July 2006

Dear family and friends,

Recently, Mr. Merga Negari, the Assistant Coordinator of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) Peace Office, and I were invited to the seminary of the Ethiopian Meseret Kristos Church. We had been asked to address a class wrestling with the role of the church in seeking a more just and peaceful Ethiopia.

The Meserete Kristos Church developed originally from the Mennonite mission arriving in Ethiopia following WWII. Although initially entering as a relief agency, this mission was granted permission to evangelize soon thereafter. This occurred during the reign of Emperor Haile Sellasie. In 1974 a military junta known as "The Derg", or Committee in English, toppled the Emperor. The Derg went on to rule Ethiopia until 1991. During these years, there was widespread persecution of churches. In most instances, including the Mennonite mission, the expatriate missionaries were forced to leave the country. In 1982, the Meserete Kristos Church was outlawed and went underground.

While underground, two things occurred within Meserete Kristos. Number one, its numbers flourished. In 1982, the church membership numbered around 5,000. After 1991, following the violent ouster of the communist regime the church resurfaced to find the numbers of its community had reached 50,000! The second change was in the type of church it developed into. In the absence of a Mennonite community, and exposed to influences emphasizing the workings of the Holy Spirit, the Meserete Kristos church became more charismatic and Pentecostal.

There are now efforts within Meserete Kristos and the Mennonite Mission to Ethiopia to revive some of the more traditionally Mennonite peace and social justice values. A strategic point of entrée is via the educational system of Meserete Kristos’ Seminary. The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) is viewed by many as a pioneer in actively working for peace and justice as an integral part of Her “Holistic Ministry” approach. Merga and I had been invited to discuss the background of the EECMY Peace Office and the main activities, as well as obstacles and challenges met along the way.

Following our presentation, an hour and half was left for open discussion. Merga and I were not sure how receptive this audience would be to our encouraging the church to directly engage the powers in striving for a more just society. The comments and questions raised eased any apprehension we initially felt. I include a sampling below:

What is the role of the church in a society like present day Ethiopia where the violation of human rights is a daily reality?

What is the role of the church in a society like present day Ethiopia where freedom of speech, free press, and a vibrant civil society are merely articles in a constitution, but not permitted in real life?

What is the role of the church in a land where tension, mistrust and suspicion grows on occasion erupting into violence between peoples of differing ethnic groups or clans?

What is the role of the church in a land that celebrates a history of interfaith co-existence (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) but is presently experiencing signs of increased tensions, mistrust and even violence?

What is the role of the church in a land where the disparity between those with an abundance of material wealth and those with a dearth of even basic necessities is on the rise?

What is the role of the church when divisions both inter and intra denominationally persist causing further fragmentation of the “Body of Christ”?

Whew! These were not polite questions asked simply to pass the time. Our audience was already wrestling with many of the issues likewise engaging our peace office staff. But let’s return to the questions and how they were framed. It was not asked what the international community could do to address these concerns. It was not asked what the Ethiopian government could do to address these concerns. What was asked? In each example, each concern lifted up was preceded by, “What is the role of the church?”

A visiting pastor from the southern United States commented to me a few weeks back, “Brian, Christians should not live in the world and go to church, but live in church and go to the world.”I love that! It seems the church’s influence upon society is declining, not only in North America or Europe but also throughout much of our globe. The responsibility remains in our hands, as Christians, to reverse this trend. It is by living in church and going into the world that such a reversal can be actualized. Yet, in order to do so, we must come together and live in thought, speech and action the model outlined in scripture. We must live in such a manner that others looking in truly believe we are members of the same community and family.

The idea of a single communion (community) of believers must be more honestly reflected in every day life. We the church must take up the truth in First Corinthians that, “If one part suffers every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” As this single body, the church goes into the world witnessing of God’s love and power; being a unified voice urging people and systems to justice, truth, mercy and peace; and to work for the welfare of all in society. In today’s divided world, where the paradigm of “us-them” continues to dominate, we must embrace and raise up the words penned in 1908 by William A. Dunkerley, “In Christ there is no East or West, In Him no South or North; But one great fellowship of love Throughout the whole wide Earth.”

Is it not in these words that we find the essence of what it means to live in Church, and to understand the way of peace? That is, to tirelessly strive to live in right relationship to self, others, creation and Creator. Are we not called to such an endeavor by scripture itself? “… love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40.)

So, back to the question raised by the seminary students, “what is the role of the Church in the face of conflicted and unequal relationships, and in a land where fear, division and multiple faces of injustice persist?” Our role as people living in Church and going to the world is to come together as a family of believers. As such a family we must seek inroads into a broken and fearful world illuminating paths forward that transcend potentially divisive identities of ethnicity, nationality, class or gender.

Merging as a single voice, the church must be at the forefront in the struggle for justice and mainstreaming the notion of cultures of peace. Our global Christian family must boldly remain unflinching in her stand for justice, even when it is not popular or even comfortable to do so. Our role as church is to name injustices and unjust systems for what they are while at the same time seeking and offering viable, biblically sound alternatives. Our role as church is to transform need-denying systems (economic, political, social/cultural) into need-satisfying systems. Living in such a way the church models a principled and pragmatic philosophy of life that will bear fruit bringing about a revolutionary influence upon this world. Let each of us individually and collectively take up the challenge in becoming the church that Christ intended.

In joyful service,

Brian

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 330