Lutheran Church in Liberia

The Lutheran Mission in Liberia -- the very first Lutheran missionary attempt in Africa -- was established in 1860 by missionaries from the Lutheran Church in America, beginning with a boys’ school at Muhlenberg, a site forty miles from the coast on the St. Paul River. The unique vision of the first missionaries was to move “up country” as soon as possible to work among the indigenous population – not to remain along the coast among the Americo-Liberian population where other denominations were concentrated.

Mission work, carried out by both missionary pastors and Liberian evangelists, focused in rural central and northwestern Liberia, mostly among the Kpelle and Loma people. In 1948 a literacy program was established, where evangelists and many other Christians learned how to read their native language. The Bible was translated into Kpelle and Loma, which greatly enhanced the ability of Liberians to lead their own congregational life.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liberia was first organized in 1947 alongside the Lutheran Mission, and then was reorganized in 1965 under indigenous Liberian leadership as the Lutheran Church in Liberia. The first bishop, Roland J. Payne, the son of a tribal chief, led the church into this new independent phase.

The purpose and Mission Statement of the LCL are: “to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the Gospel through Word and Sacrament, and to gather into fellowship those who respond in faith and to teach members to be faithful stewards in church, home, community, nation and world to preach, teach, heal and serve through its various ministries.”

THE CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY

Today, the Lutheran Church in Liberia has approximately 71,000 members, 40 parishes with over 50 congregations and more than 150 preaching points scattered in twelve of the 15 political subdivisions of Liberia. There are 76 ordained pastors. In addition to its ministry of word and sacrament, the Lutheran Church in Liberia is well known for its educational and health care ministries.

Church partners:
In additional to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church in Liberia is partners with Lutheran Churches in Sweden, Denmark and Germany (Bavaria).

Theological Education
The Gbarnga School of Theology (GST) has operated as a non-denominational institution, training pastors for the Lutheran, Methodist and Episcopal Churches in Liberia until 2001. The institution was established as a joint venture of these three churches, but two years ago the LCL stopped contributing to GST and the three churches agreed to annex the seminary to the United Methodist University. However, for the time being the LCL still trains its pastors at the school because it is more cost effective and efficient than what it would cost to train pastors in other African countries or outside of Africa. Presently, the Methodist Church has the highest number of students and teachers at GST. Only one LCL teacher is currently teaching at the school. While there have been plans for a Lutheran seminary in Liberia, owned by LCL, the effects of the war have prohibited any progress and the founding of a Lutheran seminary has been delayed.

For more information about how the Lutheran Church in Liberia is responding to the recently ended civil war, and how the ELCA is accompanying the church in Liberia visit : http://www.elca.org/liberia