Violence has devastated Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), the Mennonite body in Ethiopia. As of February 12, armed groups had burned 49 MKC churches to the ground, looted and damaged another 81 churches, and killed 1,231 MKC members, including 31 church leaders.
Inter-tribal violence in western Oromiya regional state, home to nearly one third of MKC members, has displaced an estimated 80,000 people. The fighting is between different tribal groups.
In a February 12 memo to Mennonite Church Canada, MKC leaders shared this news and urgently requested prayer.
Over 150 pastors have had their homes and/or farms destroyed or looted. Lost cattle and crops, as well as lost income from ministerial work, have left many pastors without a means to feed their families.
MKC president Desalegn Abebe wrote that “the violence in western Ethiopia took many innocent lives. The rebel groups killed unarmed people, some of them in the churches.”
The conflict has also shuttered banks and schools in the region. Many are grieving and suffering from the trauma of losing spouses and family members.
Some MKC members in the affected area are sheltering people who have fled the fighting.
As of 2020, there were about a dozen Mennonite Church Canada congregations with roots in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Many have families, friends and loved ones who have been caught in the crisis.
Abebe wrote: “We taught our church members the theology of non-violence and they have been living with all people peacefully for years. Some of the victims’ families stated that the losses they experienced were something they could not explain. On behalf of the MKC, I kindly request your solidarity with us during this trial time.”
In a February 10 video call with MC Canada Witness workers Werner and Joanne De Jong, MKC leaders Bekele Bejera and Tefera Sori said, “Our believers community do not want to kill anybody from any ethnic group because the word of God teaches us about peace,” said Sori. “We are at peace with them, even though they want to hunt us and kill us and displace us. We teach our believers community not to attack anyone, because the word of God teaches us to love our enemy.”
They asked that Mennonites in Canada pray for those affected by the violence.
MKC is the fastest growing and largest Anabaptist/ Mennonite denomination in Mennonite World Conference (MWC). According to MWC, in 2022 MKC had 1160 churches and 370,909 baptized members.
MC Canada has launched an urgent relief appeal in support of MKC. To contribute, visit mennonitechurch.ca/ international-witness/MKC-relief or call 866-888-6785.
With files from Mennonite Church Canada.
Meserete Kristos Church leaders visited a conflict region in Ethiopia in June 2021. Left to right: Gelagay Himiru, Tilahun Wase, Desalegn Abebe, Abayneh Anjulo and Addisu Legesse. Photo courtesy of Mennonite World Conference.
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