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LWF and Namibia The Lutheran World Federation and Namibia Ralston Deffenbaugh Contents Preface ................................................................... 1 Namibia Timeline .................................................... 2 The three LWF Member Churches in Namibia .......... 5 © The Lutheran World Federation, 2017 A Voice of the Voiceless ........................................... 7 This work, including all of its parts, is protected by copy- The LWF’s Early Engagement with Namibia .............. 7 right. Any use beyond the strict limits of copyright law with- The Open Letter ......................................................9 out permission is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. Attacks on the Church ............................................11 Political Trials ........................................................ 13 This book was printed on FSC-certified paper Status Confessionis and the Suspension Cover: Namibians in the North line up of LWF Member Churches .................................. 15 early to vote for the first time, Scholarships ..........................................................17 7 November 1989. Advocacy for Independence .................................. 19 Photo: LWF/R. Deffenbaugh Service with Refugees ........................................... 21 Design & Layout: LWF Communications UNTAG and Independence ....................................23 Department for Theology and Post-Independence Engagement ........................... 25 Public Witness Document and photo reseaurch: LWF Archives Publisher: The Lutheran World Federation – A Communion of Churches Department for Theology and Public Witness Route de Ferney 150 P. O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland ISBN 978-2-940459-54-4 [email protected] The Lutheran World Federation and Namibia Preface In 2013, when the Namibian Lu- for refugees, project support for theran churches invited the Lutheran the churches, scholarships, and World Federation to hold the Twelfth extensive advocacy. It is fair to say Assembly in Namibia, they said, “Our that the UN transitional peace plan wish to host the Assembly is based could not have succeeded without on the long-standing relation to the the active support and cooperation LWF and should also be seen as a of the church. sign of gratitude on our side for the Since independence, Namibia many benefits arriving from that has been at peace and is regarded relationship.” as a stable democracy with respect This small booklet gives a flavor for human rights and human dignity. of the history and extent of that close We give thanks to God for the prog- relationship between the LWF and ress that Namibians have made, and Namibia. The Namibian churches ask for God’s continued blessings and the LWF played a vital role as the Namibian churches face the during Namibia’s struggle for inde- Rev. Dr Martin Junge, General Secretary, challenges of today. As part of the pendence. Under South African rule, The Lutheran World Federation. communion, their struggle continues Photo: LWF/H. Putsman the policy was to divide people along to be part of the struggle of the LWF racial and tribal lines. The churches care, human dignity and democratic as a whole. were virtually the only organizations decision making. The church also that brought people together inside gave black Namibians contact with Rev. Dr Martin Junge Namibia. It was largely through the the world at large. The LWF walked General Secretary church that black Namibians could in solidarity with the Namibians The Lutheran World Federation have access to education, health through humanitarian assistance 1 Namibia Timeline 1806: First permanent Christian mission estab- 1921: South West Africa (SWA) becomes a lished in Namibia by the London Mission- League of Nations Mandate, administered ary Society, at Warmbad in the south. by South Africa on behalf of “His Britan- nic Majesty.” South Africa is expected 1842: Rhenish Missionary Society (RMS) begins to administer SWA as a “sacred trust of work in Namibia, at Windhoek. civilization.” 1870: Finnish Missionary Society, by invitation of 1946: The League of Nations is formally dissolved. RMS, begins work in Namibia, at Oman- All League of Nations Mandate Territories, dongo in the north. if not by then independent, become United Nations Trust Territories, with the 1876: Great Britain annexes the area around exception of SWA. Instead, South Africa Walvis Bay. seeks to incorporate it. 1884: Germany begins colonization of what is 1948: The National Party assumes power in called Deutsch Südwestafrika (German South Africa and imposes the apartheid South West Africa). system both in South Africa and SWA. 1904–1908: German–Herero and German–Nama wars. 1959: The Ovamboland People’s Organization Germany carries out the first genocide of (OPO) is founded with Sam Nujoma as its the twentieth century. 75–80 percent of the president. Herero were killed (from 60,000–80,000 to 16,000) and 35–50 percent of the Nama 1959: Police open fire and kill thirteen people (from 15,000–20,000 to 10,000). protesting the forced removal of Blacks in Windhoek from the Old Location to the 1915: As part of World War I, South Africa conquers new apartheid township of Katutura. and occupies German South West Africa. 2 The Lutheran World Federation and Namibia 3 1960: OPO broadens its mandate and changes 1978: South Africa attacks Namibian refugees at its name to SWAPO—South West Africa Kassinga, Angola, killing more than 600 People’s Organization. persons, mainly women and children. 1966: An armed struggle begins between SWAPO 1978: The UN Security Council adopts Resolu- guerrillas and South African forces, at tion 435, setting out the plan for a UN Omgulumbashe in the north. Transitional Assistance Group and for independence for Namibia. 1966: The UN General Assembly votes to end the League of Nations Mandate and es- 1988: South Africa finally agrees to the implemen- tablishes the United Nations Council for tation of Resolution 435; Cuba agrees to Namibia. withdraw its forces from Angola. 1971: The International Court of Justice rules 1989: Resolution 435 is implemented. UNTAG that South Africa’s continued presence is deployed in Namibia and oversees a in Namibia is illegal and that South Africa year-long transition to independence. Free is obliged to withdraw its administration and fair elections are held in which SWAPO immediately. wins 57 percent of the vote. 1971: The Evangelical Lutheran Ovambokavango 1990: The Constitution of the Republic of Na- Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church mibia is unanimously adopted. On 21 in SWA issue the “Open Letter,” calling for March Namibia becomes independent, human rights to be put into operation and with Sam Nujoma as president. for the independence of Namibia. 2005: After Namibia’s fourth free and fair elec- 1971–1972: The national strike by migrant contract tions, Hifikepunye Pohamba becomes workers is brutally suppressed. president. 1975: Arrest and detention of SWAPO supporters, 2015: After Namibia’s sixth free and fair elections, including eight Lutheran pastors. Hage Geingob becomes president. 4 The Lutheran World Federation and Namibia The Three LWF Member Churches in Namibia The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) (650,000 mem- bers) is the largest church in Na- mibia. Formerly known as the Evan- gelical Lutheran Ovambokavango Church (ELOC) and rooted in the far northern part of the country, where half the Namibian people live, to this day its worship services are pri- marily in the Ovambo and Kavango languages. The ELCIN grew out of the Finnish Missionary Society (now FELM), whose workers first arrived in northern Namibia in 1870. The Olukonda Church (ELCIN), Northern Namibia. ELCIN’s first synod was formed in Photo: LWF/R. Deffenbaugh 1925; it became an independent church in 1957. Its first bishop was Church in South West Africa (ELC- in Namibia in 1842. The ELCRN Rev. Dr Leonard Auala. The ELCIN SWA) and rooted in the central and became an independent church in became a member of the LWF in southern parts of Namibia, ELCRN’s 1957 and in 1972 elected its first 1961. worship services are primarily in the indigenous leader, Rev. Dr Lukas The Evangelical Lutheran Church Nama-Damara, Herero, Ovambo and de Vries. The ELCRN became a in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) Afrikaans languages. The ELCRN member of the LWF in 1970. (350,000 members) is the second- grew out of the Rhenish Missionary The Evangelical Lutheran Church largest church in Namibia. Formerly Society (now the United Evangelical in Namibia—German Evangelical known as the Evangelical Lutheran Mission), whose workers first arrived Lutheran Church (ELCIN-GELC) 5 ELCRN headquarters, Windhoek. Photo: LWF/R. Deffenbaugh (5,200 members), formerly known as the German Evangelical Lu- theran Church in South West Africa (DELKSWA), is rooted in the central and southern parts of Namibia. Its worship services are primarily in German. The ELCIN–GELC grew out of the Rhenish Missionary Society and later the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), whose workers ministered to the German-speaking community. Its first synod was in 1926 and it became an independent church in 1960 and a member of the LWF in 1963. Christuskirche (ELCIN–GELC), Windhoek. Photo: LWF Archives 6 The Lutheran World Federation and Namibia A Voice of the Voiceless The LWF’s early engagement with Namibia Since its founding in 1947, the LWF has been connected with Namibia. The first concrete link came after the end of World War II, when Namib- ian German Lutherans sent in-kind
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