The growth of a young Church

Mozambique lies along the Indian Ocean on the East Cost of Africa. It is bound by Tanzania in the North Malawi in the North-West, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa in the West and Swaziland in the South.

The population of Mozambique is 18,811,731 and has a land area of 784,090 sq.km. It is divided into 10 provinces, and Portuguese is the official language there are 13 Africans languages

A former Portuguese colony, Mozambique gained its independence in 1975, but a 17-year civil war started soon after independence.

The civil war affected Mozambicans severely, especially in rural areas. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Over a million people fled the country.
During the colonial era, Christian missionaries were active in Mozambique, and many foreign clergy remained in the country. According to the national census, about 20%-30% of the population is Christian, 15%-20% is Muslim, and the remainder adheres to traditional beliefs.

Lutheran World Services workers doing relief work in the country started the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique (ELCM) in 1989. During that time there were missionaries operating in the country namely Rev. Mashoko Shava (then Evangelist Shava), from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ), Rev. Lessing from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, Rev. Christopher Mbuga from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) and Rev Horst Seiger from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria in Germany.

In 1999 ELCM became a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). During that time it only had a membership of 1,250, but to date the church has grown to 7,392 worshipers and is organized in 60 congregations, across three districts.

From 1999 this young Church fell into deep trouble and the Church split into two. These squabbles went on for almost two-years, a reconciliation meeting was held in 2001, organized by the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) and LWF.

A process of reconciliation meetings went on guided by the two Spiritual Advisers namely Bishop Molefe, and Bishop Ambrose Moyo who were elected to guide the Mozambican church. These meetings culminated into a Church Assembly held in August 2003, where the Church Council was elected.

The Church also requested the sister Churches in LUCSA to provide an experienced Pastor who would help to continue with the work of reconciliation, build Church structures, organize elections of Districts, Parishes and Congregational Council, and reconstruct the Central Administration, train Evangelists and select students for theological training. In 2003, The Rev. Dean Hendricks Mavunduse from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe was sent to Mozambique as a missionary and worked as acting senior pastor for ELCM.

On August 5, 2006 during the General Assembly, Rev. Jose Mabasso was elected to the position of ELCM Senior Pastor and Dean Mavunduse began acting as his advisor. Mabasso pursued his theological training in Brazil and South Africa. He is married and has five children.

During the August 2006 Assembly, the Church saw the ordination of its first Deacons which were led by Bishop Ambrose Moyo, director of LUCSA and Bishop Naison Shava from the ELCZ.


Currently the Church has four ordained pastors , four Evangelists and six deacons of which two are women.