Bishop-elect Rev. Catherine Ngina Musau, Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. Photo: KELC
Historic election of first woman in the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has extended congratulations to Rev. Catherine Ngina Musau, the first woman to be elected bishop of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC).
“Being the first woman elected into episcopal ministry in your church is indeed historic. Above all, it marks a great step toward the equality of all members of KELC in the ordained ministry and the sharing of leadership within the church,” LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt wrote in her congratulatory letter to the KELC bishop-elect.
Elected during the church’s General Assembly last November, Bishop-elect Musau will be installed in June 2026.
Burghardt said the election was an important sign of hope for gender justice in churches across Africa. She noted similar developments in some of the LWF member churches in Southern Africa, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA), the Moravian Church in South Africa (MCSA), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), which have elected their first women to the position of bishop or president in recent years.
KELC Bishop Johnes Meliyio (third from right) and other church leaders during the November 2025 General Assembly. Photo: KELC
Know that the global communion will be praying for your ministry and leadership,
LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt
“Your skills, experiences, and vision will enrich our global Lutheran communion. As you embark on this journey, know that the global communion will be praying for your ministry and leadership,” Burghardt said.
Musau currently serves as a pastor in the KELC Malindi parish in the coastal region. She will succeed Bishop Johnes Meliyio, whose has led the church since 2020.
KELC, which grew out of mission efforts from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, joined the LWF in 1992 and has approximately 15,000 members. It is one of the two LWF member churches in Kenya.
