ELCT
Press Release
Date:
July 19, 2007
Press release No. 001/07/2007
Malasusa is Presiding Bishop of the ELCT
Bishop
Alex Gehaz Malasusa
The Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) has
elected Bishop Alex Gehaz Malasusa (47) to become the Presiding Bishop
of
the ELCT for the next four years.
The general election
took place July 18, 2007 when the Executive Council of
the Church presented before the assembly names of three contestants and
Bishop Malasusa scooped 132 out of 184 votes cast by the assembly- the
highest decision making body of the Church.
Malasusa replaces
retired Dr. Samson Mushemba whose term as Presiding
Bishop expires this July.
Born 18 June, 1960
Bishop Malasusa who hails from Rungwe, Mbeya region is a
son of a pastor and the youngest Presiding Bishops so far. Apart from
Mushemba (1992 - 2007) others were the late Bishop Dr. Sebastian Kolowa
(1976 - 1992) and the late Bishop Stephano Moshi (1963-1976).
Bishop Malasusa who
is holder of Bachelor of Divinity Degree from the
Makumira University College became pastor in 1992 and was consecrated
Bishop of the Eastern and Coastal Diocese based in Dar es Salaam on 17
April, 2004. Makumira is a constituent college of Tumaini University owned
by the ELCT.
Bishop Malasusa is
taking Master of Theology studies by extension at the
Catholic Theology College in Nairobi, Kenya. He is married and has three
children
ELCT with about 3.5
million members is the second largest Church in
Tanzania after the Roman Catholic with 10 million members out of a
population of about 35 million people.
Issued by:
Brighton Killewa
Secretary General
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
For more information contact:
Elizabeth
Lobulu
Communication Desk Officer, ELCT
E-mail: ELobulu@elct.or.tz