Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY; also called Mekane Yesus Church) is a Christian
denomination in Ethiopia
. It was created in 1959 with the merger of Lutheran and other congregations established by missionary work in that country, taking its name from the first congregation in Addis Ababa
, Mekane Yesus ("Place of Jesus"). One of the important voices of the EECMY and leading theologian of the church was Gudina Tumsa (1929–1979) who was general secretary for several years up until his arrest and murder at the hands of the revolutionary government of Ethiopia in 1979.
EECMY claimed in 1997 have almost 2.3 million members; according to the 2008 figures, it has about 5.3 million baptized members. They operate a seminary in Addis Ababa
with 150 students.
The Mekane Yesus Church is a member of the Lutheran World Federation
, the World Council of Churches
, the All Africa Conference of Churches
, and the Lutheran Communion in Central & Eastern Africa.
The Mekane Yesus Church, because of its development work, is a member of ACT Development
, a global alliance of churches and related agencies working on development that are committed to working together.
with the encouragement of the Lutheran and Presbyterian Missionary
Societies in Ethiopia and the Lutheran World Federation the Evangelical
congregations in several parts of the country met on April 23 and 25,1958 to
deliberate on the draft constitution and establish the Ethiopian Evangelical Church
Mekane Yesus (EECMY). From these joint efforts the church was instituted as a
national Church on January 21, 1959. EECMY has a motto of "Serving the
Whole Person" which was developed in the 1970's. This 'holistic ministry'
theme of the Church has helped her to carry out her ministry in evangelism and
development work
Christianity in Ethiopia
Christianity in Ethiopia dates to the first century AD, and this long tradition makes Ethiopia unique amongst sub-Saharan African countries. Christianity in this country is divided into several groups...
denomination in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. It was created in 1959 with the merger of Lutheran and other congregations established by missionary work in that country, taking its name from the first congregation in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Mekane Yesus ("Place of Jesus"). One of the important voices of the EECMY and leading theologian of the church was Gudina Tumsa (1929–1979) who was general secretary for several years up until his arrest and murder at the hands of the revolutionary government of Ethiopia in 1979.
EECMY claimed in 1997 have almost 2.3 million members; according to the 2008 figures, it has about 5.3 million baptized members. They operate a seminary in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
with 150 students.
The Mekane Yesus Church is a member of the Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
, the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, the All Africa Conference of Churches
All Africa Conference of Churches
All Africa Conference of Churches is an ecumenical fellowship that represents more than 120 million African Christians in 169 national churches and regional Christian councils....
, and the Lutheran Communion in Central & Eastern Africa.
The Mekane Yesus Church, because of its development work, is a member of ACT Development
ACT Development
ACT Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related organisations focusing on long-term development and humanitarian assistance. The alliance has a membership of more than 100 organisations, working with about 30,000 members of staff and volunteers, in 140 countries, with a combined budget...
, a global alliance of churches and related agencies working on development that are committed to working together.
See also
- P'ent'ayP'ent'ayP'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
with the encouragement of the Lutheran and Presbyterian Missionary
Societies in Ethiopia and the Lutheran World Federation the Evangelical
congregations in several parts of the country met on April 23 and 25,1958 to
deliberate on the draft constitution and establish the Ethiopian Evangelical Church
Mekane Yesus (EECMY). From these joint efforts the church was instituted as a
national Church on January 21, 1959. EECMY has a motto of "Serving the
Whole Person" which was developed in the 1970's. This 'holistic ministry'
theme of the Church has helped her to carry out her ministry in evangelism and
development work