The role of Church in the Politics and Nation Building
Getfam Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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.
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.