Leadership Development – Elpis for the Globe mission and development

The role of Church in the Politics and Nation Building

Venue: Getfam Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Time: 9:00 AM – 5:25 PM

Attendances : Evangelical Church Elders/Leaders, Ministry Youth and Children Leaders, Gov’t Officials and Private Business Leaders

The theme on “The role of Church in the Politics and Nation Building” was organized by ELPIS for Africa Mission and development. ELPIS is a ministry aims to work on spiritual as well as development sectors. As a missionary and visionary for Africa, ELPIS initiated that “The role of Church in the Politics and Nation Building” needs a thorough discussion to clearly address the role among Christian community these factsper se that are important. Thus, church elders, ministry leaders, youth and children ministry leaders, gov’t officials, private sector leaders, and other guests who represented the community were invited and attended the panel discussion.

The panel discussion was started by welcoming the participants and briefly explained the objectives followed by 30 minutes worship and prayer session with Reverend Samuel Hailu. Mr. Henok T. gave briefings on efforts and undertakings to candidly discuss on the issues as a preliminary step to accelerate and meet the objective of our field mission in the earth and way forward to improve the quality of services delivery.

Opening Statement

Mr. Garedew Assefa

The sessions were hosted by Mr. Garedew Assefa. Reverend Dr. Geleta Samiso and Dr. Samson Estifanoswere the lead presenters on the role of Church in politics and Nation Building respectively. Mr. Garedew then, made a speech on the general objectives of thediscussion. There have been deep studies on the relationship between our current Ethiopian gospel believers’ church and the government in general. In practice, every citizen is the result of its own religion,there is no need to argue on that issue, but the question is on how to proper handling of thesefacts for? We have a very great responsibility to demonstrate to the next generation what Christ likeness really means. People who look at us – the way we live, preach and serve – should be able to see in us what it means to be a true servant of the Lord, in the style of the apostles and prophets of old, and not in the style of 20th-century film-star-like evangelists. Whether we realize it or not, we’re leaving behind us an image, wherever we go – an image that’s going to remain in people’s minds long after we’ve gone away and long after they have forgotten the messages that we preached to them. When Paul called the elders of the church in Ephesus to bid farewell to them, notice what he told them in Acts 20:17-35. He reminded them that he had been with them for three years (verse 31) and that he had preached to them night and day. Three years is more than 1000 days. And so, if Paul actually preached twice every day, as it seems to imply here, he must have preached over 2000 sermons there.

Worship Time

Worship break at the Middle of the Sessions

The Role of Church in Politics

by Dr. Geleta Samiso

Studies indicated that the number of the population under Orthodox religion reduced from 54% to 45%. And it is believed the reduction is expected due to the fact that conversion and joined to Evangelical Believers’ (Protestants) Church.

– Given the ethnic federalism in placed, religion and gov’t are three different and expected to work inclose-collaboration and mutual trust among each other.

– Multi culture in the country, resulted in changes in place or environment, and the possibility of emerging new culture(s) in the forefront.

– In order to handle such critical in these two institutions, 4 main Approaches are overlooked. These are:

Upgrading– religion institutions should meet the expectations of the government. However, the gov’t won’t be involved in doctrinal issues. (Particular Secularism)
Enclavement – Reduce and prevent infiltration of involvement of the gov’t. It will heavily be based on the willingness of the religion institutions to let the gov’t get involved (subject to mutual understanding to involve in).
Reparation– Stressing out and banning illegal doings. Churches won’t have their own right and regulations to ban.
Cooptation– the act of controlling religion institutions in a systematic way. Change comes from outside not inside.

As religious institutions, churches shouldn’t directly get involved in the political issues, although the church community is under the auspicious of the community governed by the ruling party. As Christians we are followers of Jesus Christ; we have to align our journey from the biblical truth perspective and point of view to involve in the political issues. Plainly, 98% of the Ethiopian community is followers of various religionsof its kinds. Of this, 18% are accounted to Evangelical Christians (Gospel Believers). With this number of populations, Christians should believe in being persecuted for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ arerewarded and honoured. It is the obligation to continually render whatever help possible to show an eager desire towards new dresses and looking forward to a new and glorious future able to influence and impact, look for new earth in which righteousness dwells in the community as well as the government stratums and veins. Everyone must clearly understand that – calling cannot make someone holy; but she/he can make it holy. No matter how humble that calling may be, a holy man can make it a holy calling. A call to the ministry is not a call to be holy, as if the fact of his being a minister would sanctify a man; rather, the ministry is a calling for a holy man who has been made holy some other way than by the work s/he does. The true order is God makes a man holy by blood and fire and sharp discipline. Then he calls the man to some special work, and the man being holy makes that work holy in turn….

After this brief presentation Dr. Geleta Samiso has invited the guests to reflect views, suggestions, comments, and questions.

What is the role of the Church to prevail Justice and equality?

1. How should we support church members working in a different environment.and community; and what are the main reasons to failures of the gov’to comply with the basic rules? In a rapidly evolving proper state functions, Christians uncompromisingly should stand as a witness to such times, foretold the body of Christ, which is the temple of the living God. They should consider as immaterial, the falling down of brothers! The steadfastness of the love that binds God’s children, who are the bricks that make up the temple of God, the body of Jesus Christ to Christians’ sole aim and desire. Thus, pure Christian’s love is not only founded on obligations and conditions but also serve the system professionally, diligently and profoundly!

Reflections, questions, comments, and feedback from the guests were as follows.

1. Dr. Girma Altaye (Great commission Ministry Ethiopia)

Comment- “The role of Church in the Politics” is a serious issue in these days. It needs to be taken seriously; church members and leaders should seriously be aware of it.

Question- How the gov’t approaches the church and what are expected from the church end?

– What is the church perspective to Christians to involve in politics?

2. Pr. Bitew (Berhan Wongel Church)

Comments- In regard to drafting the basic laws, Church should get involved and evaluate in its implementations as well. Until these days on, we couldn’t find the right political ideology, so how should we trigger the church and political ideology?

3. Pr. Senbeto (Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia)

Comment- What we are doing as a Christian community is denying and ignoring of the problems we are facing. We need to live in our comfort zone which is leaving as random community member.

Question- Which approach is currently being implemented and which one is preferred to implementfor the church as such.

4. Dr. Eskender (Africa institute for international Studies)

Comment- Christian citizens should not get involved in politics. We shouldn’t deny our corporate identity and needs to take a side on. Christian’s callings are divided into 4 (Role, Mission, Vision, and Value). Further he explained:

Role- Reconciliation

Mission- Christ centered where church should reflect righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Field- Both sectors should invest in people.

Value- we should approach the market field with the value that Christians should be?

• Church or Christian community and the gov’t can get involved in Marriage, divorce, or flirt kind of relationship. And he personally suggests that divorce kind of relationship is the must carful to observe. When that which should rightly belong to us is craftily, church should approach the 3rd or 4th echelon.

5. Mrs. Eden Belayneh (Kalehiwot Church Youth Leader)

Questions

– How is the church treating the youths, what kind of teachings and engagements are being thought?

– What is the action plan beyond this discussion?

– What if church members get involved in gov’t positions so that they can delegate the Christian community?

6. Pr. Habtamu (Ethiopian Millenium Prayer Chain Group)

Comments- Christian community is denying the existing problems and is not even trying to face the challenges. So, we need to take this issue seriously and work on it.

Questions- We have already failed with so many issues so how can we correct our problems and mistakes,and which approach shall we follow?

7. Mr. Eyob Alemayehu

Questions – In what ideology are we looking in to the falling of our nation? What actions are taken for youths and university students to guide their life and which path they should choose?

8. Dr. Wondosen (Graduate Fellowship Leader)

– The falling of the nation is not only due to internal force but also the involvement external forces. We have taken into account the impediments in a prior concern. How are we going to interpret this issue? One world religion is being implemented in a raw now a days, so we need to pay attentionwhere it leads to wrath and destructions of Christian values in the forefront.

9. Mrs. Ayalnesh, Instructor, Global (MKC Theological Collage)

Question– 1. Can the church get involved in the 4 approaches mentioned above?

2. What are the Christians’ contributions for the failure of the nation? And how are we goingto rectify this?

3. Shouldn’t the churches have voice or right to pose advice and publicly rebuke/መገሰፅwhen such kind of problems in place?

10. Mr. Henok (Vison for Africa Development)

Question- We need to overview the life backgrounds of our leader’s, their doings and if its required then objections should be done.

11. Rev. James Gobena (Entoto Evanglecal Mekaneyesus Church)

Comment- Ethiopian church community failed to this level is because of ethnocentric thought and ideology emerged in.

Question- How can we restrain and impede the serious damages and scandals of the ethnocentric andracism taught?

12. Mr. Mekonen (MKC Peace Building Sector)

Comment- the detrimental effect failure on the morale of the people have been brought by the immoraland fall of leadership quality.

– Churches should teach their children to be good disciples and needs to overview the teaching and seriously act when deem necessary.

13. Pr. Asheber Ketema (Genet Church)

Question- Since church belongs to everyone, what should the churches need to do in order to correctthe role of Church in the Politics and wrong ideologies. We should also overview our curriculum for Sunday school students.

Feedback by Dr. Geleta

Our current approach leads to an upgrading approach. It’s from outside into inside party. It’s inclusive of the gov’t, specially focuses on empowerment. One of the areas is education sector. What is expected from us is to be modern citizens. We should live it in peace and respect.
In regard to empowerment, we can make a well-mannered disciple, though it’s not always required for churches to be fully responsible or take the active role as such.
For the Christian community, the most viable thing is to follow the biblical truth. Church leaders and the community shouldn’t deny, where matters expected from us. Leaders should live according to the bible, should stop getting married in incompatible ways with earthly world.

– If we know our callings, then nothing is expected more than that. Knowing what we should do is a must.We should be able to fulfill our responsibilities, get back to our Christian identity, should have true leadership manners. Leaders should know their peoples, follow up, and challenge them in their wrong doings.
– We should stop single handed ruling package and seek for God’s kingdom and bring substantive changes.
– For the question of “What is our contribution?”, We couldn’t speak of being righteousness, stopped speaking for the wrong doings. We should live for the truth and justice then everything will obviouslygo as planned. We should stand against wrong doings in the church as well as the people who don’t belong to.

Church and Nation Building

Dr. Samson Estifanos

In the afternoon session, Dr. Samson Estifanos presented on “Church and Nation Building”

1. Definition of Nation Building.

Is a country being a reason for the loss and cares for its holistic growth.

2. Today’s Ethiopia situation and outlook?

3. What is the Ethiopian gov’t currently doing?

Plan made for the coming 10 years (17 goals with 169 thematic areas). Out of those goals, some:

– Being one of the middle-class countries,
– Being prosperity light for Africa
– Make Ethiopia a country of Peace and tolerance (40% to 80 %)
– Environmental protection is some of those goals.

• One of the church responsibilities was to stand against harmful activities, but these days making this is becoming hard for us. And we can see that for development peace and reconciliation are our directions.

4. Who is Church?

This is a confusing title to be discussed (nation building and the role of church). It is known that we are living here for two rulers the God’s and world Kingdom. It’s obvious that the earthly kingdom is our transition line to reach to the kingdom of God.

4 signs that shows church identity.

– Ones
– Catholic
– Acts
– Righteous (chosen generation for the God’s kingdom)

5. Why should we participate in social development work?

Matthew 24: What is the hardest thing about witnessing? Starting a conversation? Mentioning the name Jesus? Worrying about rejection?
There is a dept in this service.
Is to reach the Gospel?
The good news is too good to keep to ourselves.

6. Church involvement acts

i. Within members of the church- 2 Corn 9:9, 1 timothy 5:8
ii. Churches in the level of spiritual sector
iii. Acts 4, Usher, the level of poverty should be minimized, continuous prayer chain and encouraging members with what they have.
iv. Theological collage Level within holistic growth and love for one’s country.
v. Developmental sectors

7. Things that require due attention

– Strengthening the Gender based freedom and violence.
– Neo Slavery, moral philosophy
– Work and school disciplinary

8. Lack of participation and it’s consequence led to:

Increasing and widening of gospel centered church differently
Lack of acceptance from the gov’t and the community
Division of church members in basic teachings
Making God unhappy and disappointment.

Reflection Time and questions from the participants:

1. Which should come first, the practice or theology perspective?

2. What are the moral values of the current youths, and what are the church communities trying to teach the youth to rectify amongst, what are the working progress from the leaders’ point of view?

3. What should be the boundaries between the gov’t and the church? What does the politics require from the church community? What is the difference between Nation building and State building? On the ideology of Ethnic federalism what shall the community react to?

4. Mrs. Hana Hailu,

We as a Christian, the words we speak and the actions that we show can influence the other community, actions speaks louder than voice so we can grow at same time we may reflect wisdom as substance – ‘manifestation for nation impact’ and ‘mysteries’. So, church can get involved in gov’t issues being influential in a fulfilling Christian life.

5. Dr. Yared (Pr.), what are the actions plans after this panel discussion. It should be continuous and will be more effective if all these attendants have prayer session which can be scheduled prayer once in a month or two.

Feedbacks by Dr. Geleta Samisso

– For the question, how can we balance in-between, we should invest, work on our self and shall focus on the realities.

– There is a curriculum already prepared for kids adopt in many churches. We can choose the right one adopts it to church and not only adopting that curriculum to fix the problem, but the elders should lead an exemplary life which reflects the right teaching by doing.

– Our pulpits should choose the right people who teach the biblical truths to church members.

– For capacity building, 1st we should map out who will be speaking, 2nd we should assess what we are about to teach.

Feedbacks by Dr. Samson

– For a country to continue as a country, what should we do? Exodus 14:15.

– We care about should be given to the growth of the country as a nation that belongs to a country and also needs to challenge the wrong doings, the bilateral movement from top to bottom and bottom to top is critically essential.

– We should get involved and work on peace and stability of the nation.

– Know the truth, see the reality, and participate in social work and community development activities.

– We shouldn’t always politicize things we should just try to work on Ethnic Federalism.

– Let us focus on youth–centered call, and our churches should be free from political and racism ideologies.

Conclusion

The Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. —Proverbs 2:6 Godwants us educated. That’s why He gave us two important books. The first book is the “book” of God’s works, the material universe He created (the “general revelation”). The second is the book of His words, the Bible (the “special revelation”). Both are critical to a balanced education. The cosmos tells us about His creativity, His eternal power, and His superiority over all things (His “divine nature,” Romans 1:20). The Bible informs us of the purpose of the creation, how to live in it, and how to spend eternity in a loving relationship with its Creator.

In spite of the recurrent shifting focus, however, due to constant vulnerability of the church for low service delivery performance, the emergence of the current situation and Christ centered value interventions efforts; indeed, revert to more save the lives of gentiles and preservation exceptionally of high in demand in the entire “nation”. Even though, the path requires a long-walk into destiny, at least arrive seem painstaking to the expected level, a sobering reality for, in fact is to sweat-first effort to share with the community amongst.

Participants finally agreed to find “means and/ or way outs” in Hierarchy of decisions to be involved in primarily Church Reformation, National transformation, National values, Personality Development, The Kingdom of God, and Inspiring Personalities … as a mission to integrity. The theme of the discussions further went into points need to be reflected and addressed the gap identification, points for ponder, filling the gap on swapping approach (make Chanel of bringing the Gospel the nation around; receive the necessary reward in return). The details in the context of the panel discussion, and its application contemporary issues followed by perspectives and presuppositions require a road map effort yet, “exploring the marketplaces?” to destination of ‘serving the nation vision and mission change issues.Thus, the Church by no means serves as a “Street Lamp of God“. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. We hope to be the next in line by God’s grace to possess his crown and to be a channel of blessing to generations to come.

The panel discussion addressed the problem of children’s vulnerability as a result of the current political turmoil, ethnic conflict, instability, internal displacement and low quality of education. The political instability and ethnic federalism in particular heavily overburden and affect the lives of the children to learn and move freely too. When political bigotry blinds the leaders, they lose sight of God and focus more on themselves. We can look at Israel’s constant flirtations with false gods and wonder, “How could they turn from a powerful God to such weak false gods?” Sometimes the answer to that question is as close as our own lifestyle. We “bow down” to an assortment of political power possessions, as if they give our lives worth and meaning. It’s a short step from that to believing that you control your own little world. We need to be reminded who made whom–and who continues to make each day, along with its blessings and challenges.”By [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities {all things are created by Him”and for Him.

The worst part about the failure of a political drive is not the loss of human life or the loss of face but the fact that the chaos and anarchy is left in possession of the field. In the spiritual sense, this is both a tragedy and a disaster.

Given such deep inspiring session, commencing, and recommended on to do the issues – brings to the reality, by agreeing to exert respective subsequent panel discussions, and then the meeting successfully adjourned @5:25PM by a closing prayer.