Trinity Fellowship Pastors College

Abenezer Dejene:

Hello everyone. This is Mark Prater’s podcast where we connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Thanks for being here.

Mark Prater:

It's great to be here, Abey. As you know, that's not Ben Kreps, my typical co-host for this podcast because this week I've been in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, spending time with Trinity Fellowship Church and with these men, the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College. It has been a wonderful week as we have looked at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit together. And I want our family of churches to know that these are Christ loving men. These are theologically astute men. And these are men who get our gospel values. They understand gospel centrality. Those things have emerged out of this week as we've looked at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit together.

Let me just say this. As an old man, as I think about our future here in Ethiopia and the horn of Africa, our future is very bright and in good hands because of these men. So I want you to meet some of them. They're all not going be able to speak because we keep this podcast to 10 minutes and I'm already blowing that time limit by talking too much already. So, I've asked my friend Brian to answer this question: How has he benefited from the Pastors College this year, here at Trinity Fellowship?

Brian Gachagua:

Thank you, Mark, for having me here. My name is Brian Gachagua. I actually come from Kenya, born raised in Narobi and I'm grateful to be part of this Pastors College. Thank God for this chance to be part of what God is doing here in Addis through this Pastors College. So, for me personally, the greatest impact that PC has had in my life is just that emphasis on gospel centrality.

For me, I think especially in my Christian walk before coming to this PC as a student gospel, I would articulate the gospel. I held to reformed doctrine and theology, but the gospel itself wasn’t so much at the center. I mean, I would agree that in life intellectually, but really just coming to know the gospel, to cherish it, and to treasure Christ who is at the center of the gospel, I think that's something that is most important in life. And just seeing that the gospel really is the power of salvation, not just to justify us but to sanctify us. To live out what he requires. Even my own marriage, it gives us the power to help us live Christ centered, Christ honoring lives. And so, in a nutshell maybe gospel centered living has been sort of the take home.

Mark Prater:

That's great, Brian. Thank you. As I mentioned this week, we've been studying the doctrine of the Holy Spirit—pneumatology—and so, my friend, I'm going to use his real name and I've been mispronouncing it all week and he's going to correct me again—Mikdem who we call Mikey for people who can't say his name right. This is my friend, Mikey, what have you learned from this week? What have you taken away from our week of pneumatology?

Mikdem Debebe:

All right. My name is Mikdem. It was not exactly what he said, but it's, Mikdem. I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I’m part of this PC. And this week each one of us had different takeaways from this week. Particularly for me, what was really impressed upon me was the work of the Holy Spirit. And when I say the work of the Holy Spirit, it's because there was a lot of confusion for me growing up. What is the Holy Spirit doing in the Christian life? Is it enabling us to speak in tongues? Is it visions? What is it?

And what this week did was that our pastor was teaching—he did an incredible job—telling us and showing us what the work of the Holy Spirit was. It further cemented the idea that the Holy Spirit’s primary work is showing Christ and revealing Christ within the Scripture. And that gives you confidence in actually evangelism, in preaching the Word, in teaching the Word so that you know the Holy Spirit is the one enabling people to see Christ from within the Scripture and regenerating their hearts to believe in Christ. So, it gives you confidence that is not on self. But a confidence that is on the Spirit because he is the one working these things.

Mark Prater:

Preach it!

This room that we are sitting in is actually also the same place where Trinity Fellowship Church gathers each and every Sunday. That church was planted a little over a year ago. And so, I wanted to hear from Abey who is a part of the church planning team? What have you loved about planting Trinity Fellowship Church?

Abenezer Dejene:

I think there were a lot of things that I loved about planting Trinity Fellowship. I think it was a challenge if I would say so, to plant the church because when we started COVID came. And no churches could meet. Then after, I know you might have heard on the news, there was a war up in the north, which did affect the church. So, we were tested a lot, but we've seen God's faithfulness and favor throughout those seasons. And God has grown us in numbers and has grown us in fellowship, in depth. And one of the privileges of planting a church is the ability to be biblical and gospel centered. I've been in the church, within ministry, for a long time. And there have been a lot of things that we want to mend because of their unbiblical foundations. But because they're cultural and they're deeply embedded and people with gray hairs don't want things change because that's how it's been, it's been tough for us. But now under Michael's leadership, seeing that, bringing the gospel to the center and finding fellowship that is brought together by the love of Christ and the centrality of the gospel has been deeply affecting me and the church. So, I think that would be the biggest takeaway from having the church. Thank you.

Mark Prater:

I wish you could hear from all of these guys. I wanted you to see them for just a few reasons. First of all, if you've given financially to the Africa Development Fund, thank you. I wanted to see how just some of the fruit of your generosity in the lives of these men. And so, thank you. Second, if you've prayed for Trinity Fellowship and for the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College, this is the fruit of your prayers. God is answering your prayers here. God is doing a very good—as you've heard from these men—gospel centered work here. And third, I wanted you to see them because we are at global family of churches and God is on the move and doing wonderful gospel work throughout the world. And may it all be done for his glory. So, thanks for tuning in. We hope to see you here again next week, Lord willing.