Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, Minnesota

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Rev. Philip & Lou-Marie Knutson

HIGHLIGHTS

Trinity Lutheran's history with the Knutsons

Trinity Lutheran Church began supporting the Rev. Philip and Lou-Marie Knutson, missionaries to South Africa, on January 1, 1983.

In 1985, Trinity covered the full cost for supporting the Knutsons - $35,000. Of that amount, $20,000 was raised from special offerings, and the Church Council voted $15,000 from the regular church budget (Messenger, Vol. 50, No. 14). Trinity formally pledged $7,000 for their support in 2005.

Currently, there are 16 congregations sponsoring the Knutsons, including Our Savior’s Lutheran in Moorhead, as well as churches in Ada and Fertile.

Trinity has on occasion contributed to special projects the Knutsons have been involved in, such as $1,000 for the daycare center at Port Elizabeth, a contribution to the South to South project involving youth in Port Elizabeth, and more recently 90/10 contributions to support Christian education and AIDS awareness projects in the Cape Orange Diocese of the ELCSA.

Biographies and educational background

Philip Knutson was born on a mission station in Zululand, South Africa to missionary parents (The Rev. Jim and Arlene Knutson), and received part of his education there. His parents currently live in Bloomington, MN.

He is a graduate of Luther-Northwestern Seminary, and he received his doctorate in missiology in 1998.

Lou-Marie is a citizen of South Africa and a graduate of the University of Stellenbosch. Their anniversary is January 4. They have two daughters:

Thandiwe ("Beloved" in Zulu) was born May 23, 1989. She will be starting Grade 10 in 2005.

Lindiwe ("Much awaited" in Zulu) was born in December 6, 1986. She graduated from high school in 2004 and will be studying law and psychology at the University of Cape Town in 2005.

Places where the Knutsons have served

Botshabelo - 1983-93 A black, Sotho-speaking resettlement area (the name means "Sanctuary") of over 250,000 in the Orange Free State. Despite its size, it was not on any map, and the nearest town was Thaba N’chu in the so-called "independent homeland" of Bophuthatswana. Botshabelo was located near the major South African city of Bloemfontein, and many of the residents there served as factory workers and general laborers in the neighboring white areas. Most of the people in the congregation were unemployed. Rev. Knutson served congregations in both Botshabelo and Thaba N’chu, a total of 15 different preaching places. He oversaw building of a new church and daycare center during 1985. He was active in the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and the Botshabelo Ministers Fraternal, and assisted in numerous meetings and negotiations to help resolve conflicts in the area.

Lou-Marie taught high school chemistry and physics for 10 1/2 years at Goronyane High School in Thaba N'chu, and tutored students for 3 hours every Friday at the church. Starting with one student, the group she tutored eventually grew to 50-80 regular attendees. Most of them went on to pass their matriculation exams, no small accomplishment in a country where the pass rate for black students is typically 50%.

Gelvandale, Port Elizabeth - July 1993-December 1999 An urban ministry in a suburb of Port Elizabeth. Gelvandale has a historically "colored" (mixed-race) population, speaking mostly Afrikaans. Rev. Knutson served the Gelvandale Lutheran Church congregation, the Lutheran Day Care Centre, the Christian education program, the East Cape Land Committee, and the church youth and women’s organizations. Lou-Marie taught chemistry and physics at a high school in Uitenhage, coached boys basketball and served on the school governing board.

Cape Orange Diocese office, Cape Town – 2000-present Appointed Coordinator for Christian Education and Stewardship in the Cape Orange Diocese in 2000. The Diocese, the largest of seven in the ELCSA, covers the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Freestate Provinces. In this position, Rev. Knutson also worked with overseas partnerships, which includes the ELCA’s Companionship Programme in South Africa.

He was subsequently appointed facilitator for Christian education and stewardship education for the ELCSA. Beginning in 2005, he will take up the post of Program Assistant for Southern Africa for the ELCA’s Divison for Global Mission. In this position, Rev. Knutson will be working more closely with companion synods and visiting companion churches and missionary personnel throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. He remains a resource person for ELCA-supported Christian education projects in Southern Africa.

Lou-Marie currently teaches high school chemistry and physics in Cape Town. Prior to that, she worked as a volunteer fund-raiser for Wola Nani, an organization which assists HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families in Cape Town and the black township of Khayelitsha.

Visits to Trinity

January 17-19, 1986. They were in the U.S. on furlough for several months that year. Rev. Knutson spoke at a Friday afternoon fellowship. The family was honored at a potluck on Saturday. On Sunday, Rev. Knutson was guest speaker at the 9 and 11 a.m. worship services, as well as at a 10 a.m. adult forum. Lou-Marie hosted a Sunday school presentation.

November 21-22, 1987.

October 7-8, 1989. They were in the U.S. on study leave for a year, staying in Chicago. Events included a Saturday prayer breakfast and a Sunday noon potluck. Rev. Knutson spoke at three Sunday services.

May 29-30, 1993. Rev. Knutson was in the U.S. on a three-month furlough.

February 15, 1998. Rev. Knutson hosted an adult forum and spoke at Sunday services. Lou-Marie and the children participated in a special Sunday School program. The Global Mission committee met with the Knutsons at the Jacobsons'.

July 2, 2000. Met with Global Mission Committee to strategize ways Trinity could assist with projects in South Africa. Knutsons were guests of honor at a reception afterwards for Trinity members.

March, 2001. Jay and Cheryl Beech became the first Trinity members to visit the Knutsons in South Africa.

June to August, 2002. Visited Trinity while on home assignment in the U.S.

July 10, 2010 - Visited Trinity while on home assignment in the U.S.

How to Contact

E-mail:
Postal address: P.O. Box 2192, Clareinch, Cape Town, 7740, Republic of South Africa