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| Lekubu Lutheran Parish Lekubu Parish is made up of three congregations in three different villages – Lekubu, Mosweu, and Nyetse, all served by one pastor. The Lekubu congregation is the largest having nearly 2000 members. Mosweu has around 800 members and Nytse has 600. This is a typical size of parishes in the Western Diocese. Parishes can range from 1000-8000 members made up of from 1-5 congregations. Most are served by one pastor. In the Lekubu Parish the pastor leads only one worship service each week. Worship at the other two congregations are led by lay leaders, called elders, when the pastor is not there. These Elders are elected by the parish and trained by the pastor. Holy Communion is held whenever the pastor is present. Lekubu and Mosweu are each on excellent paved roads about 15-20 miles north and northwest respectively from Zeerust, which is a larger city. There is an eight mile dirt road between Lekubu and Mosweu, and Nyetse is accessible only by a six mile dirt road from Lekubu. Lekubu has several very fine buildings – a church building, parish hall, parsonage, and an early learning center. They also have their own well and windmill, which is very helpful. Mosweu and Nyetse began as cattle posts by people from Lekubu. Each gradually grew larger as people sought employment. Both are governed by the Kgosi at Lekubu. “Kgosi” is a Tswana word for what we might describe as the chief, which is an inherited position. Most villages have a well drilled by the government within 200 meters of each home. Mosweu, however, is very spread out so that water is a problem and people must travel some distance to get their water. Neither of these congregations have completed buildings yet. Mosweu has put up steel posts and a roof. In 2005 they poured a concrete slab for a floor and they have purchased windows and doors. With unemployment and poverty so high they are unable to get a loan to build more at this time. Nyetse has received permission from the Kgosi to worship in the community hall there. Christianity began in this area in the 1850s in the villages of Dinokana and Gopane. In 1906 there was a disagreement over chieftainship ascendancy in Dinokana. Chief Keobusitse Moila was exiled to “Gantsi” in Potchefstroom. When he returned in 1911 he started a new village, Mokgola, 40 miles east of Dinokana (six miles north of Lekubu). Pastor Morobeng accompanied the chief and became the father of Christian faith in Mokgola. A few years later some people started a new village south of Mokgola and Chief Keobusitse's younger brother, Malebele became the chief of Lekubu. They continued to worship in Mokgola and confirmations were also held there. The first church elder in Lekubu was Mr. Nkokoe whose house later became a place of worship. Pastor Moefangele Seithlamo Sebogodi followed Pastor Morobeng. In 1925 the first church building (mud house) was build in Lekubu after heavy rains (ka mabele a mantshonyana). The house of worship was called house of Yabayaba named after its initial owner who was sent away by Chief Mosekaphofu Moiloa, allegedly because of the church's stance on polygamy. The Chief could not accept the Christian principle of one man, one wife. As a result the two could not see eye to eye and the Yabayaba had to leave. Pastor Radibe succeeded Yabayaba who was then followed by Moefangele (Evangelist) Dingake. Mr. Ramotlhala Sesupo Sebogodi and Mr. Mokae Mafora were church elders at this time. The first confirmation at Lekubu was in 1942. Moefangele (Evangelist) Mhiko followed Dingake who was then followed by Moefangele (Evangelist) J. Mosiatlhaga from 1960-1974. All this time Moruti (pastors) from Dinokana came to administer the sacraments. In 1973 Moefangele (Evangelist) Mosiatlhaga was elevated to a position of a Pastor. This was the year that Lekubu became a parish with Mosweu, Nyetse, Mokgola and Tswenyane as preaching stations. In 1991 Mokgola built a new church building and became a parish with Tswenyane as a preaching station. Since 1991 the Lekubu Parish has consisted of Lekubu, Mosweu, and Nyetse. The Lekubu Lutheran Parish is one of 19 parishes in the Madikwe Circuit (with which our Wisconsin River Valley Conference is matched), which is one six circuits in the Western Diocese (matched with our East Central Synod of Wisconsin) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, the largest Lutheran denomination in southerrn Africa which was formed in 1975 by the merger of four autonomous regional churches. ELCSA has a membership of 700,000 led by seven bishops who oversee their seven dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland. Pastoral training is conducted at the Lutheran Theological Institute located next to the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg. Pogiso Motlhabane, a member of Lekubu, began his studies there in 2006 and Grace Lutheran is paying his tuition. For more information on ELCSA go to: http://archive.elca.org/countrypackets/south-africa/church.html The pastors of the Lekubu Parish have been: - back - |