CHURCHES IN NAMIBIA ­

SNAPSHOTS OF HISTORY

by Dr. Edward C. May

THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD TODAY

One way to view history is to begin with the presentand then look back at events which shaped the currentreality. Following this procedure, how does the church inthe world look today? If the technology were availablethe first picture in this series would be taken from spaceon a Sunday. It would show people all over the world.Some of them would be gathered for worship and markedwith the sign of the cross. You and the members of yourcongregat:-ion would be in that picture.

You would also notice that in one particular country ofthe world, a great majority of its people are worshipingChristians. If you could tune in on their worship youwould hear prayers for almost 10% of their members whoare in exile, for others who are in prison, for still otherswho have been assaulted, raped, tortured, even killed bySouth African and South African led soldiers. You wouldhear courageous messages of hope and the power of lovecoming out of that country, including intercessions fortheir oppressors that they would turn from their evilways, repent and be saved.

Where is this remarkable land and who are its people?The country is Namibia, located on the southwest tip ofAfrica, where more than 80% of its people are Christiansby conviction, about half of the population beingLutheran. Namibia, with no 'state church' has frequentlybeen described as the most Lutheran country in theworld.

God has united you with these people of the same con­fessional family in a special way. The biblical picture ofthe followers of Jesus Christ as being the body of Christ,and individuals being parts of that body, has compelledLutherans to become increasingly aware of their respon­sibility to the ecumenical community in at least twoways. First, because of their avenues of communication,they can feel the hurt and pain of Namibia's people andshare it with others. Second, they can become the voiceof Namibians in crying out for the justice that will releasetheir sisters and brothers from a century of bondage andbring healing to the suffering of these members of thebody of Christ. What follows will help equip God's peoplefor these services.

THE CAPTIVE CHURCH - 1844-1870

The way many Lutherans begin their services eachSunday is a meaningful way to take up this study. Theminister calls the congregation to repentance, "If we saywe have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is notin us . : ." The congregation responds:

We confess that vve are in bondage to sin andcannot free ourselves. We have sinned ... by

what we have done and by what we have leftundone. We have not loved God with ourwhole heart; we have not loved our neighborsas ourselves...

Even as this confession is necessary for Christians today.so it has been necessary at all times and in all places. Mis­sionaries who were God's agents in bringing the Gospelto the people of Namibia sinned "by what they had doneand by what they had left undone." The work of theGerman Lutheran missionaries especially, was flawed byits association - even collusion - with colonialism and itshostility against Catholicism. The Rev. Hugo Hahn,recognized as the father of missionary work in Namibia,arrived in the territory in 1844. Even though this manwas well motivated, he and most of those who joined andimmediately followed him, participated in trade, ap­pealed for military protection, repelled Catholic mis­sionaries, concurred in colonial expansionism, promotedthe isolation of the native people in reservations and re­mained silent when the German government issued anorder for the extermination of native Namibians.

The church of today has its own set of sins. Modernprophets mercifully issue calls to repentance. This condi­tion provides no excuse, however, to ignore the fact thatthe early period of German mission work in Namibia, ex­tending up to 1914. was one of the darkest in history.Only God's gracious ability to penetrate this darknesswith the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ liberated theNamibians to become champions of justice and love.

SOWING SEEDS IN THE NORTH - 1870-1957

Missionary Hahn worked in the central and southernsections of Namibia, a vast territory larger than Texas.When he made the arduous trek to the far northernregion, he discovered another population as large as theone he and his colleagues were already serving. The dif­ference was that these people were living in a muchsmaller land area, about the size and shape of Tennessee.

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:'lIme missionaries were needed, but Hahn's group, theRhenish Missionary Society, was not able to supplythem. They had to be found elsewhere. That elsewhereproved to be Finland. The Finnish Missionary Societyhad a group trained to bring the gospel to Russia, but theczar barred their entry. Accordingly, they altered theircourse and headed to the north of Namibia, an areaknown as Ovamboland and the Kavango. The year was1870.

While the Finns, like all missionaries before and since,were not perfect, they were better than most of anydenomination for their time. Most of all, they did notmerge their interests with those of colonialism. Theybrought the gospel in many forms, first of all, teachingthe saving love of God in Jesus Christ. Their instructionwas so thorough that the first baptism in that region tookplace after 13 years of their activity. Such action includednot only the proclaiming of the Gospel, but alsoestablishing ,schools, hospitals and clinics as well asimproving agriculture and teaching trades. Seeds offaith, literacy, health, justice and unity were being sown.They would grow eventually into a strong Christian com­munity with people committed to a just social order andthe unity not only of the church, but of the nation as well.This was inspired by their faith and hope made active inworks of love. What would be known as the EvangelicalLutheran Ovambokavango Church was springing up.

MISSION BECOMES CHURCH - 1957-1971

It is probably unfair to skip so many years betweensnapshots, but this is a brief history. Much happened inthe intervening years. Most important "the Lord addedto their number (the Christians) day by day those whowere being saved" as the book of Acts would say. Andthe time came for the missionaries to become part­ners, co-workers with those God raised up from theAfrican people to be responsible for the church in thatplace! In 1957 The Rhenish Missions in the central andsouthern parts of Namibia became self-governing andtook the name "The Evangelical Lutheran Church ofSouthwest Africa," later changed to Namibia. Fifteenyears later the ELC elected its first Namibian president,Dr. Lukas de Vries. In 1959, the adherents of the formerFinnish Mission became the Evangelical Lutheran Ovam­bokavango Church and soon elected its first bishop, Dr.Leonard Nangola Auala. By that time, ELOC had 97pastors, only four of whom were white.

In 1963 ELC and ELOC established a commonseminary called The Paulinum. This proved to be thefirst unifyng step for the Lutheran churches and becamea factor in uniting the indigenous people of the territory.This is important because this period coincides withSouth Africa's imposition of apartheid in Namibia. Theessence of apartheid is dividing the people into ethnicreserves known as homelands. Such dividing also goes bythe name "separate development." Because of thisdivide-and-rule policy and program, a clash betweenthese churches and the government occurred. In May1964 the two churches vigorously protested the separatedevelopment plan and requested a meeting with govern-

ment officials to discuss the matter. Four years later theyreceived an answer. The government refused to meet. It .was the first time, however, that Namibian churchofficials took issue with the government. It would not bethe last. The late Bishop Auala and Bishop Dumeni

THE OPEN LETTER - 1971

On June 21, 1971 the International Court of Justice(IC]) at The Hague, Netherlands, stated in an advisoryOp1I11On:

... that since the continued presence of SouthAfrica in Namibia being illegal, South Africais under obligation to withdraw its administra­tion from Namibia immediately and thus putan end to its occupation of the territory.

Both the Security Council and the General Assembly ofthe United Nations subsequently agreed with the opinionof the ICJ. The Republic of South Africa is a member ofthe United Nations and is bound by the charter to obeyresolutions of the Security Council. Nevertheless, SouthAfrica rejected the opinion of the ICJ and for this andmany other reasons remains to this day in violation of thecharter of the United Nations.

The radio announcement of the opinion of the ICJcaused great rejoicing and raised expectations of in­dependence for Namibians. Bishop Auala, by that timerecognized as a prominent leader of blacks, was solicitedfor his opinion by South African government officialswho naively assumed that the Bishop would affirm theiralready-announced rejection of the ICJ ruling. TheBishop, however, asked for time to consult with his boardand congregations. According to one report, the SouthAfrican Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) aired a newsprogram stating without Bishop Auala's authorization,that he had rejected the opinion of the World Court.When the Bishop protested the SABC apologized butrefused to broadcast a retraction.

Meanwhile the Bishop had been consulting with boardsand especially with professors and students at thePaulinum. What emerged was an Open Letter to thePrime Minister of South Africa, dated June 30, 1971.Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,the Open Letter deplored racial discrimination, separatedevelopment, censorship, disenfranchisement of blacks,and labor restrictions - all parts of the apartheid system.This letter was not only published in the press, but it wasdispatched to every congregation accompanied by aPastoral Letter which explained how the government's

policies were in opposition to the spirit of the gospel. In­stead of creating conditions leading to friendship andpeace, apartheid leads to hostility and war; instead ofunity, to division; instead of freedom, to bondage; insteadof community, to isolation; instead of development, to ex­ploitation. It ended with an appeal that the people prayfor the governmental authorities "so that they may beprepared to alter the grievous circumstances and to takecognizance of the true interests of this country and itspeople." Both documents were signed by Bishop Aualafor ELOC and Paulus Gowaseb, Chair of the ChurchBoard for ELC.

The South African government responded by summon­ing the church leaders to meet with its officials on August18, 1971. They met and the church delegation held itsground. Yet today South Africa not only remains illegallyin Namibia, but has also increased its military presenceand its oppression. South Africa's government is notGod's servant for the good of its subjects (Romans 13:4).It is indeed under obligation, not only by internationallaw but by God's justice, to withdraw. Its refusal to do sois just cause for rebellion.

CHURCHES PULL TOGETHER

The Open Letter, it developed, spoke not only for theELC and ELOC, but for a wider community of Chris­tians. The small German Evangelical Lutheran Church inNamibia (GELC), made up primarily from families ofGerman settlers, disassociated itself from the Open Let­ter on July 23, 1971, but two days later the AnglicanBishop, Colin Winter, professed himself to be in agree­ment with it. Three weeks later the two Roman CatholicBishops expressed their solidarity. In the fall, manySouth African and European church leaders also affirmedthe Open Letter and commended the Namibians for issu­ing it.

Peter Katjavivi, SWAPO's London representative and thelate exiled Bishop Colin O'Brien Winter

Another snapshot will reveal how the South Africanauthorities fought back. For now it is important to notethat the Open Letter was a catalyst for building betterrelationships among the various Christian denominationsin Namibia, relationships which would eventually bind

them closely into a Council of Churches in Namibia(CCN). The earliest organized cooperation began in 1974when the Christian Centre was founded by Lutherans,Catholics and Anglicans, and supported primarily by theLutheran World Federation (LWF). In 1978 the CCNorganized with membership from the followingchurches: Evangelical Lutheran OvambokavangoChurch, Evangelical Lutheran Church, GermanEvangelical Lutheran Church (!), Catholic, Anglican,African Methodist Episcopal, Congregational,Evangelical Reformed and Methodist churches.Together they represent 80% of Namibia's population.The CCN is one of the few councils of churches in theworld where Catholics are full members. The WorldCouncil of Churches, LWF and other partners, assist theCCN with its educational, development and social ser­vices. Since its inception, the CCN has been the primaryadvocate for the churches in confronting the SouthAfrican Government over questions of torture, militaryconscription, non-representative elections, draconianlaws and many other issues. It is also an advocate forNamibians to national governments and intergovernmen­tal organizations on a world-wide scale. Thus, the role ofthe church in Namibia is a unique one. As the only rele­vant social institution, it fulfills roles that others wouldordinarily do. With great popular support and respect, itconfronts the governments, unites peoples, addresseslegal issues, and the like. It seeks to become all things toall people so that by all means some may be helped andsaved.

A CHURCH UNDER THE CROSS

Because the Namibian church is strong in numbers andin courage, the oppressive illegal regime assaults churchmembers and institutions with weapons of tyranny. Theregime uses methods which people who live indemocracies would identify only with brutality from tor­ture chambers of the Middle Ages or with intrigue fromspy novels.

ITEM: Because ELOC's church periodical carriednews of the world in the language of the people, its

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publishing house has been destroyed twice by bombs ­on May 11, 1973, and on November 19, 1980. Theprinting plant was completely rebuilt both times with aidprimarily from the Lutheran WorId Federation and itsmember churches. Another incident occurred after thesecond rebuilding when a bomb which pierced the rooffailed to explode. In all cases, the South African Govern­ment (SAG) was blamed by the churches, but the culpritsin the '73 and '80 bombings were never identified. Thefact remains that only the SAG appeared to have amotive for bombing and circumstances surrounding thecrimes pointed to its involvement. SAG did acceptresponsibility for firing the missile that failed to explodesaying that it was a shot that went astray.

ITEM: Because of their advocacy in the cause ofhuman rights, numerous church related workers havebeen expelled from Namibia. The Anglicans had threebishops and several workers expelled in rapid succession.The bishops were Robert Mize, Colin Winter andRichard Wood. Other workers were Mr. Edward Mor­row, a Vicar General, Mr. David deBeer, AdministrativeAssistant in the Bishop's office, and Mr. Justin Ellis, aneducator. In addition, Fr. Heinz Hunke, a RomanCatholic priest, was expelled because he exposed the tor­ture of prisoners. Numerous Lutherans from both Ger­many and Finland were either expelled or their visaswere not renewed to permit their continued work. Forsome time it has been difficult at best, and impossible atworst, for Europeans and Americans to obtain visas tovisit the churches or hold meetings in Namibia. Passportsfor church leaders inside Namibia have been frequentlydenied or delayed so that they could not attend meetingsoutside their country.

ITEM: Church services are at times interrupted by theSouth African army and frequently audited by informers.Interruptions are not merely noisy, but they are fre­quently violent. For instance, on at least three occasions,while Bishop Kleopas Dumeni was present, the churcheswere surrounded by army vehicles, and armed troops.Parishioners were assaulted and interrogated. AnAnglican school and seminary at Odibo was destroyed.Church schools and hospitals have been closed or in­capacitated. During the first two weeks in April, 1987, 13state schools, each serving more than 350 students, werebombed or burned at night by men who came from near­by army bases. In March, 1987, the principal of LutheranOshigambo High School, his wife and another teacherwere arrested, blindfolded and assaulted. The principaland his wife were fastened to a bed at the entrance of anarmy base for one night. Next morning they were re­leased without being charged for any crime. In January,1986, this high school's generating system was destroyedby a bomb. Nurses are repeatedly harrased, sometimesassaulted, if they treat a patient suspected of being afreedom fighter. As late as the spring of 1987, soldiershave seized patients before treatment and carried themoff to prison.

ITEM: The churches have frequently charged thattheir parishioners and others have been tortured by"special branch" officers during interrogation. A majortrial in March, 1987 has produced evidence of brutaltreatment of political detainees. A news release of thetrial states:

Captain Frantz Ballach of Koevoet was said tohave "laid into prisoners with a hosepipe" ona number of occasions. A security police of­ficer described how Ballach tore out the dripfrom the arm of the badly wounded Heita, andthen flogged him with a hosepipe. Heita strip­ped down to the waist to show the court scarson his chest, back, head and ear. A specialbranch officer who had arrested him said thatall the injuries, apart from a gunshot woundon his arm inflicted during his arrest, were theresults of assaults under interrogation.

The special branch officer, Nikodemus Nam­pala, said the attitude of the police was thatthe only limit on maltreatment was that theprisoner should not be killed. "You trash aprisoner until he cracks - pointing out whathas to be pointed out."

Asked by defence counsel if it were possibleto report a case like this to the policeauthorities in order to protect a prisoner,Nampala, who has been on the force for 13years, replied, "For what purpose, yourhonour?" Had he ever reported such an inci­dent? "Certainly not, your honour."

When similar kinds of torture were documented by thechurch in 1978, the publication was banned and theauthors (Justin Ellis and Heinz Hunke) deported.

These incidents are recorded as examples of the trialsfaced every day by the churches in Namibia, where inthe north there is a dusk to dawn curfew. Any civiliansoutside during these hours may be shot on sight. It is atnight when most of the beatings, arrests and othernefarious activities occur. Those who suffer are brothersand sisters in the worldwide Body of Christ, the church."If one member (of that body) suffers, all suffertogether." (I Cor. 12:26)

As this was being written, news came that JosephDumeni, brother of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni had beenshot and killed by South African soldiers when he cross­ed the border into Angola in order to reclaim some of hislivestock which had been rustled. South Africa claims hewas in violation of the curfew, but the curfew is in effectin Namibia, not Angola!

Bishop Kleopas Dumeni

CHURCH MEMBERS IN EXILE

Brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, even fathersand mothers of many Namibians are no longer in the ter­ritory. Most have left for one of three reasons. One is toget an education; they intend to return. Another is thefear of persecution; they have fled and will return whenindependence comes. The other is to participate in theliberation struggle.

Those seeking an education are all over the world.Many are in Zambia where the UN has an institutedesigned to train people for civil service (includingteaching) in an independent Namibia. Others in countrieseast and west are learning trades and professions. As intheir own country about 90% of the exiles are Christians.

Many are in exile because of political harrassment orconscientious objection to military service for an alienand illegal government. Refugee camps in Angola andZambia shelter about 80,000, over 6% of Namibia'spopulation. The camps are recognized by the UN HighCommissioner for Refugees, are administered by theSouth West African Peoples' Organization of Namibiaand are supplied chiefly by UN agencies and the LWF.The camps are staffed not only by teachers, medical per­sonnel, agriculturalists and builders, but also bychaplains. The head chaplain, Erastus Haikali is anAnglican. SWAPO appealed to the LWF a few years agoto increase the chaplaincy staff and there are ministerialstudents at a seminary in Tanzania preparing to servethese camps. Yet SAG always describes SWAPO as aMarxist terrorist organization! Sometimes thenewspapers pick up this terminology. It would be moreaccurate to describe SWAPO's soldiers as "FreedomFighters." Most of them are Christians.

Bishop Kleopas Dumeni of ELOC, has asked "Who isSWAPO? Its members are our children, our sons anddaughters, our brothers and sisters, baptized, confirmed,married and worshiping in our churches. We pray forthem." The Bishop knows what he's talking about. Oneof his children was in a refugee camp in Kassinga,Angola, when it was attacked by the South African armyon the Feast of the Ascension, May 4, 1978. More than700 unarmed women, children and older men were killed.The Bishop's son escaped, but for over five years thefamily thought he was dead. There are many who still donot know the fate of their loved ones.

THE CHURCH IN PRISON

There are many ways to describe the church in prison:merchants, builders, laborers, students, housewives ­have been put behind bars for opposition to apartheid.People from all walks, teachers, doctors, nurses, pastors,have suffered the same fate. Remember 90% of themwere and are Christians. That is a vivid way to speakabout the church in prison. The suffering is painful. Theisolation is dreadful.

Zephania Kameeta

Zephania Kameeta, a Namibian theologian, puts itanother way. Although he, too, was in jail, he says, "Youdon't have to be in pnson to know what a prison is. All ofNamibia is a prison." He describes the isolation causedby the separation of people - blacks from whites - whitesfrom coloreds - one ethnic group of blacks from another.Families are separated by a labor contract system thattakes the wage earner away from home and family formonths at a time. In some jobs, men are separated fromthe rest of the community by forced housing in single-sexbarracks. He describes the limitations of denial ofpassports to Namibians and the denial of visas tobrothers and sisters from abroad who want to visit. Hementions the people in the north locked behind their owndoors from dusk to dawn. He mentions the censorednews, the lack of education and opport:mity. You beginto understand what he means when he says, "AllNamibia is indeed a prison."

Bishop James Kauluma of the Anglican Church takes apassage out of Zechariah and says, "Weare prisoners ofhope!" Zechariah saw people struggling to rebuild thetemple while neighboring nations seemed to frustratetheir purpose at every turn. When their determinationflagged, the prophets encouraged them and Zechariah, ina burst of poetry, described the people as prisoners ofhope. Bishop Kauluma sees the people of Namibia har­rassed and persecuted by an alien illegal racist regimebut affirms that in spite of it all, they do not despair forthey are imprisoned by hope. Hope is not optimism.Namibians are realists. They know that the odds areagainst them, but that the God of justice is on their side,and because of that, they will prevail. Hope abides. Itlocks them into a blessed prison which keeps despair out.Thus, the other prisons, which are on every side, can beendured. That spirit gives courage and determination toall Namibians.

CHURCH CALLS TO CHURCH

In 1973 the late Bishop Auala came to the UnitedStates. He issued a kind of Macedonian call to theLutherans of the USA, a call that has echoed up anddown the halls of time ever since. He did not say, "Comeover and help us," however. He said in effect, "Stayhome and help us!" The United States government, by

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"Act! How?" the churches ask.

2. Learn about us and act with us.

1. Learn about us and pray for us.

In 1981 your administration, as a part of 'con­structive engagement,' told South Africa itdid not have to implement the plan untilCuban troops left Angola, 600 miles away.We, as churches, rejected this linkage of ourjust independence with the internal affairs of asovereign nation (i.e. Angola).

UNITA and South Africa fight side by sidekilling Angolans and Namibians. It is clear tothe Namibian people that the United States issupporting South Africa's foreign policy.

'We must speak the truth in a spirit of love.'

The Bishop then turned to the American government'sdecision in 1985 to assist, through the CIA, the guerrillamovement in Angola known as UNITA, which is directlysupported by South Africa's military.

He reminded the assembly that in 1980 it seemed thatNamibia was on the threshhold of independence based onthe implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution435, negotiated primarily by the U.S. in 1978. He con­tinued:

,The Namibians would answer, "Join us in demanding

that Resolution 435 of the United Nations Security Coun­cil, passed in 1978, be implemented. This provides forNamibia's independence, the return of exiled people, andthe release of political prisoners. It puts in place an inter­national group to supervise a political process whereby,for the first time in history, we can establish our owngovernment, and elect our own leaders. Let this happen.Stop making demands which are irrelevant to our situa­tion. Stop insisting that Angola send home the Cubantroops which are protecting it from South Africa andfrom the guerrilla forces which both South Africa and theUnited Stats support. This is our unanimous appeal!"

its support of the South African government has becomepart of the problem instead of part of the solution. Thechurch in Namibia calls to the church in the United Statesand western Europe. Unanimously and clearly, it saystwo important things. ~eo'v-

~....e'\..-'\ftV-I..J .

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THE CHURCH IN THE MEANWHILE

Until indepelldence comes, the church in Namibia willcontinue to be persecuted, see clergy, teachers, hospitalpersonnel and dedicated laity imprisoned, tortured, andkilled. The church will continue to preach, teach, heal,advocate and grow. It will let its light shine at home andin exile so that all may see its good works and glorifyGod. Those who have eyes to see, let them look. Thosewho have ears to hear, let them listen.

EPILOGUE

These snapshots of history close as they began. WithBishop Auala's challenge before them, "Stay home andhelp us," it is now the turn of Lutherans in the UnitedStates to examine their own (not Germany's!) missionaryperformance in terms of "what they have done and whatthey have left undone." Bishop Kleopas Dumeni, the suc­cessor to Bishop Auala, spoke to an assembly of U.S.Lutherans in March, 1987 at Gustavus Adolphus College.Some of his words may help in that examination.

What I have to say may be uncomfortable tohear, but as St. Paul said to the Ephesians,

He recalled that a U.S. State Department represen­tative told him that Namibia is too far away to expect theU.S. to take an active part in Namibia's struggle for in­dependence. Dumeni continued:

If Africa is too far away to send aid to help us,how is it that Africa is not too far away to sendarms and stinger missiles to those who arekilling us? Namibia is too far away for the par­ticipation of the United States in our in­dependence, but Namibia is not too far awayfor America to take an active part in ourdestruction. May your nation return to its no­ble ideals of supporting our just in­dependence. We are crying. No, we are dying.The work of peace, the work of justice ishonorable work. I have spoken to you in aspirit of love. Pray with us, work with us, mayGod grant us peace.

The American church people pray:We have sinned by what we have doneand by what we have left undone.Forgive us, renew us, and lead us sothat we may delight in your will andwalk in your ways.

REV. EDWARD C. MAY, a Lutheran pastor, retired in 1985 aftereleven years service as Director of the Office of World Community ofLutheran World Ministries. Dr. May represented the Lutheran WorldFederation at the United Nations. A long-time faithful friend ofNamibia, his efforts have brought the issue of Namibia alive in theLutheran churches in the U.S.

Soh'eig Kjesetli. ExeClltil'e Director860 Emerson, Denver. Colorado 80218

The "Free Namibia Emphasis" (FNE) was adopted by the ALC atits 1986 convention to better share the story of the issue of Namibia inthe last years of the ALC. A nation wide network has been establishedfor educational purposes and information distribution. This document isfunded by FNE.

Quantity reprints of Dr. May's article are available through NationalNamibia Concerns at the above address; $5.00 per 100 ordered.

Printing, Typesetting and Graphics by I.N.K. Printing Company,Lakewood, Colorado (7t87. 101\1)