Uganda-Ethiopia 2010 Report
01/02/10 09:32
Jonathan Morris, Tom Rodgers, Jeff Bell, and Donna Katzen just returned from outreaches and pastors’ network gatherings, first in Kampala, Uganda, and then in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
KAMPALA MISSION
We convened a combined conference of regional leaders from various places in Uganda working with CMC (Church Multiplication Coalition) and country leaders from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Several days of worship, vision-casting, teaching, and strategy were followed by small village evening concert outreaches in areas fairly close to Kampala where new churches are being developed. “Pioneer” church groups were established and/or strengthened greatly with many new souls added to the churches. I was especially pleased to be traveling again with young people of the “Melodian Kings,” who now are very good at conducting effective outreaches even when their leader, Godfrey Saazi, was not around. Godfrey really had his hands full with conference organizing.
While in Uganda, a special lunch was convened with the visiting country leaders, where we began planning for upcoming ventures in their nations. I believe many leaders were very encouraged and left with increased vision for Christ to be worshipped in every village through new churches. Teaching was done by all our team members and by Godfrey Saazi, the CMC country director for Uganda.
ADDIS MISSION
When we arrive in Addis Ababa, we went first to a small town about 120 kilometers south of the city to participate in a gathering of believers (and invited friends) in an outdoor-meeting. 12 churches in the area participated in this exciting event. Somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people were present, including a lot of children. In this all-day Sunday event, extravagant worship, preaching the gospel, and sharing on the CMC vision were used to bring people to Christ and greatly encourage the local Christians.
When we returned to Addis Ababa, two days were spent with 51 handpicked leaders representing the 5 provinces where Mezgebu Tsemru has been organizing CMC pastors’ networks. The level of commitment and ownership of this vision among these pastors is really inspiring. All of our American team taught and good strategy meetings were held, with all 5 regions submitting plans for evangelism and church planting this year.
At this juncture, we are close to having the same number of pastors involved as are now involved in the Philippines. Mezgebu is organizing a national leadership structure board to lead the work in Ethiopia. In 2010, he hopes to begin organizing in the remaining 9 regions of Ethiopia. He tells me that more than 30 tribal groups remain in Ethiopia that are considered “unreached,” and that this amounts to 40% of the total population. Hopefully, our networks, when formed in those regions, will provide some support for native missionaries working among those people groups in a similar way to what our networks in Southern Mindanao, Philippines are providing to workers there with tribal groups and Muslims.
In any case, I’m greatly encouraged by the response so far in Ethiopia to the CMC vision and believe that we need to do the best we can to provide needed resources so that the work will not be slowed down. I would like to encourage ongoing prayer for Mezgebu Tsemru, country leader, as he works tirelessly for the Kingdom, both with CMC and with his church leadership role in the country.
KAMPALA MISSION
We convened a combined conference of regional leaders from various places in Uganda working with CMC (Church Multiplication Coalition) and country leaders from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Several days of worship, vision-casting, teaching, and strategy were followed by small village evening concert outreaches in areas fairly close to Kampala where new churches are being developed. “Pioneer” church groups were established and/or strengthened greatly with many new souls added to the churches. I was especially pleased to be traveling again with young people of the “Melodian Kings,” who now are very good at conducting effective outreaches even when their leader, Godfrey Saazi, was not around. Godfrey really had his hands full with conference organizing.
While in Uganda, a special lunch was convened with the visiting country leaders, where we began planning for upcoming ventures in their nations. I believe many leaders were very encouraged and left with increased vision for Christ to be worshipped in every village through new churches. Teaching was done by all our team members and by Godfrey Saazi, the CMC country director for Uganda.
ADDIS MISSION
When we arrive in Addis Ababa, we went first to a small town about 120 kilometers south of the city to participate in a gathering of believers (and invited friends) in an outdoor-meeting. 12 churches in the area participated in this exciting event. Somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people were present, including a lot of children. In this all-day Sunday event, extravagant worship, preaching the gospel, and sharing on the CMC vision were used to bring people to Christ and greatly encourage the local Christians.
When we returned to Addis Ababa, two days were spent with 51 handpicked leaders representing the 5 provinces where Mezgebu Tsemru has been organizing CMC pastors’ networks. The level of commitment and ownership of this vision among these pastors is really inspiring. All of our American team taught and good strategy meetings were held, with all 5 regions submitting plans for evangelism and church planting this year.
At this juncture, we are close to having the same number of pastors involved as are now involved in the Philippines. Mezgebu is organizing a national leadership structure board to lead the work in Ethiopia. In 2010, he hopes to begin organizing in the remaining 9 regions of Ethiopia. He tells me that more than 30 tribal groups remain in Ethiopia that are considered “unreached,” and that this amounts to 40% of the total population. Hopefully, our networks, when formed in those regions, will provide some support for native missionaries working among those people groups in a similar way to what our networks in Southern Mindanao, Philippines are providing to workers there with tribal groups and Muslims.
In any case, I’m greatly encouraged by the response so far in Ethiopia to the CMC vision and believe that we need to do the best we can to provide needed resources so that the work will not be slowed down. I would like to encourage ongoing prayer for Mezgebu Tsemru, country leader, as he works tirelessly for the Kingdom, both with CMC and with his church leadership role in the country.
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