














































Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  57 

AN EMPOWERING AND RECONCILING PRESENCE: 
PUBLIC MINISTRY IN THE ETHIOPIAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH MEKANE YESUS:  

A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE REVIEW WITH SOME PROSPECTIVE REMARKS 
 

Gemechu Olana 
(Brownsdale, MN) 

 
 
 

Abstract: There is no doubt that religion, depending on its core values, has a solid contribution to society’s wellbeing 
and worldview. Max Weber has demonstrated how a dominant religion can affect the development of a given society 
depending on its teaching, attitudes, and values. The dominant ethical values and attitudes in religion may well 
reinforce the existing social economic and political culture or invite transformation in protesting against the present 
order of existence. We can clearly observe this assumption when we study the role of religion in Ethiopian Society in 
general. In some cases, religion was the main societal factor that influenced not only people’s relationship but also the 
structural reality of the society. When closely studied it cannot be missed to observe how dominant religions had both 
empowering as well as disempowering effects on Ethiopian society in general.  

 
 
 

PREFACE: THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN A GIVEN SOCIETY 
 

There is no doubt that religion, depending on its core values, has a solid contribution to society’s 
wellbeing and worldview.1 Max Weber, in his famous book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of 
Capitalism, has well demonstrated  how a dominant religion can affect the development of a given society 
depending on its teaching, attitudes, and values.2 The dominant ethical values and attitudes in religion 
may well reinforce the existing social economic and political culture or invite transformation in protesting 
against the present order of existence. We can clearly observe this assumption when we study the role of 
religion in Ethiopian society in general. In some cases, religion was the main societal factor that 
influenced not only people’s relationship but also the structural reality of the society. As can be observed, 
dominant religions had both empowering as well as disempowering effects on Ethiopian society.     

 
THE GREAT DILEMMA OF INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGIONS IN ETHIOPIAN POLITICS 
 
Religion in Ethiopia has been a dominant factor in shaping both personal behavior and interpersonal and 
societal relationships. And this shaping relationship is not one directional but interdependent, mutually 
supportive, and sometimes antagonistic.  Øyvind M. Eide, in his book Revolution and Religion in 

 
1 Sociologists of religion argue that religion keeps the core of the society solid by providing meaning and redirecting 

feelings of conflicts and hostilities on the “evil one” and on the other hand prevents socially disruptive actions, like absolute 
power and oppression. Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, trans. Joseph Ward Swain (Mineola, NY: 
Dover Publications, Inc., 2008). 

2 Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, trans. Stephen Kalberg (New York : Oxford 
University Press, 2009); Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, eds. Lawrence E. Harrison and Samuel P. 
Huntington (New York: Basic Books, 2000). 

Rev. Dr. Gemechu Olana is a dual Parish Pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Brownsdale, & Holy Cross Lutheran 
Church, Austin, Minnesota. He has served as a mission planter, chairperson for the United Oromo Evangelical Churches 
Association, Board Secretary for the Oromo Evangelical Mission Society, a theological instructor at Mekane Yesus 
Seminary, Ecumenical Volunteer service in Germany as a reverse-practitioner of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane 
Yesus and the Berliner Mission Work. He did his postgraduate Theological Study at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He 
enjoys community engagements and painting in his free time.  



Olana, “An Empowering and Reconciling Presence” 

Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  58 

Ethiopia, has written a remarkable study on this role of religion in Ethiopian politics and society.3 He has 
interpreted the theology, role, and experience of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, with special reference to 
the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, within the ethno-political, socio-political, and religio-
political dynamics of the center and the periphery. He remarked that "the study of religion is absolutely 
essential to the understanding of the dynamics of Ethiopian society,"4 which points to the great role the 
churches have had in Ethiopian politics.  

It is almost in impossible to think about major Ethiopian cultures and polities without close 
understanding of their past religious cultures that comparatively define their identity and social relations 
until our present time. In the history of Ethiopian politics and formation of its empire, on the structural 
level, religion played an essential role. For example, Orthodox Christianity, which often was seen as the 
most profound expression of the national existence of traditional Ethiopia, "provided a theological 
legitimization of the Empire and of the Amhara claim to primacy in the centre-periphery structure of 
political power."5  

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) played an essential role in the securing of national unity 
not only by assimilating different ethnic groups, but also by fusing itself with the state served as a core 
element of Ethiopian nationalism.6 It furnished unqualified ideological support for the political and 
economic hegemony of the central Abyssinian state power over the nation. Eide rightly argued that the 
EOC “carried the function of an ethnic ideology, but indeed an ethnic ideology that holds that their group 
should dominate the state.”7 This implies that the EOC has been the source of authority of the Ethiopian 
state with the ideology needed to legitimize the right to rule, to expand, and to integrate other ethnic 
groups into the empire. For a long time, the EOC served not only to maintain the status quo but also to 
persuade deprived non-Amhara Tigreans to accept their position within the established power structure. 
Today Orthodox Christianity is almost indistinguishable from the Ethiopian state nationalism, that is 
exclusive in its nature and solely incarnated the vested political, economic, political, and cultural interests 
of Amhara Tigreans ethic group.8  

On the other hand, as a reaction to this relation of religion to politics, there are significant 
historical facts that demonstrate how, for instance, Islam became a religious expression of other 
conquered ethnic groups, like the Oromo, in re-establishing their identity in response to the challenge 
from Orthodox Christianity.9 Although the empowering effects of Islam in Ethiopia as a religion needs 
further objective study, there is no question that as opposed to  Orthodox Christianity, which embodied 
establishment religion, Islam to some extent served  non-Amhara Tigreans ethnic groups as  anti-
establishment religion and the religion of oppressed peoples.10  

From the perspective of Evangelical Christianity, the mass conversion to Evangelical Christianity 
is also partly explained based by a similar situation. Evangelical Christianity became an alternative for the 
conquered people, who lost much of their social and religious institutions under the Abyssinian emperors’ 
expansion policy. The introduction of Evangelical Christianity into Ethiopia helped those conquered 
ethnic groups to develop a sense of worth and pride in their cultural identity.11 

 
3 Øyvind M. Eide, Revolution & Religion in Ethiopia: the Growth & Persecution of the Mekane Yesus Church, 1974-85 

(Oxford: J. Currey; Athens, OH: Ohio University Press; Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University Press, 2000). 
4 Eide, Revolution & Religion in Ethiopia, 1. 
5 Eide, 12. 
6 Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia, 1270-1527. 
7 Eide, Revolution & Religion in Ethiopia, 313. 
8Abbas Haji Gnamo, “Islam, the Orthodox Church and Oromo Nationalism (Ethiopia),” Cahiers d’Études africaines 

165 (2002):99-120. 
9 John Spencer Trimingham, Islam in Ethiopia (London, New York, Oxford University Press, 1952):101-102; 

Mohammed Hassen, The Oromo of Ethiopia: a History, 1570-1860 (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 
1990):77. 

10 Hassen, Oromo of Ethiopia. 
11 This growth of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in these regions is closely associated with 

assumption, particularly among the Oromo of the western periphery. See Eide, Church and Politics, 15. 



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  59 

The growth of the Evangelical movement in the non-Orthodox regions of the south and southwest 
was mainly a result of their identification with the fate of the periphery. Rev. Gudina Tumsa, in his 1971 
report on church growth in Ethiopia, remarked that this was one of the major factors that had contributed 
to the growth of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in Ethiopia. The Scripture 
was translated into the vernacular language, large numbers of people were educated, and some democratic 
practices were introduced within the evolving new church organization. As a result, those people at the 
periphery gained a sense of worth and pride in their cultural identity.12 

The EECMY, even under the over-centralized empire, recognized the rights of each ethnic group 
and encouraged vernacular worship services in their respective regions. Church leaders and clergies of 
different synods were elected from among the respective peoples. This indigenization of the church, 
besides enhancing evangelism, helped it to exercise influence early both on the national and the 
international scene even in the short time of its existence in Ethiopia at the time.  

There is no doubt that Evangelical Christianity, in western, central and south-central regions, 
played an undisputable conscientization role among oppressed southern non-Amhara Tigrean ethnic 
groups, especially the Oromo people in terms of identity, politics, and economic development.  For 
instance, the EECMY, on whom we are going to focus on this article, through its democratic structure and 
alternative indigenization character, as opposed to the Orthodox Christianity, has enormously empowered 
the oppressed ethnic groups through its various social, educational, and development projects.13 

 
THE EMPOWERING ROLE OF THE ETHIOPIAN EVANGELICAL MEKANE YESUS IN 
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES 

 
Historically, it was the empowering presence of the Evangelical pioneers that enhanced the expansion of 
the Evangelical Christianity in Ethiopia, especially among southern and western nations incorporated into 
Ethiopia by military power at the turn of the 19th century.  The Evangelical churches were seen as an 
alternative to the disempowering religion of the Abyssinian conquering power. They were perceived by 
most southern people and especially the Oromos as a medium toward modernity and independency. In the 
middle of the immense social crisis and economic miseries created by the Abyssinian conquering power, 
Evangelical Christianity become an alternative religion that offers hope and future. 14   

For instance, this notion can be clearer, when we closely study the works of the pioneer Oromo 
Evangelical leaders. The earlier indigenous Oromo pioneer evangelists saw their work among their people 
not merely in terms of evangelization but also as a chance of introducing modern education to their 
people. Onesimos Nasib was a good example. For him, not only preaching the Gospel but also providing 
education to the Oromo in their own vernacular were passionate subjects. When he first arrived in Oromo 
land in 1904 after thirty-five years of exile, the first thing he did was establishing a school among the 
Oromo of Western Wallaga. His literary works integrated both the Gospel and the secular in a way that 
that created a great enthusiasm and a raised consciousness among the Oromo people. When writing about 
the situation to his friends in Sweden, he says, “We have nothing to fear from this side of the people. The 
land is open to us. The master comes with his servants, the father with his son, brothers with brothers and 
friends with friends and insists and begs us to teach them.”15   

The Oromo people and its leaders apparently felt that their dignity was restored by this work of 
Onesimos at the site of the conquest and Amhara cultural subordination.16 Later, concerns and activities 
of the indigenous local and national church leaders were always seen as a continuation of the work of the 

 
12 Eide, Church and Politics, 15. 
13 For detailed discussion see Gemechu Olana, Church under Challenge, The Socio-political Engagements of the 

Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (Berlin: Dissertation.de, 2006).   
14 H. R. Wesenik, “Kirche und Mission in Äthiopien,” in die Hermannsburger Mission in Jahre 1967.  
15 Mekuria Bulcha, "Onesimos Nasib's pioneering contributions to Oromo writing" Nordic Journal of African Studies 4, 

no. 1 (1995): 24. 
16 Arén, Evangelical Pioneers in Ethiopia: Origins of the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (Stockholm: EFS 

Förlaget, 1978), 424. 



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  60 

pioneer evangelists like Onesimos. Even today, this assumption has remained strong among all Oromo-
speaking Evangelical Churches and leaders.17 

The other example is the work of Rev. Gudina Tumsa. His theological thinking and work were 
practically based on indigenization with oppressed people of Ethiopian, including the Oromo people. By 
making a clear detachment from the prevailing stands of Orthodox Christianity and the pietistic mission 
tradition, he saw man and his needs as a totality, in which the verbal communication of the Gospel and 
the social mission of the Church are seen not to be contradictory, but rather to be the integral parts of the 
total responsibility of the Church.18   

In most of his writings, he argued for a sound contextual and indigenous theology, a theology 
which takes the social-cultural, political, and economic reality seriously.  In his Memorandum of 1972 for 
church leaders, Rev. Gudina reasoned that it is only by relating critically to its contextual social reality 
that the church develops in a given society toward its own identity and authenticity.19  That was what he 
tried to bring into the life of the church during his service as General Secretary of the EECMY, a daring 
attempt in the context of absolute authoritarian state, which finally led to his martyrdom.   

The first indigenous Ethiopian Evangelical church leaders, including Rev. Gudina Tumsa, saw 
their role not as a mere religious leaders, but as responsible Christian citizens called out to demonstrate 
their Christian faith in action. For instance, the EECMY leaders soon after the official establishment in 
1959, which gave the Church the legal status to work and expand its work through its synods, the Church, 
along with its modern education and medical work, became involved in diversified multi-million dollar? 
rural community development in different regions of Ethiopia, especially the western and southern 
regions, which has continued to the present day. Even before the 1974 Ethiopian Revolution, EECMY 
leaders were bold to raise the land reform issue and passed a resolution on the 1973 General Assembly of 
the EECMY, requesting the state for a land reform law.  

Recently, when the Ethiopian political landscape changed, in the case of the Afaan Oromo for 
instance, when Qubee, a Latin-based alphabet for Afaan Oromo, was adopted in 1991, the EECMY 
leaders immediately transcribed the previous Oromo Bible written on Amharic phonetics to Qubee 
despite strong opposition from some church leaders and institutions influenced by the centralized 
Ethiopian state ideology. Beside Bible translation, the EECMY has made enormous investment 
vernacular Gospel and literacy literatures.  

In relation to the language issues, when a conflict began in the Mekane Yesus congregations in 
the Addis Ababa in 1994 with the request of the Oromo-speaking members to have a worship service in 
their language that was rejected by local church leaders, the EECMY leadership intervened and made a 
clear policy decision favoring worship services in the vernacular language, despite strong resistance from 
church leaders and groups who were inclined toward centralistic and monolithic services.20  In response 
to this problem, and generally to the evolving threat of ethnic and language conflict, the Executive 
Committee of the Church made a policy decision in January 1995, referring to the multi-ethnic character 
of both Ethiopia and the EECMY. It was decided that the language groups within the congregations, if 
they requested it, should have the right to have services in their respective languages. This has been a 
clear position of the EECMY, in the past even when the political landscape was hostile to such view; and 
the church has sustained this policy to the present day even though the policy divided the church body for 

 
17 The union of the Oromo-speaking churches around the world is known as the “United Oromo Evangelical Churches” 

(UOEC). It was established in 1991 by diaspora and home-based Oromo speaking evangelical churches. Its objectives are to be 
“encouraging, supporting the Oromo Christians around the world through close relationships and various social and spiritual 
activities, cultivating the understanding of private and public commitment to lifelong learning and spiritual discipline.”    

18 See the 1972 documents of the EECMY, “On the Interrelation between Proclamation of the Gospel and Human 
Development.”   

19 Gudina Tumsa, Witness and Discipleship: Leadership of the Church in Multi-Ethnic Ethiopia in a Time of Revolution 
(Addis Ababa: Gudina Tumsa Foundation, 2003), 68-69. 

20 See a detailed discussion on this matter in Olana, Church under Challenge, 137-139. See also Anna Lena Schmidt, 
Identity and Ethnicity in the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus: An Anthropological Study of Religious Community (MTh Thesis 
in cultural anthropology at the Department of Cultural Anthropology in Ethnology, Uppsala University May 2001), 73. 



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  61 

a while. It is this clear identification and respect of ethnic identify of each group that is contributing to the 
growth of the EECMY all over the country beside other spiritual and social factors.     

In the past, the national church leaders choose to take interest in the needs and misery of their 
people, despite harsh political settings. To some extent, they saw it as their Christian duty to mobilize all 
possible sources at their disposal for the development of their people.21 The same trend has continued 
among some Evangelical church leaders, which should not be overlooked but needs more objective study 
and documentation. Their engagement was not merely a means of evangelization, but a sincere 
indignation with the fate of helpless majority out of the pure Christian love and liberty.  Lacking, 
however, is prophetic engagement based on sound critical theological reflection and thorough 
consideration of full participation by the people concerned, particularly active involvement of the 
congregations in development work and prophetic ministry.       

 
THE CURRENT EVANGELICAL CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT AS AN EMPOWERING 
PHENOMENON  

 
The current Evangelical charismatic movement, which is characterized with wholistic healing, exorcism, 
and prophecy, has its own empowering effect on the life of individual and the society in general. It has 
brought a new experience of fellowship among all ages and groups of people in which everyone is 
acknowledged and has its place. This new experience of fellowship also created strong spiritual solidarity 
and brotherhood among all Evangelical Christians of different denomination and regions, despite some 
tensions that reflects the overall political reality.  For instance, more than any time in the history of 
evangelical Christianity among the Oromo people, the current charismatic movement has brought strong 
and effective indigenization and enculturation processes to the Christian faith. Christian songs and 
worship services with traditional tunes flourish in every part of the region in Oromo language. The same 
is true for other major southern ethnic groups.   

This Evangelical charismatic movement that has radically influenced the current EECMY 
congregations has also brought a limited change in the life of the general population, particularly among 
the young people in terms of social relations and moral ethics. One of the main features of the charismatic 
movement is its strong resistance against a traditional authoritarian relationship and its strong option for 
participatory form of system, particularly in worship and the church leadership, the social impact of 
which is undisputable in the larger community. In terms of personal or social ethic, biblical ethical norms 
and spirituality, such as avoidance of adultery, criminality, alcohol and violence has got a new attention, 
which directly has an implication on the life of the community, especially under the current HIV/AIDS 
pandemic destroying a life of millions of people. The attention to prayer and healing ministry, in the 
context of helplessness and all kind of social, political, and economic misery, and marginalization has 
given the people the power of hope, endurance, and belief in the future.22   

In fact, this feature of the charismatic movement, particularly the emphasis on healing and 
reconciling ministry of the Holy Spirit, to see life in its totality, is related to the existing traditional 
religious culture, which has been one of the main factors for the rapid acceptance among all age groups of 
people resulted in radical church growth.   

One of the elements that should be noticed, however, from the dominant features of the 
Evangelical charismatic movements in Ethiopia, to same extent including the EECMY, is their reluctance 
to engage in social actions, or prophetic ministry. Unlike the classical revival movements in the church 
history, particularly in Europe and North America, social concern23 among some Evangelical churches 
influenced by the charismatic movements is very low or nonexistent. Despite the charismatic liturgy, 
which has a more egalitarian, empowering, and democratizing effect on its participants, the adherents of 

 
21 EECMY, Development Policy and Planning (1993), 25. 
22 Lutheran World Federation Department of World Service, Ethiopia: Annual Report (Addis Ababa: Lutheran World 

Federation - World Service, 2008).  
23 Here social concerns refer specifically to social actions like politics, and social and economic developments often 

emphasized among evangelical ecumenical churches, including the EECMY.  



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  62 

the Evangelical charismatic movement are generally indifferent to the social implication of the gospel and 
take no interest in politics.24 Among current dominant Evangelical churches and church leaders, social 
and political activism, in contrary to the tradition of Orthodox Christianity and the EECMY social 
teachings, is generally viewed as something “unholy game” having nothing to do with Christian faith.  
This notion has strongly influenced most of the current EECMY congregations and its leader, although 
the official stand of the church is quite in contrary.     

This phenomenon of the Evangelical charismatic movement is related to some degree to the 
dualistic, apocalyptic, and pessimistic worldview inherent in Pentecostal doctrine that locates the socio-
political problems not in history but in a spiritual world and preaches an apocalyptic gospel in which 
world is destined for immanent destruction.25 This view leaves little room for any social and political 
action because of its pessimistic view of life.26   On the other hand, social disappointments and the 
increasingly deplorable situation of poverty, social crises, and political repression strengthen this 
conviction among the majority of the young Ethiopian Christians. Even though the charismatic movement 
has transformed Evangelical Christianity in Ethiopia, including the EECMY, in the case of structural 
social concerns and public prophetic ministry, there is a clear crisis in which faith in action, particularly 
love expressed in seeking justice is replaced with individualistic sentimental spiritualism.27 In fact, we 
should not overstate this negative trend among charismatic Evangelical believers without considering the 
existing socio-cultural, economic, and political realities that usually reinforce passivism and fatalistic 
views in terms of social action. The repressive Ethiopian state, past or present, does not allow any kind of 
direct critical social action that presupposes justice and human freedom as a fundamental right of every 
citizen.  However, the Church of Christ has clear mandate for public ministry here in this world by being 
salt and light of Christ, despite the resistance of the sinful world and the demonic forces.   

 
TOWARD A RECONCILING PRESENCE: A PROSPECT FOR A PUBLIC MINISTRY WITHIN THE 
CURRENT POLITICAL REALITY OF ETHIOPIA  

 
REDISCOVERING A CRITICAL PUBLIC MINISTRY   

 
Despite the above historical traditions, most EECMY congregations are not able to integrate some of the 
theological insights developed during the seventies about church public services into their local ministry. 
All development work and social engagements are resourced at large scale through centralized national or 
district development departments resourced mainly through donor agencies, which has alienated most 
congregations from engaging directly unless they are in some way beneficiaries. There is a loss of interest 
in authentic Lutheran theological thinking yielding a lack of critical socio-political and economic 
engagement within the EECMY today. Despite deplorable human rights situations and the undemocratic 
nature of the Ethiopian government that has alienated majority of the population, the EECMY is still 
hesitant to engage in a more critical prophetic ministry, in which faith and action are integrated. For the 
hesitance, the experience of persecution and the current regime’s limitation on civic organization could be  

 
24 See also the same situation described by N. L. Gerrard, “The Holiness Movement in Southern Appalachia, in 

Speaking in Tongues: A Guide to Research on Glossolalia, ed. Watson E. Mills (Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1986), 
213. See also N. Wright, “A Pilgrimage in Renewal,” in Thomas Allan Smail et al., Charismatic Renewal: The Search for a 
Theology (London: SPCK, 1995), 31 

25 A.H. Anderson, Moya, The Holy Spirit in an African Context (Pretoria : University of South Africa, 1991), 116-120 
26 Anderson, Moya.  
27 Jürgen Moltmann voices his concern by asking some critical questions. He criticized the neglect among charismatic 

of the charismata and asks, “Where are the charismata of the 'charisma tics' in the everyday world, in the peace movement, in the 
movements for liberation, in the ecology movement? If charismata are not given to us so that we can flee from this world into a 
world of religious dreams, but if they are intended to witness to the liberating lordship of Christ in this world's conflicts, then the 
charismatic movement must not become a non-political religion, let alone a de-politicised one.” The Spirit of Life: a Universal 
Affirmation (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), 186. 

 



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  63 

factors, but there could be more to this which needs more critical objective study and is beyond this brief 
article.  

On the other hand, because of a dualistic and pessimistic worldview inherent in the charismatic 
movement, most of the EECMY congregations including its leadership are being overtaken by influential 
conservative tendencies emphasizing an "otherworldly" faith – a one-sided Christianity exclusively 
emphasizing an individual's life and future destination and ignoring the reality of the social 
dimension.  This is a dominate trend among all Ethiopian Evangelical Churches.  In fact, seen from a 
sociological and psychological point of view, such an otherworldly view of a Christian faith, including 
the aspiration for healing, is related, at least in part, to the existential social, political, and economic 
reality of the people.  Turning to very individualistic otherworldly faith could be a form of assertiveness 
and resistance, admittedly in spiritual terms, to the status quo in the people's struggle for a better life - a 
search for health and well-being.  However, as followers of Christ, we are called to witness to the 
liberating lordship of Christ, concretely, here in this world, not to flee from this world. 

Such assertiveness and resistance in searching for health and well-being should not end at the 
spiritual level, but ought to be applied also in day-to-day life, here and now, in all aspects of life.  There is 
no doubt that the current charismatic worship in the EECMY has reactivated traditional egalitarian 
relationships by immersing all in an equalising and holistic act of worship.  Hence, it has a democratising 
and empowering effect in the congregations which should be encouraged and brought into the real socio-
political arena of society.  This democratising and empowering aspect of charismatic worship should be 
used for motivating people for collective social action in their specific local contexts. 

The EECMY, I believe, must find a way for its congregations and members to take practical and 
concrete social, political, and economic action, depending on locally available means.  Indeed, this would 
not be any easy task under the current political landscape which limits any kind of objective critical 
public engagement; however, this situation should not be an excuse a lack of engagement.   A method 
should be sought for a development of sound contextual theological insights, social teachings, and 
knowhow for a genuine public prophetic ministry that not only criticises but also invites creative 
transformation and change toward democratic civic society.  

For the broader influence and continuity of the public ministry of the church, prophetic ministry 
should not be limited to work of a specific department but should be encouraged as a part of a local 
congregation’s ministry in which each congregation could be a catalyst for change and development in its 
concrete setting and reality. For this purpose, pastors, evangelists, and church elders should be equipped 
and encouraged to engage in critical action, addressing the issues of society, but without associating 
themselves with specific political organisations or any kind of ideology.   

Like Rev. Gudina Tumsa and his co-ministers did in the past, it is a call and duty of all EECMY 
church leaders and theologians to reinterpret the Bible from the ultimate truth of God’s design for 
humanity and, based on our present experience, to establish sound theological and Scriptural support and 
inspiration for social, political, cultural, and economic justice and transformation.  This cannot be done 
without proper clarification of church’s public theology, especially Christian ethics from the EECMY 
perspective.  Focus should be given to develop a clear articulation Evangelical ethics both for Christian 
morality and the church’s calling to public life in dialogue with its Lutheran tradition. Well-reflected, 
coherent, and persuasive contextual theological resources and teachings are very essential for the church 
body to engage in prophetic public ministry with integrity and uniform biblical principle. And such 
resources will come out of seminars like this, which should be further supported and strengthened.  The 
overall purpose of such an undertaking is to unmask all the evils that exist in society and its structure 
through addressing the world according to God’s law, by pointing to and demanding an alternative just 
and democratic civic society. This can happen only when the church gets its public theology right from 
the perspective of its core vision of mission and purpose.  
 
  



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Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  64 

EMBOLDEN RECONCILING PRESENCE  
 

Today, lack of viable and strong opposition parties, persistence of the past ethnic ideology of dominance, 
and the endless schism and irresponsible divides among various political groups have enormous 
disempowering effect on the general population. The current disempowering political reality in the 
Ethiopian state cannot only be attributed to the current oppressive regime but also to the lack of authentic 
and unifying leadership among all the opposition groups. The lack of creative and imaginative solutions 
to the humanitarian and political problems of the Ethiopian state is not only because of the predatory 
political culture, but also because of bondage by all the opposition parties to that specific culture in a very 
sad way. As a result, the current total estrangement and alienation among various political groups at large 
is not only strengthening the power of the oppressive regime but is reinforcing the already full-fledged 
cynicism and hopelessness of our society in terms of political freedom.    

To overcome this unnecessary schism and disengagement among all opposing political groups, an 
attempt should be made to invite all, including the ruling party, to the table for a sincere dialogue and 
reconciliation, by acknowledging the past failure but also by grasping the future with openness and 
commitment to the interests of the Ethiopian people in general. Here, the faith community can play a 
constructive and reconciliatory role on various levels by simply challenging and inviting all concerned 
groups to a civil discourse.  

First of all, the church as a community that believes not only in the God of Good Friday but also 
in the God of resurrection and new life should boldly echo its voice of justice, reconciliation, 
transformation, and unity among all people. The heart of Christian message is the message of love, 
justice, and reconciliation. Salvation is not a mere cancellation of sin and guilt, but includes rebirth, 
sanctification, and new creation. Reconciliation is the foundation of salvation which is the very heart of 
the New Testament message. The role and function of a church of Christ cannot be different from this 
task, be it in the spiritual or the social dimension. Here we are neither saving the world nor reconciling the 
world to God. However, what God has done in Christ can and should inspire all believers to subsequent 
reconciling activity in word and deed. 

As peace between God and humanity is established in the cross of Christ, being agent of 
reconciliation in our community is the very mission of the church. The church as a Christian community 
is a place of reconciliation, a practice which should be taken out into the world in word and deeds. 
However, to be the agent of peace and reconciliation, the church has the obligation boldly to show itself 
to be the church by venturing across the political, cultural, and ideological boundaries. The social mission 
of Christians can only be understood as in service of reconciliation, as in service of peace.  

This can be done primarily by helping to develop a right perception of culture and ethnicity 
against ethnocentrism, cultural oppression, and resentment so that people learn to respect and accept each 
other. In a country like Ethiopia where suppression of ethnic identity, cultural oppression, and hatred have 
been dominant trends, the process of reconciliation requires a fundamental attitudinal change and an 
openness and right perception of one’s cultural and ethnic identity. On the other hand, a church should 
continue boldly to engage in active mediation and reconciliation between conflicting groups as well as to 
teach reconciliation, forgiveness, and tolerance that challenges believers to be a reconciling presence in 
their given community.  

Secondly, the church must promote reconciliatory love in the community in which it exists. God 
refuses to abandon the world of sin and death in all its alienated darkness but, on contrary become 
involved in it even its direct consequences, suffers for it, strives for it, and in conquering liberates it. The 
Ethiopian Evangelical churches should take stand by refusing to withdraw from active responsible 
Christian social action because of irresponsible division and disempowering cynicisms in our community. 
Rather, Evangelical churches must boldly preach in word and deed the ethics of the Gospel. The church 
must continue to struggle to live in unity, overcome divisions, and welcome others. The church, as its 
main values and practices, should refuses hostility of any form in our society, but foster civil dialogue and 
intelligent discussion.  



Olana, “An Empowering and Reconciling Presence” 

Global South Theological Journal 1, no.1 (2022)  65 

No democracy can survive, or even be established without the practice of forgiveness, 
reconciliation, and tolerance among the peoples who have experienced hostility and mistrust for centuries. 
The Christian understanding of human relationships, which lies in the doctrine of grace, can make an 
important contribution to bring about mature and genuine democracy. But this must first be fully 
experienced among the believers in the church. Therefore, the church should be a catalyst of 
reconciliation in each society through its teachings and services, not an excluding and divisive entity. For 
the benefit of our society in general, the Ethiopian Evangelical churches have a social responsibility to 
help in word and deed to create an environment for respectful conflict resolution through persuasion, 
dialogue, and encouraging imaginative solutions to conflicts.  

Thirdly, based on its core vision and message, the church should boldly strive for reconciliation 
in our divided community. God graciously makes people active and gives them the right and ability to be 
reconciled with God. We have received reconciliation (Rom. 5:11) with God's invitation (2 Cor. 5:20). 
God was the victim of our rebellion and sin. He is also the sole initiator of salvation by making us active 
through the Holy Spirit in being made right with him.  By refusing vindictiveness, as church of Christ, the 
EECMY and its members, should promote the spirit forgiveness and reconciliation that creates 
environment for admittance of guilt and genuine repentance. Despite all the temptations and external 
pressures, the EECMY should continue tirelessly to identify itself with the cross of Christ and boldly 
reject the religion and ideology of alienation, fear, and revenge. It is only in this manner that the church 
remains a beacon of Christ, which points to God’s new reality and his holy Law.  

Finally, when engaged to such reconciliatory activities, the Church should also guard itself from 
being a tool for political groups or as instrument to press out dissent.  It should boldly disapprove a false 
ideology of reconciliation which undermines true transformation.  First of all, it must challenge the 
extreme privatizing tendency of Christian faith in among all Ethiopian Evangelical Christians which 
stresses the individual and the transcendental while dismissing the social aspect of Christian life. In the 
past, Church leaders like Rev. Gudina Tumsa struggled to help the church and its clergy to avoid the 
temptation of compliance with the status quo in reinterpretation of the Christian values consciously or 
unconsciously in such a way to reinforce the existing order and domination of the people. That is what 
made the EECMY the church of the periphery, the voice of the voiceless majority. At all opportunities, 
churches should continue preaching in word and deed the transforming power of Jesus, who was in 
solidarity with the poor and the marginalized in demanding the reorientation of values and the 
transformation of society. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God, as establishment of new order, not a mere 
inner mystical world ditched from reality. Therefore, the EECMY and other Ethiopian churches are 
obligated responsibly to reject an exclusive individualistic interpretation and understanding of the death 
and resurrection of Jesus or view them as mere subjective experiences.  

In our context, there is the temptation of religion sentimentalism, which usually avoids 
responsibility is societal matters. This is not the reconciliation we are speaking about. We all should 
renounce any religious sentimentalism that supports oppressive structures or creates an obstacle for 
genuine change.  God reconciled the world to himself not by mere cancelation of our debt, but paying it in 
full through the person of Christ. Consequently, God graciously invited us to life and a new beginning 
through forgiveness. Forgiveness is a costly initiative creating a new undeserved opportunity for the 
wrong doer. It opens the door for repentance. Here, the past wrong will not be denied but deprived of its 
power to shape the future. Hence, our church must avoid any cheap concept of reconciliation that does not 
admit the past wrong or that does not include contrition and repartition. Avoiding conflicts, temporary 
peace, or suppressing the truth is dishonoring God.     

Forgiveness and reconciliation involve the idea of grace. But forgiveness and reconciliation alone 
are superficial. Both need justice as their companion. Without attempts to restore dignity and equality, the 
brokenness created by the conflict continues to fester. It is when injustice is rectified that reconciliation 
and peace becomes the prevailing atmosphere of security and respect between all parties. It is when the 
wrong doer is released from his or her guilt and the wronged is freed from bitterness and hatred that 
suspicion and fear will be removed and replaced with peace.  


	Preface: the Role of Religion in a given society
	The Great Dilemma of Institutionalized Religions in Ethiopian Politics
	The Empowering Role of the Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus in Historical Perspectives
	The Current Evangelical charismatic Movement as an Empowering Phenomenon
	Toward a Reconciling Presence: a prospect for a Public Ministry within the current Political Reality of Ethiopia
	Rediscovering a Critical Public ministry
	Embolden Reconciling Presence


