AFCI World News

Leadership Seminar in Ethiopia

BY: Shiferaw Feyissa, National Director

In January we held a leadership seminar in Wolisso. It is located western Ethiopia, 135 km from Addis Ababa. There were 110 church leaders attending the leadership summit.

Topics shared were vital to ongoing ability of these leaders to train others and reach out in greater ways with the Gospel.

Subjects covered were:

• Christian Leadership, by Pastor Berhanu Feleke
• The book of Colossians, by Pastor Shiferaw Feyissa
• How to share Christ with people from other religious backgrounds, by Brother Worku Haile Mariam

It was a time of learning from each other, reviving spirits, and awakening leaders to the potential they have to reach out in greater ways with the Gospel. The leaders came from 13 different denominations. What a joy is was to see such a diverse group of people willing to learn together and encourage each other.

New AFCI Team Member in Ethiopia

On January 18, 2012 the AFCI team in Ethiopia visited Kolfe Kale Heywet Church and took part in the dedication of Worku Haile-Mariam Mohammad to the ministry of AFCI Ethiopia. This is Worku’s home church.  AFCI Regional Director (Fred Amoah-Darko) delivered a message on commitment from Romans 12:1-2. To conclude the service, a number of pastors, elders, and evangelists gathered with the AFCI team to pray for Worku and his wife, Tiruwork Siefu.

Worku remarked to those attending, "I hope by the grace of God I will fulfill the AFCI vision worldwide as well as Ethiopia in particular." Worku has a wide experience in ministry, including teaching at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. He is a well respected church leader in Ethiopia.  Shiferaw Feyissa, National Director for Ethiopia, said, “Worku brings many gifts to the AFCI team that we need. We have known each other for many years and we have worked together in ministry from time to time.  I am excited to now be working more closely together. Worku will be part-time with AFCI at present, but we are confident that this will grow to be full-time in the future.”

Evangelism Festival in Ethiopia

In the first day of meetings the ground was full and an estimated 25,000 people attended. A local mass choir from several churches lead in worship. After the crowd gathered, Shiferaw Feyissa, National Director for Ethiopia, gave greetings to the crowd shouting with his big voice “Jesus!” several times. When the crowd respond with “Jesus” it looked like the ground was shaking.

After preaching, Shiferaw appealed for people to respond and many souls committed their life to Jesus. Shiferaw wrote, “Many of the people attending are involved in local religions and participate in witchcraft rituals while at the same time claiming to follow Jesus; sadly they are following in mixed belief system. Two things came to mind.  First, how Satan is cruel and wants people to suffer, and second, how southern Ethiopian traditional religions have led people astray. For those that responded, there was a group of trained counselors to help direct the new believers.”

Shiferaw goes on to write, “The first day of meetings had a full-size impact and it was big news in Dodolla area. In my observation and other witnesses for five days of meetings, more than 3000 people came to the Lord! We are full of praise at seeing God work in the lives of those who came.”