David Njeru
April 2025
EQUIPPING CHURCHLEADERS AFRICA – ETHIOPIA EXPLORATION REPORT
This was done by Equipping Church Leaders Africa – Africa Coordinator Rev. David Njeru from Kenya. David is the Nairobi Region (Kenya) coordinator. He has walked with Jonathan Menn for over 16 years since the days of EPI and Equipping Church Leaders East Africa and now Equipping Church Leaders Africa. He left Kenya on Tuesday 22 April and he returned on Monday 28 April after a very successful exploration trip both in Addis Ababa the capital city of Ethiopia and Buhi a regional center of Buhi Region South East of Ethiopia.
The following is a brief summary of his trip.
Location & Short History of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a rugged country located on the Horn of Africa in East Africa with a total area of approximately 432,432 square miles (1,120,000 square kilometers). It is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Sudan. Its history stretches back over 160,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth. It lies completely within the tropical latitudes and is relatively compact, with similar north-south and east-west dimensions. The capital is Addis Ababa (“New Flower”), located almost at the center of the country. Ethiopia is the largest and most populated (128.7 million as at 2023) country in the Horn of Africa. With the 1993 secession of Eritrea, its former province along the Red Sea, Ethiopia became landlocked.
Ethiopia is split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture. Among its important sites are Lalibela with its rock-cut Christian churches from the 12th–13th centuries. Aksum is the ruins of an ancient city with obelisks, tombs, castles and Our Lady Mary of Zion church. ? Google
Important Statistics
CO2 emissions per capita: 0.17 metric tons (2022) World Bank
Fertility rate: 4.06 births per woman (2022) World Bank
GDP growth rate: 6.5% annual change (2023) World Bank
Gross Domestic Product: 163.7 billion USD (2023) World Bank
GDP per capita: 1,272.02 USD (2023) World Bank
Gross national income: 392.6 billion PPP dollars (2023) World Bank
Ethnicity: diverse culture, with over 80 different ethnic groups
Ethiopia boasts one of the richest histories of any country or culture on earth. Its archaeological remains show a continuous record of complex settlements for nearly three thousand years. With Egypt and Nubia, Ethiopia is one of the African civilizations boasting a continuous written record since antiquity. The ancient kingdom centered around the city of Aksum – now in the highlands of northern Ethiopia – was a regional superpower: it engaged in major trade with the Roman Empire and southern Asia, and projected military strength into modern Sudan and Yemen. Aksum’s stelae are some of ancient Africa’s greatest monuments.
Medieval Ethiopia produced a rich artistic and literary tradition, in large part through the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the oldest indigenous Christian churches in the world. The Kebra Negast tells the story of Ethiopia’s origins in the union between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and how their son, Ethiopia’s first Emperor Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant to Aksum, where it still resides.
Modern Ethiopia is a potent symbol of freedom and anti-colonialism. Under Emperor Menelik II, Ethiopia defeated Italian invaders in 1896 and preserved its independence as the rest of Africa fell under colonial rule. Under Emperor Haile Selassie I, Ethiopia resisted fascist occupation under Mussolini. After World War II, the emperor became a global voice for freeing Africa from colonial rule.
The communist revolutionaries who seized power in 1974 governed through a military committee known as the Derg. The Derg soon found itself embroiled in civil war throughout Ethiopia. One result of the conflict was the unprecedented famine which wracked Ethiopia in the mid-1980s. Rebels drove the Derg from power in 1991. From 1991 to 2018, a coalition of those rebels – led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – governed Ethiopia along ethnic lines, organizing the country into regions based on local ethnicities. (Source: https://royalethiopiantrust.org/ethiopia-a-brief-history/
Ethiopian Spirituality
The dominant religions are Christianity and Islam. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church holds the largest percentage at 43.8%, followed by Islam at 31.3%. Pentecostal / evangelical Christianity represents about 22.8% of the population. Other Christian and traditional faiths make up a smaller percentage each, at 0.7% and 0.6% respectively. Additionally, 0.8% of the population identifies as other or none.
State of Church Pastors & Leaders
We have very few trained pastors because of the following factors. Top on the list is lack of interest. Secondly, training is expensive hence lack of funds. Third is lack of training opportunities and that is where ECLEA is coming up so strongly.
ECLEA – Addis Ababa Meeting
This was the initial entry point of ECLEA in Ethiopia. The meeting was held in a minor conference hall of Tirar International Hotel where I was also staying. The reason to have the first meeting in this kind of a setup was twofold according to Solomon Kedebe our link person in Ethiopia. Firstly, it was to show the seriousness of ECLEA. Secondly, it was to avoid any suspicion especially which church or denomination brought ECLEA to Ethiopia, hence the neutrality was of essence. It was attended by about 56 church pastors and church leaders who were invited, translating to 100% response. They were drawn from different denominations and churches.
The meeting started at 9:00am with a brief worship then a word of encouragement from one of the local pastors in Amharic. Solomon our link person was invited and he gave an overview of why we were meeting.
* I was then invited to address the gathering and zeroed on ECLEA history, founder’s short bio, vision, mission and other key elements not forgetting the two major divisions (12 Books & 12 Topical) of ECLEA materials. However, in Buhi, we had enough time to do a synopsis of each course.
Finally, I did a preview 1st Timothy majoring on the 15 qualifications of a leader. This in itself aroused so much curiosity that there were suggestions we conclude the teaching. I promised to do that in August. What came out clearly is the hunger and thirst of the delegates for well researched biblical truth.
Delegates Feedback
* Extremely important training tool that has come in the right time.
* God has a purpose and plan for us through ECLEA. We welcome ECLEA in our country.
* We need ECLEA in every part of Ethiopia. Please come up with a working strategy.
* We need certificates after training. Please check on that.
Way Forward in Addis Ababa
* Establish a training center in Addis Ababa by August.
* Train on 1st Timothy and orient volunteer Teacher-Pastors on ECLEA structure, trainer requirements and training.
ECLEA – Buhi (South Eastern) Meeting
We had our very first full ECLEA training in Buhi Region hosted by MKC (Meserte Kirstos Church led by pastor Balay, South East of Ethiopia from Thursday 24 April & Friday 25 April 2025. On Saturday 26 April, I spoke in a revival meeting which was pre-planned with pastors and believers in attendance. I preached a message themed “The Power of His Resurrection” from Philippians 3:7-11 which aligned so well with the season of Easter in the Christian Calendar. It was well received.
Delegates Number & Composition
As it was with Addis Ababa, I time in explaining what is ECLEA only this time I had more time; especially going through the synopsis of each of the 24 ECLEA courses. The approximately 64 pastors and church leaders in attendance were drawn from over ten denominations with varying ages including youth leaders. This was particularly good to note that ECLEA had a bright future in Ethiopia in the hands of the young ministers.
Training Outcome & Responses
After the training, I would say that ECLEA made the right choice at the right time to enter Ethiopia. The appetite for deep theological content is palpable and ECLEA has the key. For the two days, attendance was 100%. The delegates were very keen in whatever was happening. Their willingness to unlearn, learn and relearn was a revolutionary!
An example to point is that one delegate confessed after I gave a summary of Biblical Stewardship, that he used to take a shower twice per week – yes twice per week. After hearing of taking care of one’s body, he sneaked out over lunch break, took a shower and changed his clothes including inner wear! Such instant transformation is plausible. Thank you ECLEA. Throughout the training, we had interludes for takeaways from each section, questions or comments which made the two days move very first. Both in Addis Ababa and Buhi, Solomon Kebede our graced host and coordinator did the interpretation from English to Amharic as I taught. He did a good job and I appreciate him so much.
The following is a summary of the attendee’s responses
* Grace, mercy and peace have finally located us. We are so happy and we embrace ECLEA.
* “My prayer has been answered. I have been praying for such a breakthrough for a very long time,” an elderly man named Girma remarked. Solomon recorded his full message in Amharic including a prayer for ECLEA expansion in Ethiopia. The following is a brief summary. May God bless and keep you safe, be with you, give you favor and expand you. May God make you a blessing tool, may He strengthen the Gospel ministry in Ethiopia through your training. May God bless those who are involved in ECLEA in training, financing and in prayer.
* “I am taking home know, grow and glow. This will be my rallying call for a very long time. That I why after yesterday’s training, I texted my wife to join me. She is here with us.” Wife stands up to a thunderous applause.
* God is trusting us more and preparing us for bigger assignments.
* This training is very useful to us and suitable to our country.
* After this training, please help us with a training that addresses marriages. We need it so much.
Next Steps.
This is the way forward for Buhi
* All delegates were asked to initiate a discussion with other church leaders or groups, teach in a discipleship set up or a church series appropriately the book of 1st Timothy between now and August when we will be having the next training on Biblical Stewardship. This is crucial to see how the delegates apply the teachings. Solomon is developing a tool to help on the same. It will also help us identify some of them who will take lead in propagating ECLEA in Buhi region
* However, we had a number of volunteers (about 11) who stepped forward to be considered as ECLEA volunteer teachers in Buhi Region. After the August training and some sort of vetting, I with the assistance of Solomon will appoint a regional coordinator and a few volunteer teachers for Buhi region. We may use a similar strategy for Addis Ababa Region.
Eastern Region – Adama: Training in August
Western Region – Ambo: Training in August
Northern Region
We already have a contact by the name Pastor Awake. The region is largely traditional orthodox with no interaction with solid biblical teaching materials. There is also a significance presence of Muslim believers who need a lot of grounding in Christianity. The place is also relatively populated.
Pastor Awake will be invited to the Addis training in August. Then together with Solomon start a training center in the North before 2025 comes to an end. This is because, it is very far from Addis and requires proper travel arrangements. The easiest is to fly from Addis.
Next Training & Itinerary Schedule
* Addis Ababa – Wed 20-Thur 21 August: 1st Timothy. (Evening: Seminar on Marriage & Parenting).
* Buhi – Fri 22-Sat 23: Biblical Stewardship (Evening: Seminar on Marriage & Parenting).
(Sunday 24 – Morning: service, afternoon: travel to Addis then connect to Adama on Monday 25).
* Adama – Mon 25-Tue 26: 1 Timothy. (Evening: Seminar on marriage and Parenting)
(Tue 26: Travel to Addis then connect to Ambo on Wed 27).
* Ambo - Wed 27-Thur 28: 1 Timothy (Evening: Seminar on marriage and parenting).
* Addis Ababa – Sat 30: Leadership / Marriage and Parenting Seminar.
* Addis Ababa – Sun 31: Sunday service. (Evening / Monday morning – Fly back to Nairobi)
* Between September – Northern Region Entry: Solomon & Awake.
* Between February 1- 14 (Exact dates to be confirmed): Round trip in Ethiopia with Jonathan, David and Solomon) visiting all centers. The itinerary will involve training, seminars, ToT and Commissioning of National and Regional ECLEA leaders.
Special Note: The seminar on marriage and parenting / leadership has been coopted alongside the training since it is an essential need from the two engagements as raised by the delegates. How will this be done? After the normal ECLEA training, we will have 60-90 minutes for it each day.
Sustainability Approach
* All who are trained to immediately start teaching the same in their respective churches. This can be done appropriately as the pastor or leader deems fit.
* Develop a kind of a follow-up strategy for leaders to prove they have been active starting with Buhi.
* Come up with a local mechanism of sustaining ECLEA with minimal or no funding from ECLEA in the near future.
* Use the 2 Timothy 2:2 strategy to keep spreading the content in a local non ECLEA set up.
* Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reformed Ministry of Ethiopia which is ready to use ECLEA materials as follows
* Degree – up to 15 manuals of their course content which is 25%)
* Diploma – up to 10 manuals of their course content which is 50%)
* Certificate – Up to 5 manuals of their course content which is 50%)
Course Books Translation & Training Sequence
Many Ethiopians speak in Amharic although Tigrinya, Sidama, Wolayta and Oromo are largely spoken. Not many people speak English. (While there isn't a precise percentage, a significant portion of Ethiopians, particularly in urban areas and those involved in international communication, are proficient in English. English is widely used in Addis Ababa, especially in business settings, and it's also a major foreign language taught in schools, according to NationMaster.com. However, Amharic remains the official language across the country and the most widely spoken language in Addis Ababa, with approximately 34% of the population speaking it – AI)
I propose at least six manuals as per the need on the ground. Starting with 1 Timothy which is already done in Amharic. Followed by Biblical Stewardship, Biblical Marriage & Parenting, Biblical Interpretation, Expository Preaching and Galatians.
ECLEA Legality
All religious matters are under the Directorate of Faith and Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Peace. It is responsible for registering and licensing religious groups. This entity also handles the renewal of registrations, which must occur at least every five years.
However, the evangelicals have an umbrella body (Gospel Believers’ Churches counsels) which acts on the same on behalf of the government. Registration is about $1,000. Meanwhile, I suggest we continue operating under the cover of Covenant Reformed ministry – incase someone wants to know who we are, the after proper establishment complete with a leadership structure, we can then register.
About Our Host
Solomon Kebede Tessema is married to Senait Desta with three children. He lives about 15 minutes’ drive from Addis Ababa. Solomon is a dedicated Bible teacher overseeing Covenant Reformed Ministry of Ethiopia that runs several satellite Bible school centers in Ethiopia. They offer certificates, Diploma and degree courses in partnership with Miami International Theological Seminary from USA.
Solomon has been involved in ministry for the last 25 years. He was an assistant pastor in one of the local churches in Addis Ababa, Bible College teacher over 10 years, principal of Bible College for over five years, GBC Geja Kale Hiowt Bible College. He is the visionary of Covenant Reformed Ministry Ethiopia - a ministry engaged with the vision of church revitalization. The ministry has four major concentrations as follows. Formal training, rural and urban pastoral informal training, media & translation ministry and compassion & community empowerment ministry. Solomon has a vision to plant local churches across the country.
Much appreciation to Jonathan Menn and ECLEA supporters. Your contribution is making a lasting kingdom change to nations.
Regards,
David Njeru
ECLEA – Africa Coordinator
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