EECMY President Rev. Yonas Yigezu Dibisa and other congregants during Sunday worship in one of the church's congregations in the capital Addis Ababa. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
Junge reminds EECMY of its “pivotal role in preventing more loss of lives”
(LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) for its consistent appeal for peaceful approaches to address grievances and conflict amid ongoing unrest in the country.
“I am grateful for your voice, raised consistently in the church and in the public,” LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge said in a letter to EECMY President Rev. Yonas Yigezu Dibisa.
In messages broadcast on national television, the EECMY president and other leaders of the Interreligious Council of Ethiopia have been calling for peace as people took to the streets to express their pain and anger following the recent killing of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular musician in the country. According to media reports, several people have died and more have been injured in the unrest that has also led to property damage, particularly in the central parts of Ethiopia.
Dibisa has also extended to the wider Lutheran communion his call to EECMY members and others to join in a week of fasting and prayers for sustainable peace in Ethiopia starting this Friday, 10 July.
“On behalf of the whole LWF communion and myself, I would like to express our solidarity with the church and people of Ethiopia during these difficult times. We know the many gifts that the EECMY is endowed with in dealing with issues of peacebuilding as children of God,” Junge added.
He reminded the EECMY leader of “the church’s pivotal role in preventing more loss of lives,” while continuing to “advocate and work for a nation where peace and justice shall go together (Psalm 85).”
We know the many gifts that the EECMY is endowed with in dealing with issues of peacebuilding as children of God.
The general secretary noted that the unrest “has brought pain, disappointment and fear to many people” who are already dealing with the challenging situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this respect, he thanked the EECMY for reaching out to the “most vulnerable people” who are further weighed down by “the social and economic burden” that the disease places on them.
“Please know that the Lutheran communion stands with you, as you stand with the people of your country, grounded in the depth of the message of Jesus Christ, calling them for a peaceful resolution of conflicts,” Junge reassured Dibisa.
