Mission History

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana

The origin of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB) relates to the missionary work done by Germany, Sweden, Finland, and the Namibian Lutheran Church. Beginning in 1862, Germans established congregations in the southern part of Botswana (Hermannsburg Mission-ELM). The Berlin Mission established itself in the beginning of the 1970s in the south eastern region of the country, especially in the mining area of Phikwe. The Finnish Evangelical Mission Society (FELM) also worked along the Northern region and established congregations around the Francistown District.

At approximately the same period, the Lutheran Church in Namibia (supported by the Rhenish Mission-U.E.M.) started vigorous mission work in the north western region in the Kgalagadi Desert, to the south western part of the country (Kang-Hukuntsi Mission and Sehitwa Mission). Toward the end of the 1970s there were important moves to unite these diverse mission congregations and structures. The church was officially registered in September of 1979, and became a member of the Lutheran World Federation in 1986. Today the church has 22,000 members.