From Addis Ababa to Dallas, Ethiopian church leaders are turning to World Impact for training they can pass on as they plant churches and disciple a rising generation.
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, World Impact led one of only five breakout sessions at a gathering of nearly 3,000 people, training more than 100 leaders.
At the North American conference in Dallas, Texas, World Impact was invited to train 20 hand-selected next-generation leaders from among nearly 300 ministry leaders. As more participants joined the training each day, senior ministry mobilizer David Estrada saw the growing attendance as evidence of a much wider need.
“People are so hungry for the tools to build the kingdom of God there,” he said.
David had seen that same hunger a week earlier in Addis Ababa, where World Impact held an Evangel School of Urban Church Planting training for church leaders. Pastor Samuel, a faithful World Impact partner, helped bring the training to Addis Ababa and introduce World Impact’s ministry at the Dallas conference.
Wost, another ministry leader, attended an Evangel dean training in 2023. This September, he will lead World Impact’s first trauma healing training in Ethiopia, equipping ministry leaders to guide others through pain and loss in light of Scripture.
Also read: Stella’s Story: Healed Hearts Heal Others
Ethiopia’s Youth Wants More Churches
Ethiopia’s young population makes the need especially urgent. David noted that the country’s median age is 19.
Planting more churches is only part of the answer. New churches also need leaders grounded in sound theology and prepared to make disciples.
“The growing, young population is demanding new churches,” David said. “Not unlike America, young people in Ethiopia are discovering life. And as they seek out answers, they are asking spiritual questions. They’re going to get answers in some way shape or form, somehow. The faith is growing at such a pace … but they don’t have the tools. We have the tools.”
Also read: Ten Principles of Church Planting
Evangel’s P.L.A.N.T. program
That’s where Evangel’s P.L.A.N.T. program comes in. It guides church planters to prepare, launch, assemble, nurture, and transition a congregation. The nurture stage is especially important because it focuses on discipleship and the development of new leaders. David wants church planters to have practical resources and experienced mentors as they prepare younger leaders to serve.
Pastor Samuel has said that he wishes every new church planted in Ethiopia could go through the P.L.A.N.T. training program.
Trauma healing is another part of the work taking shape in Ethiopia. David observes that younger Ethiopians are often more open than their elders to talking about trauma. Training local leaders to guide those conversations can give young people a place to name painful experiences and examine them through Scripture.
Pastor Samuel wants every new church planter in Ethiopia to have access to World Impact’s training. When Wost leads trauma healing training this September, an Ethiopian leader trained by World Impact will begin equipping others in his own country. It is the multiplication Pastor Samuel has been working toward for years.
Read next: How Church Planting Can Multiply the Church Through Transition
Help make more stories like this possible by supporting World Impact!
