One of the things we often say is: Churches are stronger together!
We believe the New Testament describes local churches in strong partnership with other local churches for encouragement, prayer, church planting, & more. We cherish our partnership with other Sovereign Grace churches for many of these same reasons. We are a stronger church because of our partnership with other churches!
My recent trip to Ethiopia from March 23–February 4 was a product with our partnership with Trinity Fellowship Church & the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College.
I was strengthened & encouraged in the following ways.
Loaded up with members of Trinity Fellowship in the truck after a full day of worshiping God & feasting on Ethiopian cuisine!
THE JOY OF TRINITY FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
John Newton once said, “The life of faith is a happy life!”
Planted just over two years ago in a different continent & in a very different culture, Trinity Fellowship is a happy church in the Lord. They treasure the gospel. They cherish the Word of God. They strive after holiness. But—they are also happy!
I believe true gospel-centered churches have a distinct, self-forgetful joy. And Trinity Fellowship, led by their pastor Michael Granger, has this joy in spades!
One seemingly insignificant highlight was riding around with a van full of church members after the Sunday service. Michael cranked up this Ethiopian wedding song. Everyone in the car was singing & dancing & laughing! (Pre-party PICTURE above!)
The students of the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College—including Jordan Thomas (on the far right of the first row)!
THE COURAGE & CONVICTION OF THE PASTORS COLLEGE STUDENTS
The Trinity Fellowship Pastors College includes ten men, mostly in their mid-twenties.
They are young men but they are men of conviction. They are devoted to rightly handling the Word. They are careful students of the Word.
But they are also men of courage.
One of them was from Nairobi, Kenya, who relocated to Addis Ababa with his family to attend the Pastors College & hopes to return in a year or so to plant a gospel-centered church in Nairobi.
Another is a man from a country north of Addis Ababa who converted from Islam & lost any relationship with his extended family & any inheritance that belonged to him. Yet, in God’s mercy, he has gone on to lead his sister & mother to the Lord!
Another is a Somali man who was converted from Islam & has become a bold witness to Christ among his people. Because his beliefs are so rejected, he has been beaten severely 14 times, beaten to unconsciousness several times, & now has a hit out on his life from the terrorist group in Somalia. Nevertheless, he hopes to plant a church among the Somali people in Addis Ababa in the next several months.
Michael & myself overlooking the capital city of Addis Ababa.
THE ZEAL OF MICHAEL GRANGER
As I mentioned already, Trinity Fellowship was planted by Michael Granger just over two years ago.
Perhaps the most significant thing I took away from my time in Ethiopia: a desire to emulate Michael’s zeal.
Ethiopia is not Michael’s home country. (He’s from America.) Yet, he has a seemingly insatiable love for Ethiopia & desire to see healthy churches planted throughout Ethiopia.
I want to be like him. I want us to be like him. Romans 12:10 says: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
May God help us.
CONCLUSION
Thank you for your support & your many prayers for my trip Ethiopia!
I pray that we are stronger because of the partnership with Trinity Fellowship Church. May God bless their church planting efforts throughout Addis Ababa & the rest of Ethiopia!