Procession of EECMY female pastors during the 25th anniversary of women in the ordained ministry. Photo: EECMY
EECMY Celebrates the 25th anniversary of women’s ordination to pastoral ministry
(LWI) – “This anniversary marks a significant moment to honor the incredible leadership and contributions of female ministers at every level of our church,” said Rev. Dr Yonas Dibiza Yigesu, President of The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), during the celebrations for 25 years of women’s ordination to the church’s pastoral ministry.
For EECMY, the ordination of women into ministry “reflects our deep conviction that there is no distinction between men and women in the grace and gifts of God,” the church president continued. “It is about the calling that each individual receives from the Lord.”
The ordination of women into ministry reflects our deep conviction that there is no distinction between men and women in the grace and gifts of God.
Rev. Dr Yonas Dibiza Yigesu, President of The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
Over the past 25 years, women have been ordained and called into ministry “on account of their unique gifts, dedication and calling. We have witnessed the great blessings that the Lord has poured upon this church through these faithful women,” said Dibisa, who also serves as The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Vice-President for Africa.
The first women were ordained on 16 May 2000. The 25th anniversary celebrations took place at the Gudina Tumsa Center in Addis Ababa from 5 to 6 March, with 160 of the 261 ordained women attending the meeting. This celebration was held alongside the annual meeting of EECMY partners in the Committee on Mutual Christian Responsibility, which gathered under the theme “One Spirit, One Mission – From Local and Global Perspectives.”
EECMY has become a model
“EECMY has now become a model for other Protestant churches in Ethiopia,” said Rev. Taggesech Dagnew. She heads the EECMY Women’s Ministry and coordinates the LWF regional women’s network in the Lutheran Communion in Central and Eastern Africa (LUCCEA).
Rev. Dr Yonas Dibiza Yigesu, President of The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), speaking during the celebrations for 25 years of women’s ordination to the church’s pastoral ministry. Photo: EECMY
Rev. Dr Bekure Daba was one of the first women ordained in EECMY's Boji Mekane Yesus Congregation on 16 May 2000. Photo: EECMY
Rev Taggesech Dagnew heads the EECMY Women’s Ministry and coordinates the LWF regional women’s network in the Lutheran Communion in Central and East Africa (LUCCEA). Photo: EECMY
Dagnew recalled the first initiatives to ordain women in the 1980s when the EECMY’s Western Synod raised the topic, which was then referred to the church’s Central Office for theological examination. In 1997, during its 15th General Assembly, EECMY made the final decision to include women in the ordained ministry.
“We give thanks to God who created men and women in God’s image and called both to serve in unity,” said Dagnew. “Hand in hand with their male counterparts,” they “confidently preach and teach the Word of God, administer the sacraments, lead counseling, confirm new confirmands, officiate at weddings and conduct funeral ceremonies,” she added. They also “faithfully adhere” to EECMY’s faith confession and doctrine.
Nevertheless, seven out of 43 synods have not yet implemented the EECMY’s policy decision to include women in the ordained ministry. Rev. Dagnew called on the EECMY leadership, including congregation elders, to continue equipping and empowering women for this service. She also encouraged women to follow the call into the church’s ordained ministry. “We are a large church with 9,000 congregations and 8,111 pastors,” she said. Currently, 261 are women, “but we need more.”
