FELSISA Witness VELSISA Boodskapper

Symposium in Oberursel, Germany
We should certainly not deny the fact
that many bridges were built between
the members and congregations of
both churches in spite of the Apartheid
system. On the other hand, I could not
find an official statement by FELSISA
that out rightly condemned the despicable
attitude towards blacks that
Apartheid inevitably caused.
Pastor Radikobo Ntsimane (LCSA)
concentrated his address on the influence
that Apartheid had on the health
care system of South Africa. He pointed
out that, while the Lutheran missionaries
naturally brought with them
western medicine, this lead to the foregone
conclusion that all medicine of
the black people was categorically condemned
as being of evil origin. It was
very thought-provoking to hear this
viewpoint.
On the second day, Dr Caroline Jeannerat
(Evangelical Lutheran Church in
18
South Africa – ELCSA) spoke about
the fundamental principles that are
important for a process of reconciliation.
She is a lecturer at the History
Department of the University of Johannesburg.
She pointed out that the
most important thing to do when it
came to successful reconciliations is
really listen to (as far as possible) the
story of everyone who was involved.
Reverend Emeritus Dieter Schütte
(Evangelical Lutheran Mission – ELM)
shared with the group the hardships
that he endured during the Apartheid
era. He presented the hardships that a
white pastor had in confronting his
church and congregation by opposing
the policies of Apartheid.
Professor Emeritus Dr Volker Stolle
presented the controversy that existed
in the LKM (Lutheran Mission, previously
Bleckmar Mission) during Apartheid.
It was not easy for the Mission to
Participants of the symposium during a short break