Did you know Central Australia is as ‘Lutheran’ as Toowoomba in Queensland or South Australia’s Barossa Valley?
Every week thousands of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Lutherans worship in six different languages in around 40 communities dotted over an area larger than Victoria.
Every year, 28 Lutheran pastors – 20 of them Indigenous – conduct hundreds of baptisms and confirmations, hold many bush training courses for Indigenous church leaders, and sit, pray, worship, understand and teach. God’s hand has guided this amazing Lutheran story for 140 years.
Finke River Mission (FRM), together with Alice Springs Lutheran Church, Lutheran Community Care, Yirara College and Living Waters Lutheran School, brings God’s saving gospel to Lutherans in Central Australia.
FRM also operates a general store and the Historic Precinct at Hermannsburg, approximately 120 kilometres west of Alice Springs, both at the request of the local community.
From choir trips to Germany and the USA, to bush training and tertiary courses, pastors conferences and language resources, and hospital and jail visiting – Central Australia is a very busy place for the Lutheran church!
Thankfully each year dozens of people from congregations all over Australia give their time, money and labour to support our church workers and to help maintain places of worship and other buildings.
These opportunities are ideal for congregational or interest groups (men, women, youth) – and for grey nomads escaping cold winters elsewhere, but prayer and donations from afar are also important!
Whatever way you look at it, the Lutheran church in the ‘Centre’ is an important part of the wider LCA. We hope to see you soon!
