This week in Christian history: Dwight Moody dies, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa founded – Dec. 18, 1975
This week marks the anniversary of when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa was officially established, bringing together multiple churches based in South Africa.
The decision to unify the churches came as part of a multiday meeting held at Rustenburg, Tlhabane, South Africa, from Dec. 15-20. The churches that came together were comprised of black Africans. White Africans had been invited but reportedly refused to attend.
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Shortly after the new church constitution was announced, according to the Christian History Institute, an unknown figure threw a tear gas canister into the assembly, resulting in several attendees being hospitalized and a few suffering permanent eye damage.
Although no one was ever found guilty of the crime, the Institute noted that the Apartheid government was a major suspect.
“South African police were notorious for their use of tear gas against assemblies. And the government had cause to fear unification of black Lutherans because many had participated in protests against the regime,” explained the Institute.
“The fact that the ‘colored’ church was striking out independent of whites would also be a strong motivation for the racist government’s retaliation.”
