Amazing Trip: Lesotho Evangelical Church, Morija

Morija LEC is a prominent landmark in this town in the mountains

On Sunday morning we woke up early and drove to the town of Morija, also in the mountains. We worshiped at an "outpost" whose building was first built by the Paris Mission Society. Pastors in Lesotho may have 6 or 8 outposts (congregations) which make up one parish all together and one session (though each outpost has a church council. Even though this is a very historical congregation and building in Morija, it is still considered just another outpost in the parish (rather than the "mother church" which produced the other outposts).

We were pleased to see a woman in the pulpit, and came to find out that she is the evangelist in charge of the outpost. Often if there is no trained pastor, there may be a trained evangelist who leads the local outpost.

This LEC building in Morija was built by French Missionaries

The congregation on Sunday
(notice the balcony and all the wood--uncommon in this kingdom of rocks and mountains)

The Evangelist for the congregation preaches

Young women from the LEC's boarding school singing in the front row

Morija Guest House

Sunset over the mountains

The following day we visited several of the different projects of the LEC and met with some of the leaders of the denomination. We met the Exectuvie Secretary, Rev. Ramatlapeng, and the Moderator, Rev. Masimeni (whom we also had lunch & good conversation with on Sunday).

The LEC has about 109 parishes and 99 ordained ministers, about 30 of which are female. The LEC began ordaining women as pastors around 1989, though they've had women elders since the 1960s.

At the Morija offices we also met Mme. Mapetla, a retired woman who has been taking care of the Church's books while they are looking for an accountant, Rev. Lesodi who is the synod Administrator, and Rev. Motumi, the HIV & AIDS Coordinator. His job is primarily to help support Presbytery programing on HIV & AIDS, and encourage inactive parishes to do something to address the issue. He works closely with Janet Guyer, who we'd met previously in Jo'burg, and is a part of the IMPACT training that she is facilitating. Rev. Motumi is also studying for a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at the University of the Free State (just outside Lesotho in SA). He hopes to one day teach at Morija Seminary. He also accompanied us on the rest of our visits.

Rev. Lesodi--Synod Administrator, Rev. Ramatlapeng--Executive Secretary,
Rev. Motumi, HIV & AIDS Coordinator

Mme. Mapetla--volunteer accountant

Rev. Motumi & Rev. Ramatlapeng with us in the Book Center. The LEC has the oldest-running printworks in Lesotho and prints lots of school books and Sesotho literature and history.

Next we visited Morija Girls Highschool of the LEC. It's a bit confusing who exactly owns the school--the Church or the Government. Suffice it to say, the Church and the Government both have a hand in funding and governing the school. They have about 410 young women at this school, about half are boarders. They have 18 teachers. Some of the subjects taught are, at the Junior Certificate level: English, Sesotho, Maths, History, Business Education, Religion/Moral teachings, and Life skills. At the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) level: English, English Literature, Maths, Sesotho, Biology, Combined Science, Additional Combined Science, Principles of Accounting, Commerce, Food and Nutrition, Fashion and Fabrics, & Computers. Students have a choice of consentrating in Science or Business.

Morija Girls High School (LEC)

Mme. Sophia Matea, Headmistress

Mme. Mahlompho Shaabe, Deputy Principal

We also had a brief meeting with the headmistress of Morija Primary School (LEC), Mme. Manti Tsehlana. One thing we learned from visiting the schools was that Lesotho has the highest literacy rate in Africa.

Mme. Manti Tsehlana, headmistress of Morija Primary School (LEC)

Primary students playing on a tree-branch see-saw

Next we visited the Morija Theological Seminary and Bible School (LEC). We had a chance to sit down and share informally with 20+ students there-- about half studying to be pastors and half studying to be evangelists. And about half were women. The students asked us some challenging questions, such as "Do you believe the Word of God can heal someone with HIV or AIDS to be [HIV] negative?" and "How can you advise us to help our communities be uplifted out of poverty?"

We also got to talk with the President, Rev. Kometsi, as well as Rev. and Mme. Sithlaba, both instructors. I really enjoyed Mme. Sithlaba--she has an impressive and inspiring story. She felt called to ministry in a time before the LEC was ordaining women as clergy and so was sent to study at Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (in Kitwe!). She was part of the first group of female students in MEF's Pan African Studies program in 1975. She also earned a diploma at Morija Theological Seminary and a Masters in Theology at University (Free State-I think). She worked with her husband in the mountainous (rural) areas, and now teaches at the seminary. Though she has also taught counselling at University, and worked for a long time with the Mother's Union of LEC (National Women's fellowship) serving as the General Secretary.

Morija Theological Seminary of the Lesotho Evangelical Church

The Seminary students sing for us--beautiful!

Mme. Sithlaba

Seminary President Rev. Kometsi, with a student translating

Our final stop on this busy day was to tour Scott Hospital (LEC) with Mr. Thamae, the Hospital Administrator, who is also an elder This was the hardest visit of the day. The hospital was in pretty bad shape by US standards). It was founded over 70 years ago, and not surprisingly, is in great need of renovation. Most distressing was the story Mr. Thamae shared about the newborn nursery. The hospital can get very cold and the only heat in that room is from a gas heater with an open flame. When babies are just born, their bassinets are wheeled next to the heater. He told a horror story of nurses leaving to escort the mother to the post-natal recovery area--which is not very near--and returning to find the babies had been burned because they rolled too near or their blankets had caught fire.

This is obviously a terrible manifestation of some major challenges in funding, equipment, staffing and training facing the hospital. The ray of hope was Mr. Thamae himself. This is just his first year working for Scott Hospital, and it sounds as if he's already made some positive changes. He was recruited away from the Catholic Hospital after 27 years. Since he's a very involved LEC leader and elder, his church thought it was time they benefited from his gifts and so recruited him to Scott. He is gifted, experienced, enterprising, and most of all has a positive enthusiasm and spirit--all very important for turning Scott Hospital around.

Scott Hospital (LEC)

Mr. Thamae, Scott Hospital Administrator, with Doug and Ryan

the newborn bassinet near the gas heater, you can see how the plastic has melted

newborn washing room waiting to be renovated bit by bit--every quarter, Mr. Thamae squeezes a little money from the edges to do renovations which otherwise have no budget