FELSISA Witness VELSISA Boodskapper

04/12 December 2012
FELSISA Witness
VELSISA Boodskapper
Newsletter of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa
Nuusbrief van die Vrye Evangelies-Lutherse Sinode in Suid-Afrika

Contents / Inhoudsopgawe
Reflection …………….………...…………………..…………...
The English Lutheran Fellowship in Randburg .…….……….
From the Bishop’s Desk…..…………………………………….
International Lutheran Council meets in Canada ……….......
Die 42. Sangfees te Kirchdorf ….….….…………...................
The effects of trauma and violence ………………...…………
FELSISA Statistics 2012 ……………………………..………..
Assistance Fund established ………………………………….
Official Announcements ……….…...………………………….
Title page:
“The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:16 ESV)
FELSISA Witness / VELSISA Boodskapper
Commissioned by the Synodical Council of the FELSISA
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Editors: Pastor Michael Ahlers Pastor Rüdiger Gevers
P.O. Box 111 209 Heeren Street
Wartburg 3233 Vryheid 3100
mahlers@felsisa.org.za regevers@vodamail.co.za
Assistant in translating and editing: Pastor Toby Ahlers
Please send your contributions, remarks and questions to the editors.
All contributions for the next edition to be submitted by: 31 January 2012

Reflection
Pastor Helmut Paul, Wittenberg
“Lord, our hearts are restless until
they find their rest in you.”
Augustine
We hurry from one day to the next,
from one year to another. We are
constantly on the lookout, always
restless. There are so many things we
need to do, especially during the
festive season. The shopping needs to
be done, different TV programmes
need to be watched, this needs to be
fixed in the house and that needs to
be done in the garden. This reflection
also needs to be read so that we can
be informed… so that we can tic it off
the list and continue with everything
else that needs to be done. “Lord, our
hearts are restless…”
We seldom take time to rest. We don’t
light the candles, but rather flip the
light switch on and off. We don’t sing
together, but rather put on a CD as
background music. The Advent
wreath and the manger don’t make us
stop and pause and reflect, but are
rather used as ornaments which
somehow belong to the Advent and
Christmas season in order to help
create a certain atmosphere.
Advent and Christmas is a time of
rest. A time of reflection. A quiet time
and a time of waiting. A time of
3
Reflection
seeking and finding. But our heart are
restless.
John the Evangelist tells of how the
first disciples came to rest (John 1:35
ff.). John the Baptizer points to Jesus
and says: Behold the Lamb of God.
The two disciples who hear this
follow Jesus. Jesus sees them and
asks: What do you seek? They answer
to this question: Teacher, where are
you staying? They want to linger in
Jesus’s presence and spend time with
him. They want to go where Jesus is
staying. They are not looking for a
brief, once-off encounter. They are
looking for a permanent relationship
and an on-going encounter with
Jesus. This will give their lives
purpose and stability and will allow
them to come to genuine rest.
Jesus answers: Come and see! Both
Andrew and the other disciple follow
him. They spend the whole day with
Jesus and experience that through
him, God directly enters into their
lives. Through him, their Saviour,
their Messiah, their Lord, the waiting,
searching and unrest come to an end.
They experienced what Augustine so
aptly put into words: “Lord, our
hearts are restless until they find
their rest in you.”
Maybe some of you have had the
same experience as I did last year: on
the evening of the second Sunday of
Advent I looked at our Advent
wreath. It looked so perfect—but only

Reflection
because all four candles still looked
new and untouched. Eight days after
the first Sunday of Advent and we
hadn’t lit a single candle. What a pity!
Have the candles on your Advent
wreath been lit? Have you stopped
and paused in front of the nativity
scene?
Light your candles! Take the longer,
quieter path this Advent and Christmas
time. Don’t hurry along the
shorter path. Use the many church
services this Advent and Christmas to
come to rest. Sing with your family,
sing with your children, sing in the
church services. Through all the
unrest this festive season and with all
the distractions let your heart find
rest at the baby in the manger.
When you drive
through our gate,
past the English
Lutheran Fellowship
signboard at
the entrance, you
would think that
the language most
of our members speak is English. But
in fact many of our members speak
4
“O Lord, our hearts are restless until
they find rest in you!” And Jesus said:
Come and see! You will find rest and
peace with me. I, your Saviour, have
come to be with you. Amen. ■
Diverse in Culture — United in Christ
The English Lutheran Felowship in Randburg
Pastor Toby Ahlers, Johannesburg
Afrikaans, German, Shangau, Finnish,
Zulu, Tswana, and Pedi. The only
common language that everyone
understands is English, and this is
therefore the language our services
are held in.
Walk through our doors on Sunday
morning, and you’ll very quickly be
able to see this diversity of members.

And when you talk to some of our
congregation members you’ll soon
learn that there are even more
differences than you first thought, as
our ethnic and cultural backgrounds
include American, German, Rwandan
and Finnish, not to mention all the
different areas within South Africa.
So if it is not language or culture that
we have in common, maybe it is that
we all live within a close proximity to
the church. You would be forgiven for
thinking that we all live in the local
Randburg area, as this was first
envisioned. However, many of our
members live further away, with some
as far off as Benoni and Centurion.
The one thing we do all have in
common is the shared belief that
Jesus Christ died for our sins to save
us from eternal death, and that He did
all this not because we deserve it but
out of divine goodness and mercy. So
no matter how different we may
appear, we are a Fellowship of
believers in Christ because we are all
5
The English Lutheran Fellowship (ELF)
baptised Christians, and are therefore
all members of God’s divine family.
Diverse in Culture —
United in Christ
ELF is a very dynamic congregation.
No Sunday is ever the same, as
attendance varies from 5-50
worshipers. We also see a lot of
people coming and going, both from
people frequently moving in and out
of Johannesburg, and also from socalled
“church-shoppers” who are
looking for a church they “like.”
It’s extremely difficult to reach these
people, but these are the challenges
that being an urban congregation
brings with it. In a setting where a
large assortment of secular activities
compete ever increasingly for our
time and attention, the Church’s role
must always be clearly defined. If a
church tries to complete with the
world on an entertainment level, the

The English Lutheran Fellowship (ELF)
world will always win. But the church
has something unique to offer,
something the world cannot give:
forgiveness, real peace that comes
with being justified by Christ’s blood,
and the strengthening of your faith.
This is what church is all about, and
this is what drives us at the Englisch
Lutheran Fellowship.
In its short existence, ELF has already
experienced many ups and downs. We
have had to face financial difficulties
and the challenges of being without a
permanent pastor after 10 years of
stability. This has had a huge effect on
the congregation and we are still
finding our feet again. As we go into
2013 we hope, with the help of God, to
The newly installed ELF church councillors: Joshua Kalisa,
Olga Mamphutha, Annemarie Lewis, and Kurt Schwacke.
6
ELF was founded in 1995, and for the
first five years, the congregation was
served by six retired pastors from our
sister churches in the USA and
Canada.
In 2000 Josef Henning was placed as
vicar to serve at ELF, and after his
second theological exam he received
a call to serve as pastor of ELF.
Pastor Josef was ELF’s first
permanent pastor, serving the
congregation until the beginning of
2011.
During the difficult vacancy that
followed, the congregation was
immensely blessed to have Pastor
Ebel (USA) help out. The congregation
called Pastor Toby Ahlers in July
2011.
continue to be a
c o n f e s s i o n a l
Lutheran voice in
the Randburg area,
sharing the Gospel
with all.
We hope and pray
that in this busy city,
with all its traffic,
noise, people and
distractions, that ELF
can be a quiet spot for
people to come and
find real rest and
lasting peace, for
people to come and
be healed and saved,
and a place where
e v e r y o n e f e e l s
welcome. ■

7
From the Bishop’s Desk...
From the Bishop’s Desk:
All are welcome — The 4 th Core Value of the FELSISA
Bishop Dr Dieter Reinstorf, Pietermaritzburg
The story is told that as a young man,
Mahatma Ghandi seriously considered
becoming a Christian. He
believed that the teachings of Christ
might provide him with a solution to
the unjust and almost insurmountable
caste system in India. As a result he
decided to visit a Christian church
service and to speak to the pastor
afterwards. However when he
approached the church (it was still
during the apartheid years of South
Africa) he was turned away and told
that he should rather worship with his
own people. He wasn’t welcome.
Ghandi left the church never to
return, stating: “If Christians also
have castes, I might as well remain a
Hindu.”
India’s caste system mirrors the
global social phenomenon that
human beings are consistently
grouped and ranked. This is done
primarily by the social elite in an
effort to safeguard their own wealth
and social standing. According to
Hindu religion, society should be
divided into four broad classes, called
varnas. A person always has the same
varna as his or her parents. It is
largely determined by birth with no
way to change it. The Hindus themselves
would seldom question the
caste system. It is simply considered a
part of the way the universe works.
Hindus have identified four varnas,
which are ranked from highest to
lowest:
1. Brahmin — the intellectual elite,
interpreters of Holy Scripture
2. Kshatriya — warriors, princes and
higher ranked officials
3. Vaishya — traders, landowners
4. Sudra — workmen and day
lobourers
Brahmin
Kshatriya
Vaishva
Shudas
Paria / Harijans = Untouchables
Although somewhat controversial, it
is traditionally accepted that the term
varna did not only refer to personality
traits, but also to skin colour: the
higher the caste, the lighter the skin

From the Bishop’s Desk...
colour, which in turn reflects the race
of the initial immigrants.
Each varna must observe certain
rules of purity. The Brahmins are
considered so pure that they may not
eat food prepared by anyone other
than another Brahmin. This means a
Brahmin cannot go to a restaurant
where the staff is not also Brahmins.
Likewise it was also forbidden to
marry someone outside of your own
varna.
There is strictly speaking a fifth major
class in Hinduism. However it is so
low that it doesn’t really qualify as a
varna. Most people call this group the
“Untouchables,” because whoever
touches one of them becomes impure.
They do all the most unpleasant work
in society and live on the outskirts of
the major cities and towns. They have
no rights and must take water
downstream and not share wells with
the other varna Hindus.
A similar class system also characterised
ancient Israel. Also amongst the
Israelites there was a hierarchical
ranking system that was largely
determined by the purity rules of that
society, which even outnumbered
those in India (12 in all): Priests,
Levites, full-blooded Israelites, illegal
children of priests, proselytes (Gentile
converts), bastards (born from mixed
marriages), the fatherless, etc. As a
13 th group, akin to the ‘untouchable’
Hindus, were the heathens (non-
8
Israelites). Here too, food and
fellowships laws were kept. The
priests and full-blooded Israelites had
no table fellowship with sinners, the
sick or disabled, and definitely not
with any heathens (Greek or
Roman).
This class system existed despite the
clear directives of the Almighty God,
the Creator of heaven and earth, who
created man (the human race)
according to his own image. The word
“all” (Welcoming all) is of critical
importance. It forms a golden thread
that runs through Scripture. Abram is
promised: “All peoples on earth will
be blessed through you” (Genesis
12:3). Christ says: “Come to me, all
you who are weary and burdened, and
I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Christ commissions his disciples: “Go
and make disciples of all nations...”
(Matthew 28:19). He crosses
the social and ethnical boundaries. He
eats with the tax collectors and
sinners and he pours out his spirit “on
all flesh” (Acts 2:17). Peter is reprimanded:
“Do not call anything
impure that God has made
clean” (Acts 10:15). And when Peter
withdraws from the fellowship with
heathen-Christians in Antioch, he is
fiercely opposed by his fellow apostle
Paul who declares that everyone (all)
is justified by faith in Christ alone
(Galatians 2:16). To the young pastor,
Timothy, Paul writes that God “wants
all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy

2:4). Also the apostle James makes it
very clear that God shows no favouritism
(James 2). That certain people of
a high social standing get special
treatment while the poor are overlooked,
is for him not a minor matter,
but an attitude that reveals the very
“heart” of man, and is in clear
opposition to God’s grace.
God’s holiness is determined by his
unconditional mercy. All are welcome.
This very
fact distinguishes
the Christian
church from the
world. In the
church of Christ
there are no
g u e s t s a n d
foreigners, only
fellow citizens
with God’s people
and members of
his household
(Ephesians 2:19),
for all are sons of
God through faith
in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:16).
WELCOMING ALL. That is a core
value of the FELSISA. That is the
Church of Christ. This core value is to
be lived and practiced. Whoever
knocks on our door is not only
invited, but joyfully invited. Likewise
our mission endeavours focus on all
people. Special effort is to be done to
reach the poor and needy. The apostle
James reminds us: “Has not God
9
From the Bishop’s Desk...
chosen those who are poor in the eyes
of the world to be rich in faith and to
inherit the kingdom he promised to
those who love him?” (2:5).
That the door of the church is wide
open mirrors the very heart of Christ.
This however does not mean that
church services may not find cultural
expression. The love of Christ that
united us, creates the room for our
faith in Christ to express itself in a
diversity of languages, cultures and
traditions. In the Church of Christ
this happens without fear of judgement
or domination (see Romans 14:1
-1). Nobody even desires to dominate
over the other. In the realisation of
Christ’s unmerited grace, everyone
regards the other more important
than himself (Philippians 2:2-4) and
is eternally gratefully for God’s
invitational character. We welcome
all, for He welcomed us first. ■
Pixelio | © Hajo Rebers

ILC conference in Canada
International Lutheran Council meets in Niagara Falls
Bishop Dr Dieter Reinstorf, Pietermaritzburg
From 16-21 September 2012 the 24th
conference of the International
Lutheran Council took place in
Canada. Church leaders from more
than 30 confessional Lutheran
Churches met from all corners of the
earth to deliberate on the conference’s
theme: “How do the Scriptures speak
to crisis facing Confessional Lutherans
today?”
Present from South Africa were
bishops Dr W. Weber (Lutheran
Church in Southern Africa) and Dr D.
Reinstorf (Free Evangelical Lutheran
Synod in South Africa), who was also
tasked to do the daily Bible studies.
The main presenters came from
Canada, the Philippines, Australia, the
USA and Brazil. Apart from addressing
the topic of hermeneutics (theories of
interpreting Scripture), intensive
deliberations took place on the topic of
same-sex marriages, women pastors,
the proclamation of the Gospel today,
as well as living the Word of God.
The Mount
Carmel
Ecumenical
Retreat and
Conference
Centre in
Niagara
Falls
10
To visit the web page of the
ILC, go to: www.ilc-online.org.
Should you be interested in the
“Wittenberg project” head over
to: thewittenbergproject.org.
The engaged exchanges between the
presenters and conference participants
highlighted the value of such meetings.
You cannot be a confession Lutheran
Church on your own. You need to
engage with others in presenting your
own insights, facing critical responses
and listening to other or even contrasting
viewpoints.
Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt from the
Independent Evangelical Lutheran
Church (Germany) was elected as
chairman of the ILC. As a replacement
for the retired executive secretary of
the ILC, Dr Samuel Nafzger (Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod) (LCMS),
who stepped down in 2011, Pastor Dr

Albert Collver III was elected. Dr
Collver holds the position of “Church
Relationships in the Office of the
LCMS Presidency” within the LCMS.
Proposed for the future is a permanent
seat of the ILC, possibly in the city of
Wittenberg (Germany), with a full-
“ E r w e c k t m i c h a l l e
Morgen” (vertaling: Hy wek my elke
oggend op) — met hierdie bekende
oggendlied is vanjaar se sangfees te
Kirchdorf ingelei. Met die woorde van
hierdie gesang is daar van die begin af
beklemtoon, dat God elke dag van
nuut met ons begin, hoe donker die
dag of hoe groot die nood mag wees of
wat ons ookal aan liggaam en siel mag
benodig. Die tema vir die sondag:
“Genesing aan liggaam en siel” en die
vers vir die week uit Jeremia 17,14:
“Maak U my gesond, Here, dan sal ek
11
ILC conference in Canada
The delegate
bishops from
Africa:
Christian Ekong
(Nigeria), Dieter
Reinstorf,
Walter Obare
(Kenya) and
Wilhelm Weber.
time executive secretary funded by the
ILC member churches. This seat would
assist the ILC, as a council of confessional
Lutheran Churches, to be better
recognised internationally and that
relationships between its members
churches can be fostered more
adequately. ■
Die 42. Sangfees te Kirchdorf—14. Oktober
Ingrid Paul, Panbult
gesond wees! Bevry U my, dan sal ek
vry wees!” het alreeds in die eerste
koorstukke weerklink.
God se lig skyn in ons duisternis, Hy
woon deur sy Woord onder ons, Hy
omhul ons deur sy Woord en gee
sodoende altyd weer vir ons hoop,
tevredenheid en vrede. Hy verwek in
ons die lofgesange, wat sy lof
uitbasuin. By hierdie lofprysing kon
ons op hierdie fees aansluit – as lede
van `n groot koor – en ook saam met
`n groot getal feesgangers. So het die

Sangfees 2012
reddende boodskap van Jesus Christus
ook deur die sing van liedere uit die
verskillende dele van die Kerkjaar ons
harte bereik.
Die preek oor Jakobus 5,13 het
i n b e s o n d e r d i e g e m e e n s k a p
beklemtoon, wat ons in vreugde en
leed ervaar. Hierdie gemeenskap
ontstaan uit gebed en lei ons terug na
gebed. Wat `n voorreg het ons as
christene, dat God ons deur die doop
in sy gemeenskap opgeneem het. Met
ons gesange mag ons daarop antwoord
gee — tesame in `n groot groep, maar
ook waar ons alleen is in die alledaagse
lewe.
Die evangelie van die dag — die
genesing van die verlamde man in
Kapernaum — wys, hoe dankbare
gelowiges hul verlamde vriend na
Jesus bring, sodat Hy hom genees. Het
12
hierdie vrolike boodskap ook ons harte
aangeraak? Ondersteun ons ons
medechristene in vreugde en leed met
ons voorbidding? Is ons besorg oor
diegene, wat nog niks van Christus
weet nie of wat moeg geword het in die
geloof of vir wie dit nie meer saak
maak nie? Mag God ons ore en harte
oopmaak, sodat ons kan besef, wie ons
hulp benodig. Mag Hy ons dan ook die
blykdskap en die krag gee om
dienoorkeenkomstig te handel.
Ons dank gaan aan die Kirchdorf
gemeente, wat hierdie mooi fees
moontlik gemaak het en aan al die
sangers en koorleiers, asook Manfred
Johannes, ons hoofdirigent, vir hulle
insette.
Ons dank gaan aan ons Skepper vir sy
gawes, wat Hy aan almal verleen het,
sodat sy lof kon weerklink. ■

Firstly, I’d like to say that I admire
Reinhild, Leonie, Ursula and Hugo for
their willingness and courage to share
some of their experiences. My
husband, Hugo, was held at gunpoint
in our home in Pretoria in 1994, and
from personal experience, I know how
hard it can be to share with others the
fear and effects of going through
trauma. For us, it was only in 2006,
that we could put a finger on what
happened on a personal level in our
lives as a result of the trauma, and I
hope that in shedding some light on it,
it might make it easier for others.
Psychologists call it post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) — a set of
mental health reactions which develop
in people who have experienced or
witnessed an event which threatens
their life and safety (or others around
them) and in which event they
experienced feelings of fear, helplessness
and horror. Examples of such
events are physical or sexual assault,
13
The effects of trauma and violence
The effects of trauma and violence—a counsellor’s
reflections — Annemarie Klingenberg, Adelaide, South Australia
Annemarie Klingenberg and her husband Hugo,
previously from the St Paul’s Congregation Pretoria,
emigrated to Australia with their two children in 2004.
There, Annemarie decided to leave her law career and
retrain as a counsellor. She now works as a professional
counsellor both in private practise and for Lutheran
Community Care, the social justice arm of the Lutheran
Church in Australia. Responding to the article by
Reinhild Niebuhr in the last edition of the FELSISA Witness, she shares her
reflections on the issue of trauma in the hope that it might be of some help in
helping self and others.
sexual abuse, rape, domestic abuse,
living in a war zone, torture, car or
other accidents or natural disasters
such as floods. Some writers explain
PTSD as a delayed response to
emotional pain. We have a natural
response to scream when we feel pain,
but when we are faced with a
traumatic event we are often for a
number of reasons unable to scream,
which leaves the pain free-floating in
our system where it affects us psychologically,
physically, socially and
spiritually.
The sufferer of PTSD often reexperiences
the event in the form of
flashbacks or nightmares. Unwanted
memories keep returning and a small
trigger can put the person back in the
event with the associated emotional
and physical reactions. Such physical
reactions can include heart palpitations,
sweating, panic or anxiety. Often
the sufferer is overly alert and wound
up, has trouble sleeping, has trouble

The effects of trauma and violence
concentrating, is easily startled, is
hypervigilant, is irritable, or is quick to
get angry. The opposite is just as true
in that the sufferer can become
emotionally numb. They lose interest
in their day-to-day activities and feel
numb and flat. They can feel detached
and cut off from their family and
friends and withdraw from them,
avoiding the very people that can
support and help.
On a spiritual level, the sufferers of
PTSD often experience a change in
their worldview. Generally we hold the
assumption that we are invulnerable
and live in a world where there is no
evil (or at least the evil won’t touch
us). We expect the world to make
sense and to be rational where all the
pieces of the puzzle fit. We gain control
by finding meaning and reason in what
we do. Violence however is random
and very seldom makes sense. We
further believe that the world has an
inherent sense of morality and that it’s
fair and just. Trauma throws this good
guy/bad guy philosophy out of the
window. It is an unjust intrusion. We
are also shattered in our self-identity.
We mostly see ourselves as functioning,
capable individuals but trauma
suddenly activates negative images of
us being weak, helpless, frightened
and out of control. An Israeli
researcher, Benyakar, describes it as
follows: ‘The central feature of the
traumatic experience is the final
horrible realisation that the rules that
define the individual’s identity and
reality are not operational anymore.’
14
So where is God? How does a living,
omnipotent, loving God let this
happen? C.S. Lewis writes that in
times of need it can feel like God slams
the door in your face with bolting and
double bolting on the inside. Job (Job
19:7) also cries out: “Behold I cry out,
violence! But I am not heard: I cry out
aloud for help, but there is not justice!”
Jesus comforts us in John 12:31 with
His promise that the prince of this
world, Satan, will be driven out. In
Lamentations 3:21-23 we are reminded
that the Lord’s faithfulness, love
and compassion for us is renewed
daily, and that we can have hope. And
in Revelations 22:2 God promises the
healing and restoration of all nations.
In this we can find an eternal purpose
and meaning in the trauma. Even if we
cannot yet understand the puzzle of
God’s mystery, we know that we do not
travel alone but that God is with us
always.
And on a human level ... how can we
help? In the words of a brilliant
Christian counsellor Jill Southern:
“We cannot always change events, but
we can survive if we feel loved.” An
important part of healing for the
victim is human touch. Trauma
victims tend to withdraw and feel
victimised. Human touch however is
an important part of being reconnected
with our humanness. If the victim
has no shoulder to cry on, he will bleed
from the inside. It is important to
spend time with the victim, supporting
them and helping them see that what
they are feeling is normal for what they

Pixelio | © RainerSturm
went through. We are not helping
when we say things such as: “Get over
it!” “Be glad you’re not dead!” Even
though the truth might be that
everyone is glad the person is not
dead, there is no gratefulness in
trauma and expecting it from the
victim at this time leads to blame and
shame on top of all the other emotions.
When we are able to fully listen and
understand the victim and where they
are coming from, we enable the victim
to regain control in some domain of
15
The effects of trauma and violence
their lives which is what they
desperately need. Eventually
they will see where they can
be grateful – but in their own
time.
Another important strategy is
to help the victim to face the
feelings of failure. Victims of
trauma often feel they have
not done enough to avoid the
trauma. As a result they may
feel guilty and responsible.
This can be intensified by
well-meaning friends and
family members who also try
to find meaning in the
meaninglessness by proposing
the victim may not have
done enough. Statements
saying for example that only
those farmers who treat their
workers bad are murdered,
only those with money get
robbed, only those who don’t
know where to go are
assaulted, only those who are
neglecting their security are
killed in their homes. None of these
are true. It’s like saying the girl
deserved to be raped because she wore
a pretty dress. No-one deserves
violence. No-one invites violence. It is
not God’s way for this world and we
have to be careful in how we communicate
with and around our friends
who have been traumatised. It is better
to communicate in love with no
judgements with your friends and let
them tell their story. Name the story
and the experience. Don’t shy away

The effects of trauma and violence
from it – but also learn to pick the
right moment. See with them how the
violence is random and that they did
all they could. If they feel they didn’t
do all they could then help them find
forgiveness for themselves from an allloving,
grace-filled God.
People have a variety of unhealthy
coping strategies for the unpleasant
effects of PTSD. Here are just a few:
After the initial trauma, the victim
develops certain behaviour in order to
cope with the emotional overload.
They can cover their pain in a variety
of ways such as work, sex, depression,
alcohol, drugs, compulsive eating or
dieting. This gives relief to the
emotional pain but of course does
nothing in helping them to build a
much-needed renewed and balanced
worldview. The victim often looks to
blaming someone. This is a normal
‘meaning-making’ activity. Sometimes
this someone is God. The victim can
become over-protective of their loved
ones because the trauma shattered
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their belief that the world is a safe
place. This results in their family
members becoming frightful and
anxious themselves. Avoidance is
another unhelpful coping strategy.
Victims can throw themselves into
busy work schedules, shopping,
alcohol abuse, etc. in an effort to avoid
reality. But we must face our pain in
order to liberate ourselves from it.
Lastly it is vitally important for the
victim to talk to someone. I was so
happy to read in Reinhild’s article of
the people who have reached out to
others for help. God created us to
stand in relationship with others. Time
heals but sometimes time needs a bit
of help. By having the courage to reach
out and get help, you will be so much
closer to healing and being able to reengage
in a world, which, although it is
not always a safe place, is sustained by
a God who is still in control. Jesus has
the victory and one day the ‘prince of
this world’ will be dethroned forever.
May God bless you all. ■
If you are interested in trauma, its effects and how to
help people affected by it, or are just looking for more
information regarding trauma, you might find this book
by Ivonne Retief helpful: “Healing for Trauma in the
South African context.” (The book is also available in
Afrikaans: “Genesing vir trauma in die Suid-Afrikaanse
konteks”.)
The book provides professional insight but at the same
time is a suitable read for everyone. The great strength
of the book is the fact that it is written for the South
African context. Pastor Michael Ahlers

FREE EVANGELCAL LUTHERAN SYNOD IN SOUTH AFRICA - STASTISTICS AUGUST 2011 TO JULI 2012
Members Aug 2011
Members Aug 2012
CONGREGATION
New members
Total variance
Transfers out
Confirmands
Transfers in
Fallen away
% Variance
CHILDREN
Resigned
Baptisms
ADULTS
Deaths
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FELSISA Statistics 2012
Cape Town 91 81 10 10.99% 2 4 5 0 1 0 0 1 14 77
Durban 192 191 1 0.52% 2 2 2 0 0 0 5 3 38 154
Greytown 116 120 -4 -3.45% 1 0 2 1 2 0 4 9 21 95
Jhb-Fairlands 179 165 14 7.82% 3 1 26 0 2 6 8 2 40 139
Jhb-Randburg (ELF) 101 110 -9 -8.91% 2 2 3 0 0 4 5 0 28 83
Kempton Park 13 14 -1 -7.69% 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 12
Kirchdorf 319 328 -9 -2.82% 2 7 0 4 12 0 2 3 55 264
Lüneburg 347 349 -2 -0.58% 4 7 1 8 5 0 1 7 72 275
Newcastle 21 21 0 0.00% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 18
Our Saviour 65 61 4 6.15% 0 3 7 0 7 0 1 0 11 54
Panbult 74 79 -5 -6.76% 2 3 0 2 7 0 1 2 16 58
Piet Retief 20 22 -2 -10.00% 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 4 16
Pietermaritzburg 100 101 -1 -1.00% 2 1 4 0 0 4 4 0 15 85
Pretoria (Afr) 59 66 -7 -11.86% 5 7 0 1 0 12 4 0 16 43
Pretoria (Dt) 399 380 19 4.76% 8 18 0 2 5 0 1 5 67 332
Shelly Beach 81 85 -4 -4.94% 2 0 5 0 0 1 10 0 18 63
Uelzen 120 120 0 0.00% 2 0 3 5 0 0 0 0 23 95
Vryheid 60 63 -3 -5.00% 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 3 10 50
Wittenberg 319 318 1 0.31% 4 5 0 4 4 0 0 1 53 266
TOTAL 2676 2674 2 0.07% 42 61 60 27 51 30 46 37 505 2179
Diepkloof* 2004 1958 46 2.30% 39 0 2 20 0 0 0 19 431 1573
ELC (Seminary)* 88 21 67
* Associated memberschip (First proper audit of members in 2011)
0.07% = Increase in membership (excluding Diepkloof and ELC)

Assistance Fund established
Coworkers in God’s Kingdom —
FELSISA establishes an “Assistance Fund”
In the 1970s Dr Helmuth Eggers and Mr Hans Beier showed the initiative to
establish the FELSISA Charitable Trust (FELSC-Trust), and provided it with
a capital injection. Its founders established this fund for the purpose of
church growth – that is, establishing new congregations, appointing
additional pastors or missionaries, providing loans for church projects and
mission work. This fund was supported by many synodical members. Dr
Eggers also used his own company to raise funds. In providing consulting
work, a percentage of fees charged were paid into the fund, which in turn
was tax deductible. In this way large amounts were collected for church
and mission work. That the FELSISA, for example, has a congregation in
Cape Town today is largely the result of this fund. A loan was provided by
the FELSC-Trust to purchase the property of the church and until recently a
large portion of the pastor’s salary was provided for by this fund.
For various reasons the trustees of the FELSC-Trust decided to terminate
the fund. Most of its funds were transferred to the FELSISA with the
expressed wish, that the Synodical Council should use it for the same
purpose as stipulated by its founders. In order to meet this wish, the
Synodical Convention of the FELSISA (2012) established the “Assistance
Fund” with a detailed constitution on how this new fund is to be managed.
The fund is to be used for the purpose of growing the FELSISA. This
includes mission initiatives, loans to congregations for the acquisition and
upkeep of church facilities, the training of ministers (students of theology),
and (mission orientated) training courses for pastors, as well as car loans.
However every fund needs to have a (continual) source of income. The
more the fund grows, the more the FELSISA can engage in building the
Kingdom of God. As a result, the Synodical Council of the FELSISA
appeals to all the readers of this newsletter for support. In the 2 nd letter of
Paul to the Corinthians, the apostle draws attention to the fact that God is
able (even in difficult times) to make all grace abound to you, so that in all
things at all times, you will have all you need and abound in every good
work (9:8). We are very blessed in the FELSISA. However this blessing can
and should be spread, so that even more people are reached by the
message of God’s grace. And you, dear reader, can actively contribute to
this purpose.
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How can you support this fund?
1. Regular and monthly donations
2. Bequeathing the fund from your estate.
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Assistance Fund established
This fund needs to be distinguished clearly from the annual levies of the
FELSISA. Many individuals and congregations find it difficult to meet the
demands of our annual budget, in spite of the efforts of the Synodical
Council to keep increases of the budget to a minimum. However, you have
the opportunity to make generous donations to this fund, so that many
more can join us in praising God for his indescribable gifts.
You can transfer money electronically directly into the FELSISA account
with the reference “Assistance Fund”.
First National Bank (Swift code FNBJNB01)
Name: FELSISA
Account Number: 51060018955 (Cheque)
Branch Number: 252 145 (Hatfield)
The FELSISA has an ASSISTANCE FUND
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Roland Johannes Commences First Theological Exam:
Seminarian Roland Johannes has started his First Theological Exam at the
Lutherische Theologische Hochschule (LThH) in Oberursel, Germany. The
exam will conclude, God willing, with the oral examination on 5. March 2013.

Appointment of new FELSISA Treasurer:
After long time service first as auditor and then as treasurer of the FELSISA,
Mr Berno Niebuhr (Pretoria) has retired. He served in this honorary position
with great dedication, faithfulness and enthusiasm for the benefit of the
Synod and for the glory of God. The FELSISA sincerely thanks him for all his
work. God bless. At the request of the Synodical Council, Mr Edmund
Böhmer (Wittenberg), will take up the office of treasurer, starting with the
beginning of the new fiscal year (December 1, 2012). We thank him for his
willingness and wish him God’s guidance and strength. His address is:
P.O. Box 411, Piet Retief, 2380 Secretary for the FELSISA: Lore Meyer
Tel: 017 8266 920 (office on the farm) Tel: 017 8261417 (office in Piet Retief)
Cell: 082 900 6989 Cell: 082 902 3627
E-mail: edmund@bohmerandkie.co.za E-mail: loremey@gmail.com
Mr Bodo Meyer (Pretoria) was appointed as Synodical auditor.
Vicarage for Heinz Hiestermann:
Seminarian Heinz Hiestermann will start his vicarage on 1. January 2013 in
the Congregation of Christ, Kirchdorf (and also Our Saviour and Immanuel
Congregation in Pietermaritzburg). Pastor Michael Ahlers (Kirchdorf) will act
as mentor. Vicar Hiestermann, with wife Renate and daughter Lotta, will
reside in the Wartburg-Kirchdorf Schülerheim (hostel). Their address there
will be: P.O. Box 129, Wartburg, 3233.
Agreement Signed between FELSISA and ELC:
On 7. September 2012, the Associate Membership Agreement between the
Evangelical Lutheran Congregation (ELC) and the Free Evangelical Lutheran
Synod in South Africa (FELSISA) was signed in Pretoria by Bishop Reinstorf
and Pastor Nathan
Mntambo. The agreement
is valid for four
years. After Missionary
Axel Wittenberg returned
to Germany, the
ELC called Pastor
Nathan Mntambo, lecturer
at the Lutheran
Theological Seminary
in Tshwane, to serve
the church for the next
three years.
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