Who is the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church and what are its ministries?
The Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Boliviana- IELB), a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is a vibrant expression of Lutheranism that has 22,000 members. Founded in 1938 by the World Mission Prayer League (WMPL) among Aymara Indians in the community of Mocomoco, the church celebrated its 70th anniversary on September 9, 2008. Approximately 80 percent of IELB members are in rural and 20 percent in urban areas of Bolivia. Members are scattered mostly in the chilly Andean highlands in and around La Paz and Lake Titicaca, as well as in the hot valleys encountered as the geography descends from over 4,000 meters (over 12,000 feet) down to the jungle at sea level. It is primarily indigenous lay men and women who lead and minister to these congregations in Spanish, Aymara and Quechua. How do the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America accompany one another in ministry?
