January 15thStretching Hands to Others – Celebrating East African Leaders
East African leaders within MCEC are excited to explore learning in their own language!” says Fanosie Legesse, MCEC Mission Associate.
There are seven congregations from Ethiopian and Eritrean origin in the MCEC community of congregations: Bethel Ethiopian Evangelical Church (Kitchener); Church of the Living Word in Ottawa; Freedom Gospel Ethiopian Church (Toronto); Medahnialem Ethiopian Evangelical Church (Toronto); Meheret Evangelical Church (Kitchener); Shalom Worship and Healing Centre (Kitchener) and Oromo Evangelical Church of Ottawa. Fanosie Legesse, MCEC Mission Associate, is one of seven Ethiopian/Eritrean pastors ministering in MCEC.
“My position as MCEC Mission Associate is to support the development of leaders in the churches that are from East Africa,” says Fanosie. “I am excited to help these pastors and congregations connect with their MCEC family.”
Recently Meheret Evangelical Church was able to purchase a worship facility. MCEC and Meheret are working together to develop a Prayer and Teaching Centre for East African church leaders that will also be housed in that facility. Fanosie will teach and coordinate resourcing by connecting with current educational programs in North America and Ethiopia. “The ripple effect of this ministry will affect the congregations, next generations, MCEC, and society as a whole. As leaders are developed, their development will shape other leaders. Relationships with MC Canada and MCEC will be stronger than ever as we learn from one another,” states Fanosie.
Meserete Kristos College (MKC) in Ethiopia offers programs and resources in the Amharic, Oromo and Tigrinya languages. Fanosie, a former student and Bible teacher of the college, is now exploring the possibilities for connections with the college that will assist in developing leaders and congregations here in MCEC. “Some of the MCEC East African leaders are new to Anabaptist theology and history,” he explains. “MKC is an Anabaptist college that already has the language, culture and history of the Ethiopian and Eritrean people. We will explore the resources that are already available and adapt them to a Canadian context. It is such an exciting development.”
He continues, “My dream is that MCEC and MC Canada will embrace intercultural church. Canada is a changing country of multicultural and intercultural people from all over the world. If the church models that embrace, other people will notice. North American Mennonites already have transcultural experience and we flourished under that! The transition for us is a history that we can learn from and share with new Canadians. Stretching our hands to others is a natural action.”