September 10, 2010

AUSTIN, Minn. – The brick walls and brilliant stained glass windows here at Our Savior's Lutheran Church are a long way from the small prayer gatherings that take place under the shelter of trees in Africa. On Sept. 5, during a regular worship service at Our Savior's, 58 children of African immigrants were baptized into the family of Christ.

Our Savior's is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The children who were baptized are part of the Anyuak Worshipping Community, an ELCA synodically authorized worshipping community that worships in the building of Our Savior's. The members are of the Anyuak tribe of Sudan and Ethiopia. Theirs is one of five such African worshipping communities in the ELCA Southeastern Minnesota Synod.

The idea of a Baptism service was born even before the Anyuak began worshipping at Our Savior's in March 2010. About two months ago, the idea began to take shape.

William Okweari, a lay leader of the Anyuak Worshipping Community, said that the service came about because, "We don't have Baptism for our kids." The community is not led by an ordained pastor at this time.

"This was growth, a step ahead. Now we know that we had some missing things," said Okweari. "The message will go back home to Africa that our kids were baptized, and it will be a movement there."

The event helped strengthen the relationship between the Anyuak community and Our Savior's. "I personally feel that it is a great gift to our community, partly to be able to share of ourselves and also what we receive. It's really inspiring to see their faith and hear their stories. And it's just starting," said Ruth Monson, member and lay leader at Our Savior's.

The stories that they have to share include their struggle both in Africa and now in Minnesota, as they adjust to many differences in their new home. Most of the families that took part in the Baptism came to the United States as refugees from Sudan and Ethiopia.

In Africa the Anyuak hunt and raise all their food. Communication and travel are almost nonexistent. Worship takes place wherever and whenever a group of people can gather in some small shelter, often under the canopy of a tree.

Although the threat of wild animals is among the many things that keep the Anyuak from worship in Africa, jobs and icy roads keep them from worship in Minnesota. Now sheltered by a towering brick sanctuary, the Anyuak still worship in an afternoon of prayer, song, Bible readings and spoken messages. It is a time for the community to gather, socialize and worship. It is one way they are able to reduce the strain of a new way of life.

There are many baptisms yet to be done in the Anyuak worshipping community. There are a number of children who were not able to be at the Sept. 5 service, and there are also many adults who have not been baptized. They plan to hold more services like this one in the future.

Our Savior's will continue to partner with the Anyuak community. The Rev. Glenn L. Monson, senior pastor at Our Savior's, said of the relationship, "It's … delightful. It's an honor that they selected us. It is a great privilege. The Spirit of God is doing that."

Information about Our Savior's Lutheran Church is at http://www.oursaviorsaustin.org/, on the Web.

Photos from the baptism service are at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=188920&id=126590258238, on the Web.

ELCA News Service
Katie Livingood is communications director for the ELCA Southeastern Minnesota Synod.