With the encouragement of the Lutheran and Presbyterian missionary societies in Ethiopia and the Lutheran World Federation, the Evangelical congregations in several parts of the country met on April 23 and 25, 1958 to deliberate on the draft constitution and establish the EECMY. From these joint efforts the church was instituted as a national church on January 21, 1959, taking its name from the first congregation in Addis Ababa, Mekane Yesus[6] ("Place of Jesus").[7] EECMY has a motto of "Serving the Whole Person" that was developed in the 1970s. This "holistic ministry" theme has helped it to carry out its ministry in evangelism and development work. One of the leading theologians of the EECMY was Gudina Tumsa (1929–1979), who was general secretary for several years up until his arrest and murder at the hands of the communist government of Ethiopia in 1979.[5]
The church, which was born out of Swedish missionary work amongst others, today through Mekane Yesus International Missionary Society itself has many missionaries in countries all around the world: South Asia, several African countries, the Middle East, and Guyana.[8]
History
The EECMY was founded on work begun by Northern European missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These missionaries concentrated their work in southern Ethiopia, where the Orthodox Christian influence was less profound.
The Reformed section of the denomination was founded by the United Presbyterian Church in 1869. Dr. Thomas Lambie, a missionary of the United Presbyterian Church, begun work in the western part of the country. During the Italian occupation, missionaries were forced to leave, but the Bethel Evangelical Church was founded with native believers. It became an independent church in 1947. After World War II, BEC experienced rapid growth. In 1974 it became part of the EECMY, and now it has more than 1,000 000 members. Former BEC presbyteries and synods retain their names. In the western Synod of Gambela, more than 60% of the population are members of the Bethel Evangelical Church.[9]
In 2000, the EECMY ordained the first women as pastors.[10] However, this practice has since been paused due to a resurgence of Confessional Lutheranism, which emphasizes traditional interpretations of pastoral ministry. The decision reflects ongoing theological debates within the church about gender roles and ecclesial authority.[citation needed]
Beliefs and theology
The EECMY adheres to evangelical Lutheran theology, emphasizing salvation by grace through faith, the authority of Scripture, and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. The church also reflects Pentecostal influence in its emphasis on spiritual renewal and charismatic worship, and includes one Presbyterian-leaning synod.[11] As part of the P'ent'ay movement, EECMY shares theological and missional values with other Ethiopian evangelical churches, while maintaining its Lutheran confessional identity.
The EECMY is governed through a synodical structure, consisting of regional synods and a national General Assembly. Each synod is led by elected officials, including a president and secretary, and sends representatives to the General Assembly, which serves as the highest decision-making body. While the church does not follow a traditional episcopal model, it maintains hierarchical oversight through its synod system. The EECMY also operates various commissions and departments focused on theology, mission, education, and development, reflecting its commitment to holistic ministry and organizational accountability.[citation needed]
Membership
The EECMY claimed almost 2.3 million members in 2007, growing to 8.3 million baptized members according to the 2016 statistics.[12] They operate a seminary in Addis Ababa with 150 students. The church also owns several bible colleges, schools, and health care and social facilities in various locations throughout the country. In Addis Ababa they also run a language and cultural orientation school, called MY-LINC, for people who want to learn Ethiopian languages. Most congregations speak local languages, but the International Lutheran Church (Ethiopia) is English-speaking.[13]
1 2 Øyvind M., Eide (2001). "Tumsa, Gudina". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
↑ Gustav Arén, Evangelical Pioneers in Ethiopia: Origins of the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, EFS Förlaget, Addis Ababa, 1978. (Studia Missionalia Upsaliensia, 32).
↑ Emanuele Fantini, "Go Pente! The Charismatic Renewal of the Evangelical Movement in Ethiopia", in Ficquet, E. & Prunier, G. (eds.), Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia: Monarchy, Revolution and the Legacy of Meles Zenawi, Oxford University Press, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
