Q&A WITH AN SIM LEADER

WORKU HAILEMARIAM

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

Tell us a little about your background.

I was born in Addis Ababa into an Orthodox Christian family – my mum was a Christian and my dad a Muslim, but he converted after marrying and was baptised. I went to school in Addis and then worked as a cartographer for the government for nine years. I was a member of the Ethiopian Kalahewit Church and did a lot of youth ministry. I then became the national coordinator for the church’s youth ministry. While doing that, I did more theological study – first a diploma, then a degree, then a Masters. I’ve just finished a PhD in Islamic Studies with the Oxford Centre for Global Mission. I joined SIM in 2010 as support services manager for Ethiopia, then was the fi rst director of the East Africa Sending Office, which opened in 2012. I moved into my current role in 2021.

Tell us a little about your family.

My wife, Tiruwork, and I have been married for 31 years and have three sons – Mesay is 28 and works for the Italian Embassy in Addis having graduated in communications from the University of Perugia; Nahum is 26 and is studying civil engineering at the University of Perugia; Ammanuel is 13 and is at the same Italian school in Addis that his brothers went to. Mesay and his ex-wife Alexandra have given us a granddaughter, Ambrosia, who lives with her mother in Poland.

From left to right: Mesay, Tiruwork, Nahum, Ammanuel, Worku

Ambrosia

How did God lead you to SIM?

That is a long story, but two godly men, Steve Strauss and Steve Bryan, were very important. Steve Strauss taught me at the Ethiopian Bible College and then I worked closely with Steve Bryan when I became college registrar and he was dean. We became more like brothers than colleagues. I was always in contact with SIM workers through church and work and when Tim Jacobson, another influential figure in my journey, retired I took on the role of support services manager and became an SIM member.

What do you hope to achieve in your role?

I would dearly love to see more workers sent from East and Central Africa to places where Jesus is not known. I would also like to see our directors in this region better equipped and supported and more able to make succession plans. I would also love to see us start more work in Eritrea, building up mature Christians so they are more able to share their faith.

What inspires you when life gets diffi cult?

Hope. Hope in the Lord, hope in my shepherd. Living in Ethiopia is full of challenges, not least the civil war of the last year and great uncertainty around the economy, but my hope in the Lord allows me to go forward.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love to read and to study, and to spend time with my family. I enjoyed doing my PhD in a branch of folk Islam and I enjoy learning languages (Worku is too modest to say, but he speaks Amharic, English and Arabic. He can read Italian, Greek and Hebrew). I often listen to the Bible in Arabic. I love keeping up the news, with the BBC, France24 and Al Jazeera the stations I look at the most.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Psalm 23, verse 1: The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. That is a great help to me.

What piece of technology could you not do without?

I am trying to spend less time on my cell phone, but it is vital for my job. I get calls at any time of the day or night! I also need my portable wi-fi — without it I cannot operate.

How can we pray for you?

Please pray for more workers to be raised up from my region; for our work to resume in Eritrea; and for my son Mesay to walk more closely with the Lord.