THE Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana, one of the oldest Protestant churches in South America, and the first Church of Christian faith to be established here observed its 269th anniversary last Monday.The signature milestone was commemorated with a Joint Thanksgiving Service of Holy Communion, celebrated at the Calvary Lutheran Church at North Road and Alexander Street, Georgetown, beginning at 18:00 hrs. The service brought together a proud and enthusiastic gathering, with   representatives drawn from the approximate 44 congregations around Guyana, as well as guests and other well wishers.

The sermon was delivered by Reverend Moses Prashad, head of the host church, the Calvary Lutheran. Other elders officiating included Reverend Gloria Sampson, and ministerial candidate Deacon Conrad Plummer – with responsibility for Holy Communion; ministerial candidate Deacon Kampta Karran, who addressed the congregation on ‘Celebrating 269’; Deacon Ishwardei Melville; Deacon Shelda Emmanuel; Deacon Elaine Grannum and Deacon Babsie Pierre.          

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana is reputed to be one of the oldest Protestant churches in South America, and the first church of Christian faith to have been established here.  Its seed was planted on October 15, 1743 with the first ever meeting of Lutheran interests locally. That meeting, organized by Dutch planter Mr. Lodewyk Abbensetts, was convened at his home at Fort Nassau, 85 miles up the Berbice River, with the objective being to plan for the formation of a Lutheran Congregation in the colony. That seed was planted on fertile ground, and gave birth to the first Lutheran Church in the colony: The Ebenezer Lutheran Church, located at Fort Nassau, Berbice River.  

Noble though the intentions were, the church was initially faced with serious limitations, namely: financing the endeavour; securing pastoral services; and not least, the problems associated with being a church of the colonists by the colonists and for the colonists, with no concern to evangelize and educate the slaves. These all proved huge setbacks.

Albeit, the very establishment of a church at that time was considered a sign of vision and hope; and there were good things to come.

Within the initial ten years the church was blessed with four pastors on whose shoulders its growth, sustenance and the responsibility for spreading the Word devolved. With financial support from the Dutch Lutheran body in Amsterdam, Holland, the local church was able to move from strength to strength.

Transition
By 1803, when the British took control of the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, the original Dutch settlers in the Berbice River migrated to the coastland.  But that by no means signalled the end of the Luteran Church started by the Dutch colonists.  History has it that the Ebenezer Lutheran Church was literally floated on a raft from Fort Nassau to New Amsterdam, Berbice that same year.

Thereafter, there was a change of fortunes for the church, now existing in a British ruled colony.  In 1841, the Dutch Lutheran body in Amsterdam, Holland severed connections with the Lutherans in Berbice, British Guiana.

First local pastor
Albeit, it was the dawn of a new and promising era for the church when, in the mid- 1800s, God raised up a great soldier in Christ, John Robert Mittelholzer.  As destiny would have it, he was to become the first local Lutheran Pastor to be ordained in the then British Guiana.  Born of Swiss and Dutch parentage, the new son of the Guianese soil took up the mantle: Spreading the Gospel of Jesus, winning souls, and serving with fervour – doing it as unto God. He was reputed to have served the church with distinction for 35 years; and during his ministry, the Gospel of Jesus Christ touched many more lives and the membership of the church grew.

It was during that era that the doors of the church were opened up to all and sundry – locals and colonialists alike.  Rev. Mittelholzer served until 1913.

American support
Before the demise of its first local pastor, the Ebenezer Lutheran Church became a partner with the Lutheran Church in America, and so the local church attracted increased financial and ultimately spiritual growth.

Under Rev. Mittelholzer, the church zealously advanced its mission to take the Word farther afield – along the highways and byways, preaching the good news that Jesus is Lord.

The result was that the attendant influx of missionary pastors and lay workers from America literally ‘opened the flood gates’ for a rapid expansion of the proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  

Thereafter, pastors, catechists and parish workers were trained locally as well as overseas, and the church in Guyana grew by leaps and bounds.   

The Church today    
“Today, our baptized membership is over 15,000.  We have cause to celebrate and much to be thankful for,” Reverend Prashad asserted.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana has three umbrella parishes, namely:  Ebenezer Lutheran Court in New Amsterdam, Berbice; Calvary Lutheran Church at North Road and Alexander Street, Georgetown; and Redeemer Lutheran Church at Sheriff Street, Campbellville, Georgetown. Together, the three parishes have responsibility for about 44 congregations locally.   

Lutheran churches in Guyana today are located mostly in parts of the coastland, and have the following ministries:   
* Social Outreach   –   Several of the churches are involved in feeding programmes in schools and to the homeless
* Medical Outreach – Lutheran pastors from the USA travel to Guyana every year to do health clinics around the country    
* Prison Ministry   –   The church is also engaged in ministry to prisoners
* Education and Evangelism – The pastors, deacons and laity continue to receive training to equip them for the Gospel ministry and evangelism

Deeply gratified and eminently deli
ghted, Reverend Prashad added, “God has been good [to us] all these years.  While we are now entirely a local church, the command of Jesus to ‘go make disciples’ is still our task.”  
“Our pastors, deacons, ministerial candidates, women’s leagues, men’s fellowship, youth arm and all our members must build and extend on our present 44 congregations, with the message of peace that “Jesus is Lord of all,” he concluded.

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church continues to avail itself, at all times, to obey God’s command to feed His sheep, Pastor Prashad remarked: “We believe we are called, empowered and sent to gather, nurture, and care for God’s people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”