ELCT issues eight spiritual, preparatory guidelines ahead of El Niño

ARUSHA: As the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and other government authorities continue to issue warnings about the upcoming October-December 2026 short rains season, which is expected to be accompanied by El Niño conditions in various parts of the country, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) has urged its members to take eight measures to avoid the anticipated impacts.

In a statement issued by the church’s presiding bishop, Bishop Dr Alex Malasusa, titled “Spiritual and Preparatory Guidance on the Short Rains and El Niño Conditions in Our Country,” and read in churches under the denomination across the country today, the ELCT called for preparations on how to respond to the threat of floods in order to reduce their impacts should they occur.

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The church stressed that it had taken the warning about the El Niño threat very seriously and urged its members to take precautions, noting that disasters and calamities caused by climate change have been occurring frequently, leaving widespread suffering around the world.

Against this background, the church called on all ELCT congregations to observe the following:

1. Prayer

The church urged its members not to tire of praying, stressing: “Our God is a God who hears. Despite the challenges posed by climate change, He can do more than we can imagine—therefore, let us not tire of asking Him to protect us from disasters.”

2. Special prayers

The church called on all congregations to hold special prayers during the following three Sunday services: September 20, September 27 and October 4, 2026, as follows:

a) Sunday, September 20, 2026: To pray for families who have lost their loved ones due to the flood disaster in Nepal, and to pray for the Government of Nepal to be granted wisdom, good judgement and resources to serve its people.

(Two men and two women among faithful congregants should be selected to lead the prayer sessions.)

b) Sunday, September 27, 2026: To pray for repentance for Tanzania and ask God to protect the country from the threat of El Niño, which could cause floods; to pray for the Government to be granted wisdom, knowledge and resources to deal with disasters; and to pray for the Church and society at large to be granted the capacity and knowledge to prepare for and respond to disasters.

(Two men and two women among faithful congregants should be selected to lead the prayer sessions.)

c) Sunday, October 4, 2026: This will be the final Sunday of the prayers, dedicated to giving thanks to God.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1

B. Preparations to respond to El Niño should it occur

3. Every member and congregation should be encouraged to follow official updates from the TMA on developments in weather conditions and take early precautions rather than waiting until floods occur.

4. As an initial measure, the ELCT has prepared El Niño awareness leaflets to disseminate the message to community members, all churches and church centres, so that they closely follow information on the threat and continue encouraging communities to prepare for it.

5. Dioceses and church centres should establish arrangements and set aside resources to enable them to respond to El Niño, including clearing drainage channels and water infrastructure.

6. Every congregation should ensure that worship and residential areas used by its members have safe drainage systems for rainwater to reduce damage in the event of heavy rains.

7. Through congregational services, families living in high-risk areas should be identified and precautionary measures taken by preparing plans to protect them should El Niño occur, in order to prevent serious harm.

8. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania will continue communicating with the Government through the Prime Minister’s Office and various stakeholders. It will also work with the interfaith network of religious leaders to make preparations to respond to an El Niño disaster should it occur, with the aim of ensuring the safety of Tanzanian communities.