The Augustana District’s Board of World Missions has actively sought a way to meaningfully connect with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the fourth-largest Lutheran church in the world. They believe they found it through a developing connection with the Tabor congregation in the city of Hawassa, Ethiopia.

This exciting congregation has grown from 368 members in 1996, to 6168 members in 2010. Even more impressively, the Tabor Congregation deploys 53 evangelists, and to-date has established 13 new EECMY congregations in the region – even in areas that are predominantly Muslim. It is this evangelistic ministry that most excites our Board of World Missions.

We are pleased to announce that between 11 and 14 people from Augustana District churches (from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota) will be travelling to Hawassa this January 9-19, 2014. Their purpose is to further explore the possibilities of an active relationship with the Tabor Congregation and its outreach and evangelistic ministries.

Pastor Paul Knudson from Faith Lutheran will lead a delegation of  ten or more volunteers to forge a partnership in witness between the Augustana District and the 7,000-member Tabor Congregation. Pray for this endeavor that all the final plans will fall into place and the Spirit will use this time so that our Lord’s Kingdom work will be strengthened mightily through this partnership.

Acts 1:8 will direct all that develops. In this verse Jesus before his ascension declares:  “You will receive power when the Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Questions about this trip? Contact the church office at 587-2093 or email Pastor Paul Knudson.