Iringa Partnership

"A New Partnership is Made"

On Sunday, June 15th, 2003, Pastor Don and Eunice Fultz were guests at Fish Lake to share with us about the Companion Church Program through the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, sponsored by the St. Paul Area Synod.  The Fultz's did a fine job explaining the benefits this program provides for both the local congregations of the St. Paul Area Synod as well as the congregations of the Iringa Diocese in Tanzania. 

On Tuesday, August 5th, the Fish Lake Church Council voted unanimously to approve the Social Ministry Committee's proposal to enter into this program and begin a partnership with a companion congregation in Tanzania. 

This was good news for Fish Lake Lutheran Church!

This is an opportunity for us, members of Fish Lake Lutheran Church, to make a difference in the lives, work, ministry, and play of people far from Stark, MN.

This is an opportunity for us to interact with people of a different race, ethnicity, and culture through different means of communication.  We will be interacting through letters, tapes, videos, email, and ultimately, in a face to face visit as we, youth and adults from Fish Lake, plan ahead for a mission trip to Tanzania.

The people we will be communicating with are by no means, spiritually hungry.  They are a people of strong religious convictions and a faith that carries them through every day of their lives, much like you and I.  They are, however, less fortunate in terms of their basic needs being met.  Abundant food sources, safe drinking water, and reliable health care seem to be lacking, which, in turn leads to all kinds of health concerns, disease, and malnourishment.

The expectations of us as a partner congregation are minimal.
To help you understand better these expectations, I will provide a bit of background about the program.

Officially begun in 1987 as a synod-to-synod program with a primary focus on educating pastors for the rapidly growing Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the synod's relationship with the Iringa Diocese has evolved into a grassroots movement in which congregations in the Saint Paul Area Synod are matched with congregations in the Iringa Diocese. The companion congregation program focuses on five areas, including prayer, communication, scholarship for secondary and post-secondary education, exchange visits, and financial support. Fifty-two partnerships have been formed with congregations in Iringa Diocese. Two congregations in the synod-Family of Christ, Lakeville, and Peace, Inver Grove Heights-share a companion congregation in Tanzania.

Participating congregations agree to pray for one another regularly and to engage in regular communication through e-mail, videos, letters, or photographs. Providing scholarships helps strengthen the local economy, and exchanges between congregations affirm unity in mission and foster cultural understanding. In addition, Saint Paul Area Synod congregations support Tanzanian congregations with up to $1,000 annually over three years, which might include the purchase of roofing and building materials, program support, cows, or bicycles for evangelists. Funds contributed above this amount are added to a Common Basket and used for congregations without companions to meet specific needs.

Since its inception in 1987, more than 500 visitors from the Saint Paul Area Synod have visited Iringa, with more than half of those visiting since the congregation partnerships began in 2000. More than 40 have visited the synod from Iringa, ten of those since 2000. And, thirty synod congregations have visited partner parishes in groups ranging from three to twenty people. These visits have strengthened and cemented relationships with partner parishes by enabling visitors to understand the culture, faith, and life of our brothers and sisters in Christ living in Iringa.

Local churches already participating in this companionship program include First Lutheran of Rush City, Trinity of North Branch, Elim of Scandia, Faith of Forest Lake, and Chisago Lake Lutheran of Center City.

What a gift it will be for us, as members of Fish Lake Lutheran, to grow together as brothers and sisters in Christ with a congregation across the globe, sharing our common purpose of worshipping, praising, and witnessing to a great and glorious God who created us equally in his image to live and work together as the Body of Christ.

Watch for monthly updates in the Vine & Branches concerning this new partnership and for ways in which you can participate directly in this new mission opportunity.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Dale