Mafo, a model congregation in “Use Your Talents”

Mafo congregation is one of the congregations in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in the South West Synod (SWS), one of 31 synods of EECMY. The synod was established in March 1990. Currently, the synod has 750 congregations and 350 preaching centers. Mafo Congregation is a model for “Use Your Talents”.

Mafo congregation is located in a high, mountainous, and badly degraded area. Population density is high so that farming land is very scarce. The livelihood of the people is under severe threat. However, this congregation is working to enhance its internal economic capacity and to transform the economic, social, and spiritual situation of the community.

Mafo congregation voluntarily uses the talents of its members in three dimensions: for economic enhancement of the congregation, for community support in their village, and to evangelize non-believers in the village.

1) For economic enhancement of the congregation, Mafo congregation uses its member’s talent in a voluntary base, and they do remarkable activities. From income collected from members, they constructed a cafeteria, opened shop for selling goods, constructed a bakery at the church compound, and set up a furniture producing machine in the town. They own six hectares of farming land, and the congregation member farmers plough the land and they have been producing barley, wheat, and apples. Currently, their capital is estimated to about $50,000. (This is a big amount for a congregation in a remote area whose members are mostly poor farmers.)

2) For the community support, Mafo congregation has built classrooms at their own expense for two government primary schools, namely, Zakota and Dertsele, and they conduct students’ tutorial education during every summer vacation, mainly for upper primary and high school students funded by the congregation. And, further, they have been feeding and building houses for aged poor people, irrespective of religion and ethnic background. In addition, they have prepared pedestrian paths and crossing structures to link rural villages, and they opened a public library for the students in the community.

3) In terms of evangelism (spiritual work), the congregation has employed three pastors who have been working in the Mafo congregation. Furthermore, they have sent outreach evangelists to the place called Lisha. The people in Lisha were mostly non-believers, thus, some of the evangelists and congregation leaders experienced persecution from the people. However, after many years struggle, now a strong congregation has been established in Lisha. Mafo has continued its outreach evangelism to other places.

The two key aspects of “Use Your Talents”, looking to what we have at hand (in opposite to seeking external aid), and serving our neighbors (lending our hand to others) have been implemented in this congregation. This tremendous growth of the congregation has happened because majority of the members are paying their tithe, they work in the congregation farm every Friday, and they voluntarily involve themselves in the congregation businesses. For them, working for the growth of the kingdom of God is an integral part of their life as Christians; those who are not willing to work are recognized as the servant who buried his talent, and such a person could be rejected to be a leader in the congregation.

WHAT WAS THE REASON THE MAFO CONGREGATION WAS EFFECTIVE IN “USE YOUR TALENTS”?

It is impressive to find such a model congregation in “Use Your Talents” in a rural area where many of the congregation members are poor farmers. Use of the talents has become an integral part of Christian life in this congregation. The reason was related to their first introduction of Christianity.

Mafo congregation was established around 1938 by three notable indigenous missionaries who were sent from Entoto congregation (from Addis Ababa). These ministers were 1) evangelist Kasa Konde, 2) pastor Wolde Kassahun, and 3) Rev. Daniel Arke. The first believers of Mafo congregation were very poor, sick men and socially marginalized ones. The above mentioned pastors, besides preaching the gospel, also started to share their clothes with those who had no clothing, they fed the hungry and they totally identified themselves as part of the situation. Moreover, they started primary education in the congregation and encouraged the parents to send their children to the government schools.

Ms. Lidya Kasa, the daughter of evangelist Kasa, saw that her father was passionate for all the people; he fed the hungry and their house was open to guests. He was so eager for education, besides teaching in the church, that he brought ten children to school whose parents were negligent in education. In order to help the needy, he used to work at home, and the work was weaving. He taught the congregation members to work hard to change their lives and the community as well.

When the congregation was growing in number, others who had better economy and health joined the congregation. Hence, the indigenous missionaries had started to teach the believers to share what they have with the needy by being models. Therefore, diaconal activity became an integral part of the gospel preaching. This is the real reason why Mafo is regarded as exemplary today by other congregations.

While preaching the good news to the souls, the indigenous missionaries focused on sharing what they have, working on their God-given talents, and taught the believers to serve the needy in the church as well as in their community.