Who is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana and what are its ministries?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB), a member of the Lutheran World Federation, has a membership of 22,000, with a bishop, 31 local pastors, 11 expatriate pastors, 9 congregational workers or evangelists, 2 youth workers, 3 deaconesses, 5 retired pastors and 2 evangelists. The church has been organized into three regions, called Circuits, each under the pastoral leadership of a Dean. There are 43 congregations and more than 61 preaching places. The strengthening of congregational life and ministry as well as leadership training are important activities of the church. Building financial self-reliance is a main priority and activity for the congregations. The bulk of the members live in rural communities. As an arid country, Botswana is prone to droughts, which place a heavy strain on people whose livelihoods are based on agriculture. Because Botswana has one of the highest rates of AIDS in the world, addressing HIV/AIDS is a major focus of the ELCB. Its comprehensive prog
