Companion Synod Update -Tanzania, March 2021
We pray for the people of Tanzania, as they mourn the death of President Magufuli while in office on March 17, 2021. Vice president Samia Sulusu Hassanh has been sworn in as President following his death. She will be the 6th president and the first woman to serve as president.
The ELCA Tanzanian Network met over Zoom on March 9 to discuss ways to continue to accompany our Tanzanian partners, and the current coronavirus situation in the country. The meeting included our Churchwide partners in Global Missions, partners on the ground in Tanzania, and folks from the 20 ELCA synods with companion partnerships in Tanzania. A link to notes from that meeting can be found here.
What is happening in your congregation? Staff at the Office of the Bishop would like to check in with any congregation from the synod that has a companion congregation relationship or a connection to our companion synod – whether active or on hiatus. Our hope is to gather our Companion Partners Network sometime later in the year. In the meantime, we would love to hear from you. What is working for you, what are your hopes and challenges, what are you working on together? Contact Kathy Smith, 319-338-1273, smith@seiasynod.org.
As a synod, we are following up with our partners regarding conversations from the March 9 network meeting. We will share plans as we hear from our partners regarding their experiences and any requests for assistance.
