Pastor's Page…

Pastor Kenneth Lahners

Africa has always conjured up exciting and mysterious images for me.  Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by the vast array of wildlife.  There are the dangers of poisonous snakes and deadly diseases.  There are the many different human cultures.  In the last several decades there has been something new: the explosive growth of Christianity in Africa.

It is that growth of the faith that is the background to our visit to Tanzania.  For many years the Northern Great Lakes Synod has enjoyed a warm relationship with the Eastern and Coastal Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (now the second largest Lutheran church in the world).  I will be traveling to Tanzania with Bishop Tom and Luanne Skrenes and their sons Jeff, David, and Aaron.  We go as your ambassadors, representing Trinity and the synod.  We will be visiting congregations (including our sister congregation Matumbi) and clinics and schools supported by the diocese.  We will seek to strengthen the Christian fellowship and cooperation that we have enjoyed.  We go bearing your greetings.       

I will be especially interested in getting to know the spiritual terrain of Tanzania.  What are the cultural conditions that make people so receptive to Jesus Christ, how is the gospel proclaimed, what can we learn from them?  I certainly do not expect to come back with “all the answers” but hope I can gain some insight as a result of this trip.  Most importantly, I look forward to making and extending relationships, both personally and for our churches.

Thank you so much for making this trip possible.  Please keep us in your prayers as you will be in ours. I look forward to bringing you greetings from our Christian brothers and sisters in Tanzania and to sharing with you about this journey. 

~Pastor Kenneth