are held by about 47% of the population, about 38% are Roman Catholic, and 15% are Protestant. (15%).

Angola is rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits. Oil production makes up 90% of its exports. Angola faces major social and economic challenges as a result of its long civil war. The country's infrastructure is still widely damaged or undeveloped, and land mines still pose a threat. Population pressures are contributing to deforestation, soil desertification, and water pollution.