Moderators of Evangelical Lutheran Owambo-Kavango Church (ELOC)
Bishops of ELOC / ELCIN
Leonard Auala was born on 25. 09. 1908 in Iiyale Village, Oniipa. He schooled together with the children of Missionaries at Oniipa in 1919, he also attended teachers training in Oniipa as from 1929 to 1931. He furthered his education at Augustineum Okahandja from 1934 to 1935, in addition, he attended Pastoral Training in Oniipa (1942). He was ordained as a Pastor on 24. 11. 1942. In 1956-1957, he furthered Theological Education at Moravian Theological Seminary, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He was consecrated as the first native Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Owambo-Kavango Church (ELOC), by Bishop Elis G Gulin from Tampere Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) on 30. 06. 1963 at Oniipa, after the Church General Synod of April 1963. He died peacefully on Sunday of 04. 12. 1983 at 3:45 a.m. in Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital.
Kleopas Dumeni was born on the 03. 10. 1930 in Oshituku Village, Nakayale, Ombalantu. He attended his primary school at Oluvango from 1937-1945 and at Nakayale Primary School in 1947-1950. He attended pastoral training at Elim from 1957-1959. He was ordained on the 16. 08. 1959 at Engela. Dumeni was consecrated as a Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Owambo-Kavango Church (ELOC) on the 17 June 1979 at Ongwediva, by Bishop Erkki Kansanaho from Tampere Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF). After the decision made by the 16th Church General Synod in 1995, Dumeni held the position of Presiding Bishop of the ELCIN and he was subsequently installed a Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on the 26 May 1996 at Oniipa, by Bishop Paavo Kortekangas from Tampere Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF). Bishop Dumeni retired in 2000.
Appollos Kaulinge was born on 02. 12. 1934 in Ondivandobe, Ondobe, Oukwanyama. Kaulinge attended Pastoral Training at Elim in 1960-1962 and he was ordained on 19. 08. 1962 at Elim. Kaulinge furthered theological training at Lutheran Theological Training at Mapumulo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and he obtained a Diploma in Theology in 1963-1965. He was consecrated a Bishop of Eastern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on 26 May 1996 at Oniipa, by ELCIN Presiding Bishop Kleopas Dumeni on that same day, after Kleopas Dumeni was installed a Presiding Bishop of the ELCIN. Kaulinge is the founder of Students Christian Movement (SCM) in ELCIN.
Johannes Sindano was born on 01. 01. 1941 in Muye village, Mexico, Angola. Sindano attended theological training at the Lutheran Theological Training at Mapumulo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the year 1976-1977. He furthered at United Lutheran Theological Seminary-Paulinum in 1978-1980 and he obtained a Diploma in Theology. He was ordained as a pastor on the 12. 07. 1981 at Ongwediva. Sindano was consecrated as Bishop of the Eastern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on 04. 04. 2004 at Nkarapamwe parish, Rundu, Kavango, by Presiding Bishop Dr Tomas Shivute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) and retired in 2011.
Dr Tomas Shivute was born on 15 .04. 1942 in Oniihwa village, Onayena , Ondonga. He attended pastoral training at Paulinum in 1965-1968. He was ordained on 08. 12. 1968 at Nakayale. Shivute furthered his education at the University of Helsinki, Finland and obtained a Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy in Theology from 1970-1980. He was consecrated as Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on the 12. 03. 2000 at Ongwediva, by Presiding Bishop Appollos Kaulinge of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). Shivute retired in 2011.
Josafat Shanghala was born on the 08. 06. 1944 in Outapi Village, Nakayale parish, Ombalantu. Shanghala attended theological training at United Lutheran Theological Seminary-Paulinum in 1970-1973, Otjimbingwe. He was ordained as pastor on the 30. 12. 1973 at Nakayale. Shanghala furthered his theological education at Welgrspreit, Johannesburg and obtained a Diploma in Urban and Industrial Mission from 1972-1973. He furthered at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, USA and obtained a Masters in Divinity from 1982-1985. He was consecrated a Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on the 13. 03. 2011. He was consecrated at Ongwediva on the same day together with Bishop Dr S V V Nambala of the Eastern Diocese, and Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), by Presiding Bishop of ELCIN Dr Tomas Shivute. Shanghala retired in 2014 and was succeed by Dr Veikko Munyika.
Veikko Munyika was born on the 21. 05. 1953 in Omutwewondjaba, Omundaungilo, Oukwanyama. Munyika attended his theological training at Mapumulo, KwaZulu-Natal and obtained a pastoral training certificate and a Diploma in Theology from 1977-1980. He was ordained on 12. 07. 1981 at Ongwediva. He further obtained a Bachelor of Theology at the University of South Africa and a Bachelor of Theology, Honours from 1983-1987 and 1988-1990 respectively. Munyika further obtained the Master of Theology and a PHD from the University of Natal in 1992-1997. He was consecrated a Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on 23. 02. 2014 at Ongwediva, by Presiding Bishop Dr S V V Nambala of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN).
Shekutaamba Vaino yaVaino Nambala was born on the 05. 08. 1952 in Onewawa village, Omuntele, Ondonga. He attended pastoral training at Mapumulo, South Africa and obtained a Diploma in Theology in 1977-1980. He was ordained as pastor on the 12. 07. 1981, at Ongwediva. Nambala furthered at ST Paul, Minnesota, USA in 1983, from 1984 to 1986 he obtained a Masters of Theology in History. As from 1987, he obtained a Doctorate in Theology 1988-1990. He was consecrated as Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, and Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) on the 13. 03. 2011 at Ongwediva. He was consecrated on some day together with Bishop Josafat Shanghala of the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), by Presiding Bishop Dr Tomas Shivute.
The second session of the 24th ELCIN Synod was gathered in Ongwediva ELCIN Center on 29-30 November 2021, appointed Rev Dr Gideon Niitenge a Moderator of the western Diocese, to act as a presiding Bishop of ELCIN, in the absence of a Bishop until to the next ordinary Synod. Dr Niitenge replaced or a successor to Bishop Dr Veikko Munyika while Dean Nghaagulwa is replaced or a successor to Bishop Dr S V V Nambala, as their leadership concluded in this 24th synod. Dr Niitenge was elected a Moderator in the first session of the ELCIN 24th Synod that was gathered at Ongwediva on 17 August 2021. This means ELCIN will have no Bishop for the next years to 2024, on the ordinary synod. The installation of Dr Niitenge took place on the 12 December 2021, at Onakayale.
Reverend Nghaangulwa, 49 years old is a Dean, member of the Eastern Diocese 's Council and vice chairperson or assistant to the Bishop. She was appointed in the absence of Rev Dr Martin Ngodji, who was a Bishop-elect of the Eastern Diocese in the first session of the ELCIN 24th Synod that was gathered at Ongwediva on 17 August 2021 and died on 17 September 2021. The second session of the ELCIN 24th Synod was to fill the vacuum of the Eastern Diocese leadership. The Synod seconded Dean Reverend Hilya Nghaangulwa, to lead Eastern Diocese in preparation of the next Eastern Diocese to get a bishop. Reverend Nghaangulwa is a pastor of Edundja Parish, and Dean of Oumbangalanhu/ Northern Deanery in the Eastern Diocese.