Misleading, The Lutheran Church in Liberia is not the first Lutheran Church in Africa

 By: Patrick Moyor, Margibi Fellow

Claim: "Lutheran Church in Liberia is the first and oldest Lutheran church in Africa."

 

Source: Rt.  Rev. Dr. G. Bishop Victor Padmore, General Bishop, Lutheran Church of Liberia.

 

Verdict: Inaccurate; the Lutheran Church in Liberia is not the first Lutheran Church in Africa. 

 

Full Text: On Sunday, March 16, 2025, Rt.  Rev. Dr. G. Bishop Victor Padmore, General Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Liberia, claimed that the Lutheran Church of Liberia is the first Lutheran Church in Africa. 

 

Bishop Padmore made the claim when he delivered a sermon at the St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kakata Parish, at the 23rd Annual Convention and 43rd Birth Anniversary and climaxed the National Lutheran Church Men Fellowship. 

 

According to Bishop Padmore, the church is old, yet not independent like other Lutheran churches in other African countries, thus urging every member to positively contribute to the growth of the church. The claim can be found here (4 minutes 53 seconds).

 

Verification: The Lutheran work began in Liberia in 1860 by missionaries of the former Lutheran Church in America (now the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Africa.)

 

The Lutheran Church in Liberia became fully autonomous in 1965. Its organization combines congregational, episcopal, and synod   features. The constitution, which was revised in 1997 and 1999, provides for a balance of local responsibility and common action. The LCL urban ministry  began in Monrovia, Liberia's capital city and has since spread throughout the country.

 

We contacted Bishop Padmore, General Bishop Lutheran Church of Liberia (LCL), on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Bishop Padmore acknowledged that the Lutheran Church in Liberia was established in the 1860s. 

 

However, Bishop Padmore did not provide further details to substantiate his claim but stated that he would conduct additional research on the matter.

 

Meanwhile, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Strand Street in Cape Town is one of the oldest church buildings in South Africa, dating back to 1792. It was declared a National Monument in 1949.

Bishop Padmore's statement clearly supports the assertion that the Evangelical Lutheran Church on Strand Street in Cape Town, South Africa, is the first Lutheran church in Africa, thus proving his claim contrary.  

 

The Lutheran church in Liberia joined the LWF in 1966 after the church became autonomous.

It is an affiliate of All Africa Conference of Churches, Lutheran Churches in West Africa, the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia, Lutheran Communion in Central & Western Africa, Liberian Council of Churches, and the World Council of Churches.

 

The LWF shows that Madagascar joined 1950 and Eritrea joined 1963, including Ethiopia.

 

Conclusion: From our research and verification, we can confirm that the first Lutheran Church in Africa is the Evangelical Lutheran Church located in South Africa. Hence, Bishop Padmore's claim is inaccurate.