June 25, 2013 in Bishop, Bishop messages, Global Vision, SEKOMU
Bishop’s Tanzanian Visit
Bishop Burkat and Joanne Carlson have just completed a visit to Tanzania, including five days on the territory of our companion North-Eastern Diocese and then a gathering to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
The Bishop and Joanne Carlson are welcomed at the Irente School for the Blind.
The festive anniversary celebration included tree-planting, gift-giving, choirs and greetings from Lutheran representatives from the ELCA and Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Canada. The prime minister of Tanzania spoke at this event.
NED Head Office staff greet the SEPA visitors.
During their visit, the bishop and Mrs. Carlson were warmly received by Bishop Stephen Munga and the NED head office staff. They visited our missionarires, Tom and Susan MacPherson, at Irente Children’s Home, and delighted young people at the Irente School for the Blind with the news that the ELCA’s North/West Lower Michigan Synod had elected a blind person, Rev. Dr. Craig Satterlee, as bishop.
With Tom and Susan MacPherson and charges at Irente Children’s Home.
Irente Biodiversity Preserve.
They also visited the Irente Biodiversity Reserve, which integrates conservation, farming and rural development, and toured the brand new academic building at Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU) with vice chancellor Dr. Anneth Munga. SEPA raised funds to help furnish one of the lecture rooms. The six-year-old university now has a student body of more than 1,300 and offers several advanced degrees.
With Vice Chancellor Dr. Anneth Munga, students and faculty at SEKOMU.
Bishop Burkat preaching at the Cathedral Church June 16.
During the trip they visited Irente Lutheran Parish (in companionship with Resurrection, Yardley) and the Cathedral Church in Lushoto (companion with Upper Dublin Lutheran Church) and met with Bishop Munga, General Secretary Mwinuka, Pastor Sabina Lumwe, Director of Mission and 14 of our companion parish pastors to plan for renewed and future partnership development.
With pastors and church elders.
Reception at Irente Children’s Home.
