Revival in Ethiopia

STRASBOURG, France — Ethiopia’s Meserete Kristos Church now has more baptized believers than any other national Mennonite-related conference in the world, according to the latest census figures.

The Ethiopian church now numbers 120,610 baptized members, over 9,000 more than Mennonite Church USA, whose current directory lists its membership at 111,031.

MKC membership has grown by 22,585 since 2003, when it reported a membership of 98,025.

To explain the rapid increase, MKC general secretary Mulugeta Zewdie cited six strategies for church growth: suitable church structures for evangelism; evangelism, discipleship training, church planting and follow-up; formal and informal education; prayer and fasting; lay ministry; and each member being empowered for witnessing by the Holy Spirit.

“MKC’s experience of church growth is not a new happening,” Zewdie said. “It is one among many in the footsteps of early church evangelism practice.

“That does not mean that we are photocopies of the original [church], but we have the same truth. The similarities can be expressed in many ways.”

The most recent compilation of statistics on all Mennonite, BIC and related churches worldwide was published by Mennonite World Conference in 2003. The next one is expected in 2006.

http://www.mennoweekly.org/JUNE/06-13-05/ETHIOPIA06-13.html