Africa Lutheran Communion

Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus - International Mission Society (EECMY-IMS) at the conclusion of its first national Mission conference held on January 14-17, 2010 at Mekane Yesus Seminary compound in Addis Ababa officiated the commissioning of its first three missionary families that will be sent to counties in Africa and Asia.

Rev. Dr. Wakesiyum Idosa  Preident of EECMY led the ceremony which was the first of its kind in the history of the Church,  accompanied by two honorary Presidents of the EECMY, Rev. Francis Stephanos and Rev. Itefa Gobena and other pastors. The conference was honored by the attendances of Ambassador Teshome Toga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministers, representatives of mission and cooperating partners, representatives of sister churches and invited guests.  It is estimated that altogether over 10,000 members of the EECMY that came from the 21 synods and two Work Areas of the Churchattended the ocassion. 

The three commissioned missionary families include the family of Professor Tilahun Teka from Addis Ababa Mekane Yesus congregation, the family of Ato Bulli Feyisa from Urael  Meakne Yesus congregation and the family of Tamiru Deressa  of Nefas Silk Mekane Yesus congregation.  Professor Tilahun pediatrician physician the father of two daughters and two sons has been a lecturer at Medical Faculty of Addis Ababa University served as a pediatrician physician and lecturer for the last 25 years while Ato Bulli Fayisa the father of four; three boys and one daughter is a committed sociologist who for many years has been actively involved in preaching the Gospel in difficult and hardship circumstances. Ato Bulli is currently working with Lutheran World Federation -World Service Office in Addis Ababa.   Prior to joining LWF/WS Ethiopia Office he worked in the government offices with  various positions. He is prospective graduate with MA degree in Leadership in June 2010. Rev. Tamiru Deressa the father of two daughters and one son holds BTh. Degree in Theology with 16 years of experiences as a pastor and leader at congregation.  Meanwhile, Ato Wondimu Matthews Executive Secretary of EECMY-IMS said that his office already has received over 20 applications  of potential candidates  for EECMY-IMS mission field.

EECMY-IMS is a Mission Society that is launched by the group of individual members of the Church which are interested in mission work. EECMY-IMS is not embraced within the structure of the Church and hence has independent Governing Board that will have full responsibility to oversee the overall function of the society and recruiting, training and sending of the missionaries. The EECMY at this occasion acknowledged the missionary service of the family of Rev. Yosef Negasa who served in Zambia for six years by awarding him gold medal.  It was noted that the church effort by which the family of Yosef was sent to Zambia has not been based on adequate plan, preparation and collection of interested and willing individual members; it was only a result of the good desire of the then leaders for the mission work.  It is reportedly said that the approach to start the former mission field is one of the causes for eventual abortion of the effort. 

The procession of  putting fire on the torches by the representatives of the Mission Societies who  contributed to the founding of the EECMY  and the leaders of the EECMY as well as of the children and Youth representatives after which the responsibility for the continuation of EECMY-IMS is handed over to the new generation has contributed significantly in coloring the closing of the occasion.

A Mini-Assembly of LUCCWA has ended in Lagos, Nigeria. It was attended by Heads of Churches from Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroun, and host country, Nigeria

The meeting discussed among other issues, the reviewed texts on the LWF Renewal,  the 2009 Council resolutions and the Africa regional Pre-assembly to be hosted by LUCCWA in March, 23-28th, 2010.  It also planned for its LUCCWA General assembly proposed for next year.

The meeting was declared open by the LUCCWA President Goyek of  the Cameroun Bretheren Church who charged all participants in the Lutheran commun ion to be open and committed to the cause of the sub-region.

A four- day meeting of the Global Christian Forum is has been held in Ghana. (15th-20th Nov.)

Participants included representatives from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. The delegates were in discussion on how all christian denominations and bodies could be given space to share and unite on the GCF vision.

Delegates were given time to share and discuss in country and confessional groups. A final statement from that meeting will be shared in due course on this forum.

“We have been burying people [elderly men] who have committed suicide due to the current drought…they have lost hope with deaths of their sole livelihood [livestock],” lamented Mr. Kulei, a church elder at the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kajiado, Kenya.

“One of the deceased was not sick. He only looked at the carcasses and collapsed.”

The Maasai people (mainly pastoralists) have been on the move in search of pasture and grazing land for their livestock. “We have not received adequate rains for the last 4 years,” noted Kulei. “Our people [Maasai] have been out for long duration, covering thousands of kilometers to ensure the survival of livestock,” said Kulei.  Villagers in Lodokelani, Orkekoyore, Eldamat, and Matopato have buried many people. One pastoralist formerly had a herd of 2,000 cattle, and now only has 10 remaining. “Livestock that succumb to drought are abandoned as the rest move in search for pasture.”