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November 2009

 

Oromo Churches in Confessional Resistance

 

The history of Evangelical Christianity among the Oromo people is very much tied with the Lutheran churches, as efforts to reach the Oromo nation with the gospel is made primarily by the Lutheran missionaries since the early the 19^th century.  We, the Oromo people are greatly indebted to those missionaries. It is a history recorded with inerasable ink, with the blood of those missionaries who died as they were endeavoring to bring the good news to our people.

 

These historic and strong ties made it natural for the Oromo immigrants to be affiliated with Lutheran churches here in the USA and also in other parts of the world. We are also grateful to the ELCA and its local congregations for all the support we have received in the past ten years as many of our small fellowships and congregations were struggling to get on their feet.

 

However, since August 2009 our relationships and partnerships with the ELCA are deeply and gravely impacted. This impact was not only with the Oromo churches but it was with all African ELCA churches and with all bible believing churches around the world. As it has officially been announced the ELCA, in its church wide general assembly in Minneapolis, has voted to change the ministry policy by allowing the ordination of openly practicing homosexuals to the holy ministry of the church. Those practices were formerly regarded as sinful behaviors in the scripture and in the church documents. However, in the new change they are being viewed as acceptable to God and worthy of being part of the holy rite of ordination.

 

Based on the clear teachings of the Holy Bible and thousands of years of church standard we are fully convinced that the ELCA has taken a decision that is contrary to the true teachings of the church on human sexuality, marriage, and ordination and most importantly on the authority of the scriptures. Therefore the union of Oromo churches makes it abundantly clear that we have resolved to openly stand in disagreement to this resolution and reject it as an absolute departure of the church from truth as revealed in God’s order of creation and as stated in the Holy Scriptures both Old and New Testament.

 

This decision has continued to affect the ELCA itself in so many ways; the unity of the church, financial stability, the moral and enthusiasm of church workers, and lose of jobs for many employees has become the trend in the church since it has officially adopted false teaching in August of 2009. This deeply saddens us. The church we have loved, served and worked with is being weakened and losing ground because its unbiblical choices through the Minneapolis assembly has made this. Our churches are determined to uphold all of these sad situations in prayer and reverse the trend through the powerful spirit of God.

 

 

Celebration of Reformation Day - Washington DC

 

Reformation Sunday recalls Martin Luther’s posting of 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517 was celebrated at Washington, DC national cathedral. This brave act, by then Roman Catholic monk, Martin Luther, sparked a movement in history and laid foundations for the Lutheran tradition.

 

The celebration was organized by the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod and the Oromo Evangelical Church of Washington, D.C. took major part in the service of the celebration.  The 2009 Reformation celebration attracted about 800 people in attendance at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. In addition to the many DC area Lutheran clergy there were Hundreds of Oromo church members who congregated at the National Cathedral, and the Oromo church choir presented a beautiful rendition on this occasion.

 

 

Above all the gospel was preached and the authority of the scripture openly, boldly and assertively declared at this historic place. The Rev. Dr. Gemechis Buba, Director for African National Ministries of the ELCA, was a guest preacher. On this day Dr. Gemechis Buba passionately and with the power of the Holy Spirit preached the unchanging and the living Word of God at this historic gathering. In his inspiring sermon pastor Gemechis said; “the authority of the Bible cannot be replaced by any authority. There is no authority in the church of Christ above the scripture. No pope, no bishop, no general assembly, no social teaching document, resolution or church policy is above the written Holy Word of God.” He holds up the bible while saying this.

 

 

In the language of Genesis 1; “the church is formless, empty, and dark without the word; “said Pastor Buba. It was only after the coming of the word that the darkness, emptiness and formlessness and the total chaos was changed into the brilliant light and order.

 

Pastor Gemechis continued; Martin Luther did not reform the church. The word reformed Martin Luther himself. It was the word that reformed the church from darkness, chaos, formless, and emptiness. Once the church was reformed by the word of God it came back to preaching the word that liberates human being from spiritual darkness and free people from sin and ignorance.     

 

It was a great day for the Oromo church in Washington DC and for all in attendance where more than eight hundred people, pastors, lay leaders, members of many congregations and other invited guests were gathered at the National cathedral, especially in the time when ELCA has officially departed from the message of reformation and put the decision of the church above the authority of the scripture, to lead the church into emptiness, darkness and spiritual crisis.  

 

The service was presided by The Rev. Richard H. Graham, Bishop of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, The president of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and other ecumenical partners were in attendance.

 

 

The promotion of the Oromo Evangelical church in Washington DC from mission status to an organized congregation was the greatest news of the day. This church was established about fourteen years ago by few members and since then it has been growing in membership and service but also has gone through difficult times and many challenges and has been on a mission status for so long.

 

Now the mission status has come successfully to historical end and the church sees its great future by entering to a new era as a major organized congregation with its 328 vibrant, energetic and high-spirited members.  We commend and congratulate all the leaders and members those who labored for this great achievement.  Particularly we are thankful to Rev. Waaqtola Dinagdie who poured his life in the service and now celebrating his official retirement on December 31, 2009 after 45 years of honorable and high-principled service to the church of Christ. Above all we give glory, praises and thanks to the Lord who helped us to come thus far through major obstacles. May his name ever be praised!

 

Canadian and European Oromo churches union

It has been reported that union of Oromo churches European chapter has been established in August in Frankfurt, Germany. Oromo churches and fellowship leaders traveled from different countries in Europe to Frankfurt, including from Belgium and Netherlands, to elect board of directors and also to ratify the first draft of the constitution. According to Luba Tasgara’s report the ministry of the Oromo churches in Europe very much encouraging and the resettlement of Eva. Merga Negeri in Germany has contributed a lot for the recovery of the Oromo churches in Germany and else where.

In similar news UOEC Canadian chapter also established in Calgary on September 5, 2009 during the three days conference hosted by the Oromo church of Calgary. Rev. Gemechis Buba was guest preacher in the conference and reported that, he was so pleased by what he witnessed regarding the growth of Oromo churches in Canada. A large number of Oromo Christians come from many cities in Canada to attend on this conference. UOEC-C elected Pastor Mezgebu Abdisa to be the first president of the union and other four members of the board.

 

Oromo church in Sudan 

 

It has been reported that our church in Khartoum and the Oromo immigrants, especially those who emigrated in past few years are facing a most difficult situation in Sudan. According to the report our young women and men are leaving the home country on the promise getting better work opportunity in the Sudan oil industry and with hope of resettlement in another part of the world. However, when they arrive in Khartoum things are not as promised. Smugglers and other criminals forces demand from them large amounts of money all the while knowing these are poor people who have nothing.  This extortion results in these criminals literally selling these people to the Sudanese as slave labor. Females are sold to sex-traffickers in Khartoum.

 

VOA (Voice of America) has also reported the double standard for Oromo refugees in the UN office. There are many Oromos in Khartoum fluent in Afan Oromo, English, and Arabic but only Tigray nationals are employed at the UN office as interpreters. These interpreters deliberately give misleading information which could lead to denial of their cases.

 

Our church in Khartoum is doing its best, given its meager resources, to cope with these very tough conditions and to help these refugees. Many Oromo refugees are sheltered in the church because they have nowhere else to go. 

 

After listing to the report we have agreed to ask Dr. Nathanael Gemeda, currently residing in Kampala to travel to Khartoum as official delegates of the UOEC to study what is really happening there and give us his assessment and proposal. The Oromo Church in Minneapolis has made several attempts to transfer funds that would help support the church in Khartoum, but we are not able to find any legal and official line of fund transfer. Dr. Nathanael will explore legitimate options through which to send money along with how that church may best utilize those funds without creating conflict among them. In the past, there were times when the money that was sent from here brought tension and disagreements among church leaders themselves.

 

The UOEC Office