One in Christ

The Ever-Developing Relationship Between Mekane Yesus and Good Shepherd

Abstract

This article details the 18-year global and local partnership between the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), alongside local Oromo congregations. Beginning in 2005 as a three-year "Momentum for Mission" initiative, the relationship expanded significantly through mutual accompaniment, financial support, and regular delegation visits. Key collaborative efforts include supporting orphaned children in Nekemte, funding the Yubdo Integrated Rural Development environmental and clean-water project, providing educational scholarships for female students through REAL, and supplying medical equipment and administrative consultation to Aira Hospital. Despite organizational and political challenges—including the EECMY severing formal ties with the ELCA in 2013—Good Shepherd and its Ethiopian partners maintained deep interpersonal and spiritual bonds. Ultimately, the article frames this enduring cross-cultural relationship not merely as a charitable endeavor, but as a profound, Spirit-led manifestation of unity in Christ.