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History and ministry
“The congregation at Wolete Yohannis Street for many years was the only known and registered Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus church in Addis Ababa. Evangelical believers visiting the capital or settling there attended the Sunday services.”
[quoted from Launhardt (2004). Evangelicals in Addis Ababa (1919-1991), p. 212.]
“In 1945, a man by name Habte-Ab Wolde Mariam was given the mandate to train the young people in music and singing. This was the beginning of choir ministry. A committee which oversees music ministry was formed, to strengthen and expand of music ministry.
The committee went public and presented different songs at the then Haile Selassie I Theatre and even to the palace of the Emperor for which “the [p. 44] Emperor presented to the choir a financial gift of about thirty thousand Birr.” [Source: Enaat Mekane Yesus 100th anniversary of Evangelistic Work (1904-2004, p. 44] The music committee has been directing different choirs (group of singers) formed in the congregation and presenting a yearly festival since its commencement.
Music and songs have a power to attract youth to churches. Therefore, nowadays almost half of the young people in the congregation are attracted to it due to the inspirational and life changing songs they often hear.”
[quoted from Dawit Yohannes Wario (2008). Factors Sustaining the Growth of Local Congregations […]. MPhil thesis, Bergen, p. 43-44]
Gospel musicians affiliated with the congregation’s choirs:
- Badima Yalew (Qes)
- (?) Tadesse Eshete
Albums
(Any vinyl / cassette?)
Songs in hymn book
[see profiles of gospel musicians mentioned above]
Manuscript
Unpublished [mimeographed] songbook used by the choir?
Audio (WongelNet)
» Listen to album Ehedalehu
Video
2022:
Pictures
(Any? E.g., in magazine?)
For further reading
Dawit Yohannes Wario (2008). Factors Sustaining the Growth of Local Congregations […]. MPhil thesis, Bergen, p. 43-44] [Online]
Enaat Mekane Yesus 100th Anniversary of Evangelistic Work (1904-2004). Addis Ababa, no year. [Magazine]
Launhardt, Johannes (2004). Evangelicals in Addis Ababa (1919-1991): With special reference to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Addis Ababa Synod (Studien zur Orientalischen Kirchengeschichte, 31). Münster: LIT Verlag.
[See p. 100, n. 368: “Leading members of the Addis Ababa Evangelical Congregation were Ato Hagos Tewolde Medhin, Fitawrari Zekarias Tekle, Fitawrari Wolde Birhan Akalu, Qenyazmach Gebre Mikael, Ato Temesgen Gebre, Ato Yohannis Redda, Grazmach Habteab Wolde Mariam, Ato Mengistu Yishaq, Ato Gebre Medhin Habte Egzi, Ato Gebre Ab Biyadgiliny, Ato Boru Siba and others”]