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Profile of the companion synod relationship - 3H Saint Paul Area Synod / Tanzania / Iringa Diocese (IRD)
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| Our Role in Global Mission |
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| Saint Paul Area Synod in companionship with the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Through prayer, visits, and program developments resulting from relationship building, over 1/2 of SPAS congregations have partnerships. |
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| Component(s) of our relationship |
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Congregation to Parish partnerships
Iringa Diocese has 70 parishes and currently 66 of them are in partnership with Saint Paul Area Synod congregations as well as 3 congregations from Minneapolis Area Synod, 1 each from Northwest MN, South Dakota, NW WI, New Hampshire, and Arizona.
Prayer
Weekly each parish is remembered in congregational prayers in the ELCA; weekly or monthly parishes meet to pray for their ELCA congregational partner (sometimes for several hours in a day).
Visitors
Since 1987 when the companionship started, over 4000 people have visited from St. Paul to Iringa and nearly 200 have visited from Iringa to St. Paul. These visits are primarily for relationship building.
Volunteers
Many people have volunteered to occupy the Bega Kwa Bega office in Iringa, teach at Tumaini University, an Agriculture Institute at Tumaini Univeristy, a Microfinance program at Tumaini University, develop a water/hygiene/sanitation in the diocese.
Scholarships
Currently the 70 parishes have nearly 1500 secondary school students who are sponsored to experience a secondary school education.
Scholarships
In addition to secondary school scholarships, dozens of nursing, pharmacuetical, medical, teacher preparation students are sponsored yearly in higher education.
Shortterm
Many volunteers teach at Tumaini University (Pastor/Teachers in theology-3 months, Education, IT, Science, Math, Law, etc); some volunteer at Huruma Orphanage Center-street kids program; others in the Agricultural Institute and the MicroFinance.
Delegations
Most groups visit their parish every two years (some more often) and length of stays are usually between 15 to 21 days. Most will stay at the newly rennovated Lutheran Center and transportation is provided by Tatanca Safari Company-locally owned.
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| For more information |
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| www.spas-elca.org is the synod website, go to global missions, companions |
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| You may also: |
| View an ELCA map for more information about ELCA synods |
| View a global map for more information about international companions |
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