Malagasy Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Malagasy Lutheran Church (in Malagasy it is known as FLM: Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy) is a Christian
denomination in Madagascar
and France
, established in 1950 by the unification of 1,800 Lutheran congregations in central and southern Madagascar. The oldest of these congregations was founded in the early 19th Century.
With almost 3 million baptized members it is the third largest church in Madagascar and is one of the fastest growing Lutheran churches in the world. Its success is due in part to an indigenous revival movement, known as Fifohazana, that has worked through the church since the early twentieth century. Most of the present leaders are also members of the Fifohazana movement.
The FLM also boasts an impressive health care program of nine hospitals and thirteen dispensaries, known as SALFA. It is primarily a community based primary health project with special initiatives that cover child survival
, family planning
and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Members of the church have also served as missionaries in Cameroon
and Papua New Guinea
.
began to work in the south of Madagascar in 1866. Equally the Mission of the American Lutheran Church
began work in the south-west in 1888. The church became autonomous as one body in 1950 under the name Malagasy Lutheran Church (or FLM : Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy).
At its founding the Malagasy Lutheran Church had around 18,000 members, today it boasts approximately 3 million and is the 9th largest church in the LWF (Lutheran World Federation
) It was the first former "mission field" church to be accepted into the LWF.
The church joined the World Council of Churches in 1966. It is also a member of the All Africa Conference of Churches
(AACC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Malagasy Council of Christian Churches (FFKM) and the Malagasy Council of Protestant Churches (FFPM).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, established in 1950 by the unification of 1,800 Lutheran congregations in central and southern Madagascar. The oldest of these congregations was founded in the early 19th Century.
With almost 3 million baptized members it is the third largest church in Madagascar and is one of the fastest growing Lutheran churches in the world. Its success is due in part to an indigenous revival movement, known as Fifohazana, that has worked through the church since the early twentieth century. Most of the present leaders are also members of the Fifohazana movement.
The FLM also boasts an impressive health care program of nine hospitals and thirteen dispensaries, known as SALFA. It is primarily a community based primary health project with special initiatives that cover child survival
Child survival
Child survival is a field of public health concerned with reducing child mortality. Child survival interventions are designed to address the most common causes of child deaths that occur, which includes diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and neonatal conditions...
, family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Members of the church have also served as missionaries in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Organization
The Malagasy Lutheran Church is subdivided in to 24 synods, each synod has a President elected by local congregation representatives. The governing body of the church is elected every four years by a national gathering of over 300 representatives from the 24 synods. The members of the governing body are: 1. President, 2. Secretary General, 3. Vice President, 4. Vice Secretary General, 5. TreasurerHistory
Norwegian missionaries of the Norwegian Missionary SocietyNorwegian Missionary Society
The Norwegian Missionary Society is a Norwegian missionary organization.It was started by a group of approx 180 people in the town of Stavanger in Norway in August 1842. The goal was to spread the Christian religion to other peoples, mainly in Africa...
began to work in the south of Madagascar in 1866. Equally the Mission of the American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
began work in the south-west in 1888. The church became autonomous as one body in 1950 under the name Malagasy Lutheran Church (or FLM : Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy).
At its founding the Malagasy Lutheran Church had around 18,000 members, today it boasts approximately 3 million and is the 9th largest church in the LWF (Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
) It was the first former "mission field" church to be accepted into the LWF.
The church joined the World Council of Churches in 1966. It is also a member of the All Africa Conference of Churches
All Africa Conference of Churches
All Africa Conference of Churches is an ecumenical fellowship that represents more than 120 million African Christians in 169 national churches and regional Christian councils....
(AACC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Malagasy Council of Christian Churches (FFKM) and the Malagasy Council of Protestant Churches (FFPM).