Lumko Institute

Lumko is the Conference’s pastoral institute at Germiston, Gauteng. It offers the Church in Southern Africa and beyond, a transforming vision of a community church based on Vatican II and the SACBC’s Pastoral Plan “Community Serving Humanity”. The introduction of the plan several years ago was celebrated across the land as a profound expression caritas in action.

Lumko works to provide the means of implementing the vision through its three-prong approach to action and reflection: research, production of materials and training. This vision of church community involves the average member in searching for God’s plan in our times – where the community as a whole, and not just special groups or individuals, works for the transformation of society.

Emergent community leaders are empowered through formation and training to take on responsibility not merely as “helpers”, but as collaborative “co-workers”, each according to his/her state of life as ordained or non-ordained.

Research is a crucial area of action to explore the Church’s real pastoral asserts and needs, especially in the Conference region.

The outcome of the research forms the basis for producing Lumko print and audio/visual materials which are geared towards understanding and building a Church of Communion of Communities; creating social awareness and empowering and equipping communities to engage in social justice and integrity of creation; formation and training of community leaders and emergent lay leaders for ministries; the spiritual formation of leaders; and catechetics.

Training is mainly through workshops and courses of which three are permanent features of Lumko’s yearly activities:- the three-week catechetical course in October; the four-week International Pastoral Ministry course in October/November for people from outside the SACBC area; and the four-week pastoral ministry course for priests, religious and catechists/lay leaders from the SACBC area.

Lumko receives invitations from dioceses, regions and parishes within the SACBC area and countries outside the SACBC area to facilitate workshops, run courses and/or preach/direct retreats. A positive response to such invitations always depends on the timing and availability of personnel.

 

Through workshops and other courses the staff of Lumko Institute:

  • promotes a Church in which all can take their appropriate role in their parish community;
  • promotes and supports Small Christian Communities which are founded on Gospel reflection and service of the neighbourhood;
  • caters for the catechetical needs of the Christian community: adult, adolescent and children;
  • offers training for Church leaders: lay and cleric, female and male;
  • supports inculturation of Church life, particularly in the parish;
  • through the Institute’s publications (which are sold throughout the world) offers means by which pastoral trainers can implement a Community Church;
  • conducts formal training for pastoral ministers at diocesan level in its “Called To Serve” programme;
  • facilitates pastoral meetings on request;
  • conducts, on request, workshops and seminars throughout the SACBC region, as well as internationally;
  • conducts an annual catechetical course for catechists, parish leaders, priests and religious;
  • conducts an annual international course in pastoral ministry for participants from other countries;

 

CONTACT

Director: Rev Fr Gabriel Afagbegee SVD

Contact Details: 47 Dickenson Road, Benoni North 1501;

PO Box 5058, Delmenville 1403. Cell: 082 9640 118,

Cell: 072 3595 611. E-mail: lumko@global.co.za