Ethiopian Evangelical Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church was founded in 1991. During its first few years, the church rented the facilities of a Baptist church. When that property was sold, the Ethiopian church approached the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to explore location options. MCC put the group in touch with Highland Mennonite Brethren Church, and the Ethiopian church began meeting in Highland’s facilities. In 1999 the congregation joined the Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in 1999 with 40 members. A few months later, Workneh and Masho Mogesse were hired to work with the church. Workneh was originally from Ethiopia but had been serving as a church elder in Toronto. After the congregation’s acceptance into the Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren (MB) Churches, it was agreed that Highland MB Church would have an informal relationship with the Ethiopian congregation, and Highland’s pastor, Harry Heidebrecht, would serve as coach for the church. By 2001 there were 60 active members and 20 children.
In 2004 a division within the church resulted in the departure of a number of members. Those who had departed eventually formed another church under a different denomination. By 2005 the pastor, Workneh Mogesse, has resigned, and the church was left with 16 members. In 2006 the congregation was released from membership in the Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, following an attempt by the conference Faith and Life Commission to resolve conflicts within the congregation after the pastor had resigned.
Chalachew Eshatu began serving the small group in May 2006. The church experienced substantial growth to the point where in 2007 there were 85 members and many more attending Sunday services. The congregation was welcomed back into membership in the Alberta MB Conference in May 2007.
Bibliography
Mennonite Brethren Herald (16 April 1999); (16 July 1999); (26 October 2001); (29 April 2005); (28 April 2006); (April 2008).
Additional Information
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 21044, 665 - 8th Street SW, Calgary, AB T2P 4H5
Location: 1705 Westmount Rd NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3M4
Telephone: 403-209-0914
Website: http://www.eeccalgary.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1999-2006, 2007-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1999-2006, 2007-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1999-2002)
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 40 |
| 2005 | 16 |
| 2010 | 70 |
| 2015 | 99 |
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Ethiopian Evangelical Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2016. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ethiopian_Evangelical_Church_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=135211.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (July 2016). Ethiopian Evangelical Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ethiopian_Evangelical_Church_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=135211.
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