The Leadership Seminar
Dr. Fred Garmon, director of the NGO People for Care and Learning, recently came to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to hold a leadership-training seminar.
Fred Garmon and church leaders from Africa
The participants consisted of 49 pastors, leaders and coworkers, together with the national overseer for Ethiopia, Hiruy Tsige, CE coordinator for East Africa, Christopher Sibale and CE coordinator for Africa, Jürgen Rudolph.
The Participants
The participants were a vibrant group of leaders, mainly in their twenties and thirties. They consisted of Addis Ababa pastors, deacons, staff and leaders from the national offices; educational leaders; project coordinators for the children’s ministry; kindergarten ministries; school ministries and an unreached people group (Oromo-Selale).
Having two days of meetings on Saturday and Sunday made it possible for basically all leaders to be present. Pastors and church leaders delegated duties and ministries in their respective churches so that the Sunday worship services could go on.
The Purpose
The main purpose of the leadership seminar was the development, empowerment, equipping and encouragement of the leaders and prospective leaders in the metropolitan area of Addis Ababa and the country as a whole. Many of the leaders serve in various capacities in Addis Ababa and in the south, west and north of the country.
The greatest resource and need for the Harvest Church of God in Ethiopia today is the men and women who serve God in the church. There is great potential for the present and future church. This potential is being utilized and maximized by leadership development.
Redemptive Leadership
Fred Garmon taught on the skills of redemptive leadership. The meeting began and ended with a strong emphasis on the dreams of the individuals, and realization of the same by acting on it in faith. In addition, Fred Garmon’s personal story greatly inspired the listeners, and hope and faith were built.
The meetings were held in a very good spirit; the hunger of the participants was evident in their eagerness to grasp every idea and thought. This was reflected in their questions and sharing their own stories and testimonies. The meetings itself consisted of awesome times of teaching, interaction and also of worship and prayer.
A Priority of Leadership Development
Some of the signs of a revival are a high percentage of young people and women, together with an unrivaled hunger for God and a desire to serve Him. This was evident in this seminar.
The highest priority of the Harvest Church of God in Ethiopia is leadership development and disciple making. These leaders will preach the Gospel and be the hands and feet of Jesus in this country, reaching out to the diverse needs of God’s people. Hence, the great commission of Jesus is being fulfilled. Another high priority is improved infrastructure. The church in Ethiopia has a remarkable outreach and ministry to children.
Rarely has such a citywide meeting ever taken place, whereby all Addis Ababa leaders came together, and it was the first time ever that a leadership seminar of this format served the leaders in Addis Ababa.
Through this seminar the main need and goal for leadership development and empowerment was on full target, and met the highest priority of the church in Addis Ababa.
The mission emphasis for more than a decade has been to the Sidama in the south. While the churches grew within the Sidama area, basically no mission force from Sidama has gone beyond their boundary.
Almost all of the missionary forces that go into new territory are from Addis Ababa and surrounding areas.
The Need to Continue
The ongoing leadership development and training of present and upcoming leaders needs to continue on all levels and in all areas of Ethiopia where there is the highest number of Harvest Church of God churches; in the newer areas of the UPG group of the Selale-Oromo, where in recent years 24 churches were started; in the upcoming work in the west of the country and especially in the metropolitan area of Addis Ababa.
While rural areas never are to be neglected, a stronger emphasis of training the metropolitan area of Addis Ababa will help to build strong city churches and outreaches, and will greatly influence the country as well.
A united effort from within Ethiopia, the Church of God Eastern Africa region and the international Church of God body needs to continue to empower leaders and be actively involved in leadership development.
Jurgen Rudolph
CE Director
Western, Central, and Eastern Africa
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© 2009 Church of God World Missions