From Workbenches to Mission Fields: The Ethiopian Church on the Move

Greetings from Asheville, North Carolina, where I'm attending the forum for the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication, part of Campus Crusade for Christ.  This is a network of more than 110 global church planting organizations.

The last stop of my recent trip to East Africa was in Ethiopia, with most of my time in Wolayta Soddo, about 320 km outside of Addis Ababa.  Our relationship with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) goes back to 2016, as the first formal denomination with whom we partnered.  At the time, they had 10,000 churches, 10 million members.  Today, they have approximately 14,000 churches and more than 12 million members.  

The DML leader for EKHC, Yoseph Bekele, had a marketplace ministry on his heart for years before meeting DML, and because of this calling from God on his life, the ministry has flourished.  Yoseph travels to more than 70+ villages and towns every year - that is more than one per week - to share the message that work should be done as an act of worship.  He hosts a TV show for EKHC twice per week to teach this message.  He has brought the teaching to the youth ministry, men's ministry, women's ministry, and family ministry.  He teaches that poverty is not the lot of Christians and that our generous God seeks for his people to flourish and to be generous as well.

And that message is landing with changes that are noticeable.  

Last week we met with newly elected leaders of the denomination (who supervise 10,000+ fulltime ministers and 30,000 elders) to ensure that they also have an understanding of the theology of work and to hear many testimonies of believers and church leaders who are seeing the impact of working "as unto the Lord."

In Wolaita Soddo alone, there are 48 EKHC churches.  Together, the business people have formed an association that numbers more than 3,000, gathering regularly to encourage, equip, learn, and share.  They are seeing business growth and jobs being created.  

And they have planted 155 churches, sent 370 missionaries (with a goal of reaching 500 missionaries), and built seven homes for widows.  

Amazing.  

When the church is unleashed from the building, it's amazing what can happen.

When people are affirmed that their work is part of the mission of God - that their role is not limited to paying for and praying for the "real" work of the church which happens in the building - it's amazing what can happen.

Thanks to the partnership of many of you, we placed four additional fulltime DML leaders in four regions of Ethiopia, and with God's help, we hope to add seven more next year.

I can't even share all the testimonies and stories that we heard, but I will share one more.

In several countries now, a theology of work has entered into prisons, and Ethiopia is one of those countries.  Most prisoners are expected to work and there are sometimes opportunities for them to earn some money by doing so.  When the message reaches these prisoners that their work matters to God, and that they can contribute by doing their work as an act of worship, things begin to change.  Work gets done with excellence, with joy, and with integrity.  And one person shared that the prison where they are serving has now sent six missionaries.  The prisoners are pooling their limited resources, seeking to be a blessing for others, and are coving the costs of these missionaries.

Absolutely amazing.  Only God.

It's how He made us to work in harmony and cooperation for the building of His church, to His glory.

What a joy to watch, listen, learn, and participate.

The visit in Ethiopia ended with meeting with two other denominations who want to get started with DML.  Up until now, the EKHC has consumed all of Yoseph's time, but the pressure has been increasing, and we think the time has finally come for him to share some of his time with other churches.  

As always, we ask for your prayers in this!

Lastly, we also ask for your prayers for Ethiopia.  Inflation has been very significant in the last few years (resulting in EKHC just approving a 100% salary increase for their staff!), and democracy is also struggling.  You can read more about this in this article but it is worrisome for the citizens who experienced a few good years of change and now see that slipping away.

The God of Great Generosity in Zambia

Greetings from Wolayita Sodo, Ethiopia!  

Last week, I had the great privilege to be in Zambia with our DML partner, Go Make, led by Rev. Billiance Chondwe (pictured in the blue and white shirt, alongside his CFO Timothy).  Go Make launched its first Business Symposium for Young Adults on the 13th and made a commitment with the local government to keep Kitwe and Zambia "clean, green, and healthy."  The local government stated that it was the first time the church had sought to collaborate with the government.  They were very excited!  We also had other very good meetings with new and potential Zambian partners.  

We spent most of our time in Kitwe, a city of two million, and also drove to and from Lusaka, which is about a six-hour drive each way.  While I had often heard Pastor Billy talk about this being the "copper belt," it was quite something to see it in action.  Semi after semi after semi of what seemed like small loads of copper showed the very, very heavy weight of this mineral.  Zambia exports approximately 3 million metric tons of copper annually.  What an amazingly generous God!  

We also drove past zinc mines, lead mines, and coal mines, and there have been new findings of gold and emeralds as well.  Industrial parks are everywhere, and the number of semis on the roads (yes, a two-lane road) was astounding.  Zambia is very rich in natural resources!  Zambia is blessed!

Of course, Zambians are not the only ones who are aware of this abundance and suffer from the opportunistic actions of outsiders and the evils of greed and corruption. I observed numerous foreign mining companies, as well as a large number of individuals from other countries, actively engaged in the mining business.  

However, this particular government in Zambia is working diligently to help the people develop their capacity to mine independently and reclaim some of that land for Zambians.  They have made it very easy for nationals to register a mining company, have set up systems for renting earth-moving machines, and have technocrats who can teach and mentor Zambians in the mining industry.  They are also encouraging farmers by setting up feed mills every 2-3 km so that the farmers don't need to carry their harvest very far to process it.  Lastly, they have given community development power back to communities and allocated 32 million kwacha (approximately $ 1.2 million) annually to designated communities for the people to decide how to bring development into their own community.  They can build bridges, roads, clinics, or other infrastructure. Very smart for promoting ownership and self-determination!

I wish the news were similar to that of the other two countries I visited on this trip.  Democracy appears to be in decline in many places. Dictatorship seems to be making a comeback, eliminating the ability for free speech, reports of people disappearing, torture, and killing.  The leader of one denomination is in jail, and all 2,000 churches from that denomination have been shut down due to the belief that this leader spoke against the existing government.  People are afraid, and flourishing is under attack.  

We pray for the church to live out its call for justice, righteousness, and loving kindness through leaders who possess courage, compassion, capacity, and competence.

(L-R) Regional Overseer of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, myself, the Deputy Mayor of Kitwe, and Pastor Billy.

Not only is God generous with minerals in Zambia, but beautiful purple flowering jacaranda trees also line many streets in Zambia!

Location, Location, Location: Bishops in the Market

Last week, in Morogoro, the DML Tanzania leader, Pastor Antony Kayombo, held a meeting for bishops and pastors in the heart of the city, in a market.  We usually meet in a church building, but Pastor Anthony decided it would be good to meet in the place that is the focus of our attention. The market we visited is home to more than 2,000 vendors and features conference rooms on the side.  We met on the second floor of this four-story building, in a conference room, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of this market.

On the floor where we met there were vendors selling primarily fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices.  Thankfully, the butchers (and their many flies) were mainly outside in the open air!  Customers came and went throughout the day, peeking into our room as they passed.

For many of the bishops, this was the first time in years that they had been in the market.  Typically, someone else does the shopping for them.  At the start of the day, Pastor Anthony sent everyone out to walk through the market, two by two, simply to observe.  And when everyone came back, they shared their observations.

Many observed both challenges and opportunities.  Some came with solutions to the challenges.  Some came back with phone numbers of unbelievers who want to know more about Jesus.  Some met believers struggling to sell their goods in such a competitive environment.

For us, as facilitators, it was an ideal environment for discussing the role of the church from Monday to Saturday.  

Throughout the day, we could point out the door as we discussed the church's work in such a place.  

All day, we could speak very practically of equipping the believers who are walking by to be the church to the unbelievers in that place.  

Throughout the day, we could point to vendors and discuss the importance of their work in fulfilling the characteristic of a providential God, as these men and women provide the necessary food for those who do not grow their own.  

At the end of the day, these church and denominational leaders had a vision for reclaiming the market for Christ by establishing a workplace discipleship ministry led by believers in their church who have a solid understanding of a theology of work. 

If you haven't been in one of these markets before, here is a brief video that captures what it is like!

A Family Cabinet of Ministers: Godriver’s Creative Solution

Greetings from Tanzania!  Last week was a great week in Tanzania, hearing amazing testimonies of business and church growth. On Sunday, I was privileged to preach in three different churches in Morogoro.  It made for a busy day, but it was good.  Pastor Anthony Kayombo is the leader of DML Tanzania, and he also served as my translator (see picture).  The fun thing about a translator who is also a fantastic teacher and preacher is that they can add value and context to what I was saying.  

Last week, we conducted our foundational workshop in Chalinze at a church that has been implementing DML for several years.  The pastor of the church has been in contact with other pastors in the area and has mobilized more pastors, along with leaders of the Pentecostal Union of Churches, to attend a DML workshop. They are now organizing additional workshops and training sessions.  What was particularly interesting was that the members of this church were eager to attend the workshop to share their testimonies with the new pastors and church leaders.  We spent about two hours listening to stories about business growth, church growth, and financial freedom for families (budgeting).

I am going to share one here because the creativity of this woman in organizing her household is something I will share again and again with other families, as it is such a good idea!  Read her story here and enjoy!

Godriver Mussa Daudi’s Story of Growth and Creativity (written by Leticiah Kayombo)

After receiving training in DML (Discipling Marketplace Leaders), Godriver Mussa Daudi decided to put her learning into action by starting a chicken business. She began with just 100 chickens, but through hard work and dedication, her business grew to over 1,000 chickens. She now raises them in batches of 500 every month, steadily building a thriving enterprise.

Along the way, Godriver also learned about the importance of saving. One of her biggest struggles had been electricity—frequent cutoffs and running out of units without warning caused stress and losses. After her DML training, however, she became more creative in her approach. She sat down with her children to openly share her challenges, and together they came up with a family solution.

Godriver appointed her children as “cabinet ministers,” giving them responsibilities:

• Minister of Energy – to monitor and manage electricity units so the family would never run out unexpectedly.
• Minister of Environment – to ensure cleanliness and good care of the home and chicken environment.
• Minister of Food and Agriculture – to help with feeding the chickens and managing food supplies.

With this collaborative approach, Godriver no longer faced the same struggles. Instead, she found herself flourishing—with less stress, more savings, and a family that worked together in unity.

Her story is a testimony of how Godly wisdom and creativity, when combined with training and family support, can transform not only a business but also a household.

Tomorrow, we will travel to Turiani to conduct another workshop with pastors and church leaders.  On Thursday, I will travel to Zambia to visit DML Zambia and assess its progress.  

God is good, all the time!