Equipping and Empowering of the People of God in Doing Missio Dei in Himo Parish

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
The purpose of this project was to create an appropriate strategy that would be applicable in equipping and empowering all members of Himo Lutheran Parish for doing missio Dei in their locale. It is argued that every Christian, as a member of community of faith, is called out of the world and sent into the world to be a witness of Jesus Christ. Witnessing the priesthood of all believers is done individually and collectively, sacrificially and with humility. Himo Lutheran Parish of Northern Diocese of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania was used as the focal point for observation that led to creation of the strategy. The parish is composed of four preaching locations, located in Himo Township, which has 20,000 inhabitants. Himo Township is located thirty kilometers east of Moshi on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The people of Himo Township are primarily African traditional communal, earning their living by subsistence small-scale farming, husbandry and artisan business. Although the Himo community is of Lutheran tradition, modeled in African communal lifestyle, many members feel they are left uncertain of their faith. As the customary communal lifestyle, supported by both the socialist government and the church setting, it is increasingly challenged by change due to globalization and modernization. Harder questions are asked, but no satisfactory answers are given. Many members of Himo Parish are anxious to know by experience the power of their faith in life. They want to be completely sure if the Christian claim over the truth is still authentic and reliable. It is therefore important to have a new, appropriate strategy that will meet the need. Content Reader: Kurt Fredrickson, PhD