Malagasy Lutheran Church
Malagasy Lutheran Church
Malagasy Lutheran Church
Fifohazana movement
Fifohazana is a revival movement, focused on the Word of God,[4] that has been incorporated into the
Malagasy Lutheran Church.[5] The movement was started by a Christian convert called Dada
Rainisoalambo in 1894.[6] It trains laypersons, called mpiandry (lit. "shepherds"), to proselytize and
minister to non-Christians and Christians who continue to practice the traditional Malagasy religion.[4]
Throughout Madagascar, the movement has established compounds, called toby, where church activities,
exorcism, counseling, and medical care are carried out.[7]
History
Norwegian missionaries John Engh and Niels Nilsen, sent by the
Norwegian Missionary Society, arrived first in Madagascar
(Antananarivo) in 1866. The same year, they founded the first
Lutheran church in Betafo in the south of the central region of the
island. Then the American Lutheran mission began work in the
south-west in 1888. The church became autonomous as one body
in 1950 under the name Malagasy Lutheran Church (or FLM:
The fourth class of Malagasy
Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy) and the first Malagasy pastor
seminarians at Masinandraina, in
elected to preside to this unified church was the pastor Rakoto
1893
Andrianarijaona.
Betafo (1867)
Masinandraina and Antsirabe (1869)
Loharano, Soavina Ambohimasina and Manandona
(1870)
Antananarivo Ambatovinaky et Fisakana (1871)
Ilaka, Ambatofinandrahana and Fihasinana (1875)
Soatanana Fianarantsoa (1876)
Masombahoaka Fianarantsoa (1878)
Lutheran Church, founded in 1869, in
At its founding the Malagasy Lutheran Church had around 18,000 Antsirabe
members; today it has approximately 3 million and is the 9th largest
church in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It was the first
former "mission field" church to be accepted into the LWF.
The Malagasy Lutheran Church established a relationship with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and
also approved a vote on 25 May 2018 to "more fully realise our unity as Lutheran Christians", with the
possibility of a future recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between both churches.[8] The church was
admitted at the International Lutheran Council as a full member at their World Conference, held in
Antwerp, Belgium, on 25–26 September 2018.[9]
See also
Religion in Madagascar
Christianity in Madagascar
References
1. "Malagasy Lutheran Church official website" (http://www.flm-foibe.org). Retrieved July 28,
2023.
2. "Malagasy Lutheran Church" (https://www.lutheranworld.org/country/madagascar).
lutheranworld.org. Lutheran World Federation. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
3. Block, Matthew (2020-11-08). "Malagasy Lutherans elect new president" (https://ilc-online.or
g/tag/rev-dr-denis-rakotozafy/). International Lutheran Council. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
4. Bennett, Robert H. (2013). I Am Not Afraid: Demon Possession and Spiritual Warfare. St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House. pp. xx, 6.
5. Razakandriana, Rivoniaina (2009). "The Malgasy Lutheran Church (FLM) as a missional
church: An analysis of past and present models of evangelization with a special focus on the
contemporary movement Tafika Masina" (https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/112
50/162057/2009_Rivoniaina-MTh.pdf?sequence=1) (PDF). Misjonshøgsskolen. p. 56.
6. Austnaberg, Hans (2008). Shepherds and Demons: A Study of Exorcism as Practised and
Understood by Shepherds in the Malagasy Lutheran Church (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=3SWKaonYD18C&q=dada+rainisoalambo&pg=PA42). New York: Peter Lang
Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 9780820497174.
7. Daniel, Rakotojoelinandrasana (2008). "Holistic and Integrated Care for Spirit, Mind, and
Body as Practiced by the Fifohazana" (https://books.google.com/books?id=LMMjORk3uIcC
&q=the+toby&pg=PR9). In Rich, Cynthia Holder (ed.). The Fifohazana: Madagascar's
Indigenous Christian Movement. pp. 91–92. ISBN 9781604975819.
8. "Malagasy Lutherans to seek fellowship with the LCMS, International Lutheran Council" (htt
ps://ilc-online.org/2018/05/28/malagasy-lutherans-to-seek-fellowship-with-the-lcms/).
International Lutheran Council. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
9. ILC welcomes 17 new member churches representing 4,15 million Lutherans worldwide,
International Lutheran Council Official Website, 26 September 2018 (https://ilc-online.org/20
18/09/26/ilc-welcomes-17-new-member-churches-representing-4-15-million-lutherans-world
wide/)
External links
Official FLM website (http://www.flm-foibe.org) (In Malagasy)
Celebrating Global Mission website, history of FLM (https://www.cgmmag.com/historyofmissi
on/malagasy-lutheran-church/)
Profile of the FLM at Oikumene.org (https://web.archive.org/web/20081201194926/http://ww
w.oikoumene.org/fr/eglises-membres/regions/africa/madgascar/malagasy-lutheran-church-fl
m.html)