LUTHERAN CHURCH IN ETHIOPIA – VISIT TO SWF BY DR. BRUK AYELE ASALE, PRESIDENT MEKANE YESUS SEMINARY (JULY 16-17, 2018)
“Pastors of several Lutheran Churches in Southwest Florida were visited the other day by a special visitor. The visitor was Reverend Doctor Bruk Ayele who traveled about eight thousand miles one way to get here. He is president of our partner church’s seminary in Ethiopia. The church, Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (“Mekane Yesu”), asked the Synod for help finding an experienced school administrator to help Mekane Yesu organize a secondary school system — high schools and colleges. 
Help is especially needed to prepare church workers of whom hopefully many will go to the seminary to meet the demand for ordained clergy resulting from the incredible growth the church is experiencing. Mekane Yesu is the fastest growing Lutheran Church in the world and is sending its own missionaries internationally. Several missionaries to America are from Ethiopia and, it’s neighboring country, Eritrea. Two biographies published by Mission Nation Publishing are about this region, one from Ethiopia the other from Eritrea.
The Synod’s Mission Board was not able to help Mekane Yesu and asked the Mission of Christ Network, an LCMS recognized service organization (RSO), for assistance. As background information, Mission of Christ Network raises funds to help send lay (not ordained) missionaries overseas. For more on the Mission of Christ Network visit its website at https://www.google.com/search…. 
Working with the LCMS, Mission of Christ founder Mr. Butch Almstedt contacted Dr. Robert Scudieri to ask for help sponsoring Dr. Bruk Ayele’s visit to Southwest Florida to meet with congregations who might be willing to contribute support in sending a lay missionary to Ethiopia to put in place an administrative structure for a secondary school system. A retired woman school executive from California has been identified and is ready to go to Ethiopia as soon as enough funds are in place.
Members of Peace Lutheran Church sponsored the visit of Dr. Bruk Ayele providing airfare from Washington DC to Ft. Myers, a place to stay locally, and transportation to several churches of the SW Florida circuit. A video was made at Marco Lutheran of Pastor Bruk’s presentation to Pastor Kevin Koenig, pastor of Marco Lutheran, explaining the opportunities, challenges and needs for sending the lay missionary to Ethiopia. The video is available for viewing on our website (see below) and the Peace Lutheran’s Facebook page.
Hopefully, significant funds will be developed to provide the help our sister church in Ethiopia needs. Please contribute as you can by contacting Suzanne in our church office (239)354-9144″. May the Lord bless your day, this day and always!