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By Leon SuseranComposite shots: Members at Ebenezer yesterday; souvenir stamps, shirts, keyrings and mugs on sale; Mr. Goolsarran (L) and President Rev. PrashadIn a bid to boost its local clergy,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, the Evangelical Lutheran Church has become the first church in Guyana to embark on local training for its members to become pastors and deacons. This now means that there is no need to send them to foreign countries and seminaries.This was revealed by current President of the ELCG, Rev. Moses Prashad, as the church celebrated its 270th Anniversary yesterday with a grand worship service at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in New Amsterdam, the first Christian church in the country.That church building was floated down the Berbice River and brought to its original location in Strand, New Amsterdam. Hundreds of Lutherans from all over Guyana as well as overseas visitors flocked the church yesterday for the grand anniversary service.Prashad noted that 270 years is not a small number for any church.  “When you look at 270 years for any organization, much less a church, it is symbolic and significant and very, very important!” He said that God has been extremely good to the ELCG, which has had its struggles and issues over the years, including migration of its pastors as well as members. The church has 14 parishes and 54 congregations countrywide, including up the Berbice River, where the church was started up 270 years ago by Dutch clergymen.He said that the church has active youth ministries; women’s groups as well as Sunday school ministries. “Sometimes they are not what is expected of them…There are times when we have seen lows and spurts, but these ministries augment the spread of the Good News.”Like any other church in Guyana, Rev. Prashad said that there is the issue of members who migrate, however, “we are still able to reach out to others and draw them into the church.”One of the things done to cushion the fact of pastors migrating is developing a rigorous Lay Training programme which has resulted in locally-trained pastors and deacons.These pastors perform internships under supervision at various parishes and assessed after which they are ordained into the church ministry.In the past, the ELCG had to send their members to the Seminary in Jamaica to spend four years to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. He said that the local training is necessary due to high costs attached to overseas training.The ELCG has ordained a large number of women into the priesthood, a sure sign of being a very inclusive church. As the church looks ahead to the future, Prashad said that continued lay-training is on the cards.Secretary of the ELCG, Mr. Samuel Goolsarran stated, that the church’s financial statements are audited regularly as individual parishes send in their financial statements. Also, he stated that the church is headed by a President, who is always a pastor, sort of like a Bishop of the local Lutheran church.Goolsarran said that a list of members over age 70 will be honoured in the coming weeks during the anniversary.