Ethiopia Leaders Welcome Home Group Training
September 27, 2024
By Steve Shwetz, THRU the BIBLE host and Board of Directors chairman
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit Ethiopia and Kenya to witness the work of God in these two countries. During my time in Ethiopia, THRU the BIBLE organized a three-day training session for pastors interested in establishing Home Groups in their respective communities.
Originally, we aimed to have 25 to 30 pastors attend the training. However, the word spread quickly, and we ended up with over 60 pastors joining us for the three-day training. They came from various parts of Ethiopia and even from as far as Somalia. The training was conducted simultaneously in English, Oromo, and Amharic.
The pastors were thrilled to receive THRU the BIBLE resources and audio players to take back to their communities. These resources would be used to train local coordinators who, in turn, would oversee up to 15 individuals leading small groups in their communities.
Over 60 church leaders attend Home Group training in Ethiopia.
After completing the training, they were challenged to estimate the number of small groups they would form. The number they came up with amazed me. This group of about 60 pastors committed to start over 2,500 small groups. These groups would meet in homes to read the Bible together and listen to the teaching of THRU the BIBLE. I must admit, I had my doubts about their ability to achieve such a large number of Home Groups. However, as of the beginning of summer, they were closing in on over 2,000 groups!
We can sometimes get overwhelmed by numbers like this. Dr. McGee calls it “the sin of statistics,” and although we rejoice in the numbers it is ultimately the fruit the Lord produces as a result of these groups meeting together around God’s Word that gets us most excited. Over 67% of the population in Ethiopia identifies as Christian, but like much of Africa, it is “a mile wide and two inches deep.” The prosperity gospel is flourishing in Ethiopia and solid Bible teaching is desperately needed for those who claim to be Christians but have no concept of what salvation through faith in Christ alone even means.
Pastor Wakshuma Terefe, the voice of Dr. McGee on the Oromo Bible Bus.
I’m asking you to pray for these leaders and for those who will be attending the small groups throughout Ethiopia and Somalia. Pray especially for Wakshuma. He leads the entire Ethiopian team and is also the voice of Dr. McGee in Oromo. He recently lost his wife to cancer and is now raising his young son as a single dad. Pray that he would lead the team well and that God would provide for him and his son as he faces the unique challenges associated with raising a child alone.