Yesterday’s LCSA NW diocesan meeting in Phokeng near Rustenburg was a hot affair – literally. Temperatures at this time of year in the northern bushveld tend to go way beyond the mid thirties and sitting out in a plastic tent, doesn’t do much for cooling down the matter. Very quickly the side’s were put down and yet the ventilation was minimal. Another hot day to work through. Thankfully in the late afternoon around 5 things cooled off somewhat. By that time most issues on the long agenda had been worked through and we could relax for the election of the next diocesan committee. Dean T.J. Mafereka was re-elected and moruti Christopher Mosenogi was chosen to be his deputy. That is quite a surprising sequence of events as last year the latter had still be put into quarantine. Well, seems as if that has been sorted after the apology by the diocesan committee.
The diocesan council had cancelled this years Reformation festival in October on very short notice and sometimes even without any. That left some congregations in serious upheaval. In times of cellphones, SMS and internet it is not permissible to disregard the constituencies in this manner. To me this seems quite unrealistic, but it just goes to show that I have a lot to learn still. Nothing is so strange as that it could not happen anyway – even in the church.
Two reports were required from my side – both the Seminary and the Church report. They were posted and published before hand and so I could offer Powerpointpresentations as supplements. One of the decisive issues was the development of one of the LCSA’s prime missionstations: Roodepoort near Ventersdorp. Since the departure of Missionary Manfred Nietzke that place has fallen into serious disrepair and in my opinion Church and old parsonage are beyond repair. However we did get an offer from Ernst Henning, the grandchild of the missionary serving Roodepoort in its heyday. The offer entailed paying R250, 000 to the LCSA, renovating it for the LCSA and granting the LCSA free usage of both church and parsonage once repaired. However the synod sensed some “unfair enrichment” and preferred to decline the offer and put the mission farm on public sale. Well, that goes a long way to prove the deeply engrained hurt and suspicion in some of the older people of NW. Through their experience of the forced removals the large congregations of Roodepoort and Botsabelo – both well over 5, 000 members – were dispersed throughout the NW and have not recovered original well-being and prosperity. On the contrary – some of the older people are still remembering the good old days, when they were united and doing well together in the traditional strongholds. For me it was another eye-opener and I am very grateful that I can get to know these internal stories – even if it does take time.
Having a diocesan synod in Phokeng was also quite an experience. This congregation is really only an outpost in the bush. The pastor lives somewhere in the vicinity, but the congregational property is just a very basic structure. Just 2 weeks ago wind had destroyed it and since then it has been rebuilt quite provisionally. This was used as kitchen, while a tent was pitched to accommodate the synod. At least we had chairs and up front even some tables. There was electricity so the projector did function even if the light was so bright, that the pictures where hardly visible. Thankfully everybody had the synodical papers in a folder available and so we could move from one point to the next on the agenda. After the elections we just had time for speedy farewells before darkness spread.
Driving back home to Pretoria with Dean Mandla Thwala, who had come as a member of the LCSA Church council, we had time to digest some of the days happenings. It was nearly 10 pm, when I finally reached home – about 16 hours after leaving early in the morning. Another day in the life as Bishop of the LCSA.
Today on the other hand was quite different. My friend and colleague Pastor Matthias Albers had requested that I step in at St. Pauls, because he was asked to conduct a wedding down in KZN yesterday. So I was at St. Pauls at 8h00 this morning. A confessional service preceded the Lutheran mass and Sunday school later. Vicar Helmut Paul preached in the confessional service, while I had the privilege of doing that on Mt.24,1-14. As normal I enjoyed preaching tremendously. I concentrated on the last verses: “But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Mat 24:13-14 ESV). The hymns were accompanied well by Otto Johannes on the organ and Sunday school was a delight – even though there were only a handful of children. The Christmas cycle starting on the 1st Sunday of Advent and ending after the time of Epiphany on the Sunday of Transfiguration was theme of the instruction class. It’s always a great joy to do this Christian education with such eager and positive children even while the parents are in alert attendance.
After the divine service the afrikaans congregation held a funeral service for the deceased Mr. Johannes Bruwer [?], who had died of a heart-attack in the last week. He was 57 years old and Angelika is befriended with his wife and her family from her Lueneburg days. That was nearly as shocking as the sudden death of Walter Drewes from Durban, who sat down to work at his computer and died: “So may God teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psa 90:12 ESV) May he – the Lord of life and death – comfort the bereaved + Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
Wilhelm's space 