Every year in November, the FELSISA holds its annual church councillors’ retreat at FELS, a conference facility in the vicinity of Paulpietersburg in northern KwaZulu-Natal. This year, more than 80 church councillors and pastors from FELSISA congregations attended the retreat from November 2-3. The conference theme was “Theological and Pastoral Aspects of the Land and Property Law Debate in South Africa.” The land issue has recently come to prominence in South Africa as more and more politicians have begun to call for farms and land to be expropriated without compensation, following a protracted attempt to address major discrepancies in land ownership statistics in South Africa which fall along racial lines, with more than two thirds of the country’s arable land still being in the hands of white farmers almost 25 years after the end of apartheid. Naturally, the issue is an emotionally charged one and the prospect of expropriation without compensation evokes a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety over the country’s future, especially in terms of stability, safety, investment security, food production, and property rights.

Dr. Böhmer of the LTS was invited to address the church councillors on the land issue following a recent workshop held for FELSISA pastors in August of this year by Rev. Dr. John T. Pless of the LCMS, Rev. Michael Meyer of LCMS Disaster Relief, and Dr. Böhmer. The presentation was broken down into two segments, the first entitled “Theological Aspects of the Land and Property Law Debate in South Africa” and the second “Pastoral Aspects and Decisions.” Böhmer spoke on Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions to highlight the Lutheran position on property ownership (individual vs. communal). He went on to draw from Dr. Martin Luther’s “Admonition to Peace: A Reply to the Twelve Articles of the Peasants in Swabia” (1525) and his “Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed” (1523) to formulate seven theses towards a pastoral approach to the issue. A summary of the presentation has been accepted for publication in a forthcoming issue of LOGIA (Eastertide, 2019).

During the conference, LTS Rector Dr. C. Walter Winterle was given the opportunity to express his thanks to FELSISA congregations and individual donors for their tremendous support shown to the LTS in 2018.

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The Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA), one of the member churches supporting the LTS, gathered in convention from 13-15 September 2018 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church just up the street from the LTS. The LTS student choir sang during the opening divine service, and LTS chairman Dr. Gunter Rencken provided a report on the seminary to the gathered delegates. FELSISA as a synod, its congregations, and many members are providing strong support to the LTS this year.

2018.09.13 FELSISA Synod LTS choir

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A number of pastors and lay delegates from various FELSISA congregations traveling to the FELSISA synod in Pretoria from 13-15 September brought with them food items donated to the LTS.

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The Commission finalized the content of a reader documenting the available recorded history of the churches in question and the mission. At the same time, it is clear that the documentation is sorely incomplete due to the lack of oral history reflecting statements by eyewitnesses. The process of recording the oral history by means of interviews is turning out to be more difficult and protracted than expected.

The Commission agreed that this project needs to be completed as soon as possible, and so the chairman was requested to direct a written request to the participating churches highlighting the urgency of and need for ongoing cooperation, even after the publication of the reader.

All members are convinced that the events of the past continue to define in some ways and to burden the relationships between the sister churches. This makes it all the more imperative to continue with such multilateral dialogues, in order to promote reciprocal understanding in the congregations.

(Translated from SELK News)

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Since the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa (FELSISA) was invited in December 2009 by its partner church, the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA), to become a member of the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Tshwane, we have been actively involved both in the administration and funding of the LTS. Although the long term goal of the FELSISA has always been that its own students of theology should study at the LTS, this goal has (with the exception of attending a few classes) not been realised yet, since its students continue to make use of opportunities provided by partner churches abroad to study there, in particular at the Lutherische Theologische Hochschule (LThH) in Oberursel, Germany. That being said, this has not diminished the FELSISA’s involvement at the LTS, which – at this stage – is largely seen as one of its mission projects to be actively supported in its endeavour to become an accredited institution not only for students of the LCSA and the FELSISA, but of students from Lutheran Churches throughout Africa that do not have an own seminary and cannot afford the tuition fees of tertiary education.

From 2009 to 2010 Dr. Dieter Reinstorf served on the LTS Board of Directors (BOD). After being elected Bishop of the FELSISA, Dr. Reinstorf was replaced on the BOD in 2011 by Pastor Matthias Albers, then pastor in Pretoria and since 2012 pastor in Panbult. Pastor Albers served on the BOD with distinction and commitment. At the end of 2017 Pastor Albers, who needed to make a return trip of 700km from Panbult to Pretoria to attend BOD meetings, indicated that he wished to step down should the FELSISA manage to find an able replacement for him.

Bishop Dr. Reinstorf approached Mr. Hugo Meyer (Pretoria) to serve on the BOD, based in particular on his management skills and his active involvement over many years in the local German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul’s Congregation in Arcadia, only two streets away from the LTS.

Mr. Hugo Meyer is a successful farmer near Skeerpoort outside of Pretoria, serving the pig and meat industries in various capacities. His management skills are unique. He regards not his farm, but rather his staff as his most important asset. In contrast to many other farmers in South Africa, he has managed to build his farming enterprise into a sizable business by transferring skills to his staff members. His leadership style is one of inclusion and empowering others, even if such a practice can lead to initial disappointments and mistakes being made. But the long term achievements always outweigh the short term successes.

Apart from running his business, Mr. Meyer also served on the St. Paul’s church council twice, from 1992 to 1997 and 2010 to 2014.

Mr. Meyer is a valuable asset on the BOD of the LTS. The FELSISA is most grateful that he accepted this position and is confident that his input and hard work will serve the LTS well.

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Pictured here is Rev. Tobias Ahlers, pastor of the English Lutheran Fellowship (ELF), a FELSISA congregation in Randburg. Due to the vacancy in the post of systematic theology at the LTS, Pastor Ahlers was approached with the request to teach a systematics course at the LTS this semester. He kindly agreed , and his congregation very generously granted hm permission to do so. Pastor Ahlers commutes to the LTS from Randburg by motorcycle, braving the arduous traffic congestion twice a week. Systematic theology happens to be his area of special interest, which makes for a great fit for us. Welcome, Rev. Ahlers! We are most grateful for your contribution. The Lord’s blessing on your service.

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