News: Principles of "Tentmaking"

Last month, in Hosanna, more than seventy-five Christians attended a three-day Ezra Rural Ministry seminar on the principles of "tentmaking", an idea that comes from the Apostle Paul's work as a tentmaker during the establishment of the Early Church two thousand years ago. According to Acts 18:2b-4, "Paul went to see [Aquila and Priscilla], and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." (NIV). His business making tents allowed the apostle to be self-supporting wherever he traveled preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In 2009, the principles can still apply, even in the remote villages of rural Ethiopia. Rather than be a burden on an already burdened and impoverished church, Christian leaders are being encouraged to take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities and become self-supporting in whatever way they are able. These leaders are taking seriously the words of the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Church in Thessalonica, "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you" and in his second letter, "We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow." (NIV)

Of those who attended the seminar held March 27-29th, Dereje Shiferaw, Director of Ezra Rural Ministry, selected thirty-two trainees to form a Tentmaking Committee, which is now equipped to run the ministry in their church. Plans are in the works to provide a second training experience for them in the summer months.

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