The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) has distanced itself from the recognition of same-sex marriages by Lutheran churches in the US and Sweden.
The head of the ELCT, Bishop Alex Malasusa, said during his Easter Mass sermon at the Azania Front Church in Dar es Salaam that the local church did not support the decision because it was against God’s word.
He said Lutheran churches in the US and Sweden had strayed from the Scriptures, and it was up to Africa to bring them back into line.
“ELCT has refused to recognise the decision to allow same-sex marriages because it is against the Holy Bible. It is in direct contravention of God’s word, which has not changed,” Bishop Malasusa said.
No surprise here. Back when Tanzania was Tanganyika (1919-1961), or even earlier German East Africa (a German colony from 1885-1919), there were a lot of German Lutheran missionaries who did great missionary work in that part of the world. The parallels with the stark contrast between Anglicanism in the faithless and disobedient Global North and in the spiritually faithful and vibrant Global South are obvious. But will the ELCA or the moribund Church of Sweden heed this sharp rebuke from the dynamic Lutherans in East Africa? I wouldn’t bet on it.
David Handy+
Nein, dey ist TEc-olytes, de ELCA und De cOS.