Oromo Community Outreach in Canada

by Rev. Assefa Aredo

CANADA - Since I arrived in Canada in 2001, it’s been my heart’s desire to plant a Lutheran church. While it took longer than I expected, God’s timing was better than I could have ever imagined.

At the very end of 2019, I led a prayer service at the synod office chapel for several faithful Oromo Lutherans living in Winnipeg. It was determined at that time to leave our former fellowship and form a confessional Lutheran mission congregation. When considering a name for the newly founded group John 14:27 came to mind:

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Since Christ Jesus has called His Church to deliver the peace of His Gospel to the world, we decided to adopt the name Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace.

Thanks to God, our desire to have a confessional Lutheran Church for Afaan Oromo speaking people living in Winnipeg has become a reality. Since forming our mission congregation, we’ve been blessed with numerical growth, performing several baptisms in the past few months (our most recent baptism being a convert from Islam), welcoming newly arrived immigrants and providing several adult and youth instruction courses. Our Lord has richly blessed us, and with the guidance of His Spirit we have not only been reaching out to the Oromo diaspora here in Winnipeg, but we have also started a young adult ministry in English (which has become the prayer language of our youth). With the assistance of LCC’s Mission Director, Rev. Mark Smith, we offer bi-weekly Bible studies in English for our youth and young adults. We hope that one day soon our congregation will be able to offer a second Divine Service in English.

We are so grateful for the support we have received from our brothers and sisters in Lutheran Church–Canada who have been instrumental in assisting us. Beautiful Saviour Lutheran Church is allowing us to hold services in their building and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is allowing us to use their building for our young adult instruction. We regularly give thanks to God for their generous hospitality and support. And our prayer is that Shalom Oromo Lutheran Church will soon be able to join them as a sister congregation of Lutheran Church–Canada.

Rev. Assefa Aredo is LCC’s Missionary at Large to the Lutheran Oromo community in Winnipeg.