Monthly Archives: March 2020

Rooted in Jesus goes to Ethiopia

A Rooted in Jesus team has recently returned from Ethiopia, where we were delighted to be invited to provide the first Rooted in Jesus training for the forthcoming Diocese of Gambella in the new Anglican Province of Alexandria.

Team leader Bishop Martin Bretytenbach reports:

+Martin Breytenbach

“It was a privilege and joy to bring Rooted in Jesus (RinJ) to Ethiopia for the first time! The local and visiting teams agreed that the conference went really well, and that God can use RinJ to establish firm foundations and deep roots for disciple-making in the Anglican Church there. Each member of the team was well prepared and presented their material clearly and with authority. All members of the team also spent time relating to the participants individually and in groups.

Before the Conference even took place, the Diocesan Team had already been identified. It was a huge positive to have the support of the Bishops, and the Diocesan and regional Coordinators in place from the beginning. The visiting and local teams met the day before the conference to get to know one another, prepare and pray together. We also met each evening during the conference to review progress and pray. During these times they set goals and made plans for RinJ in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Bishop Kim Seng is requiring the use of RinJ in Confirmation preparation, leadership training and training for ordination in Ethiopia.

  • Laying the foundations – a practical demonstration!
  • Laying the foundations – Bishops Kuan and Rajan

The conference

The conference took place at the SIM Conference Centre on the beautiful Bishoftu Guda Lake, about 50km SE of Addis Ababa. Most of those who attended were from the western part of Ethiopia (Gambella), which borders on South Sudan. The languages represented were English (which the majority could understand to some degree, Amharic, Nuer (the people prefer the name Thok Naath), Anywak & other smaller languages.

This was the annual Clergy Retreat/Conference, and those attending were clergy (about 33 including the Bishops and Mrs Kuan) and seminary students (about 8). It was very encouraging to see the good and supportive relationships among those who participated. Clearly they enjoy worshipping and serving God together.

  • Team member Hectorina leads a workshop on pastoral care

Engagement with the material

The team was excited and encouraged by the real thirst for the Word of God; and the participants’ desire to engage with God and grow as disciples. We saw most of the groups having a lot of fun with the practical demonstrations and memory verses. It was very clear to us that RinJ is able to meet a great need, and has given them tools for ministry and disciple-making that they were eager to receive.

The three workshops (Pastoral Care, Leading RinJ and Prayer) were enthusiastically attended and the participants engaged with us and the material actively. There were many questions, especially about the details of how to start and run groups. There was a lot of prayer for one another. The ministry sessions were deep, especially the one on Knowing God’s Love, where participants nailed to the cross their needs for forgiveness and to forgive. It was deeply moving to minister among people who have suffered but are fully committed to proclaiming God’s reign in their contexts.

  • A practice group with Bishop John Hayden
  • Seminary students relax together

Challenges and opportunities

The Anglican Church in Ethiopia, especially Gambella, is very “young” in terms of infrastructure, training and oversight – until now there has been spontaneous growth of the Anglican Church, largely through migration from South Sudan. Many have suffered and live and work in difficult and dangerous circumstances. However, there are plans to establish two new Dioceses: one in Gambella, and one covering the rest of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. A theological seminary has been established in Gambella, and RinJ will help greatly in laying solid foundations of faith and practical discipleship.

It was exciting to be part of the first team to take RinJ to Ethiopia. I pray that, as the people of Ethiopia are ‘rooted and grounded’ in God’s love through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God may ‘accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3:17-21). To God be the glory forever. Amen.”

The group receive their certificates

The team

Team member Ven Hectorina Totsetsi reflects: “It was my dream and wish to fulfill the mission of Jesus to go and make disciples throughout the world. I am very passionate about Rooted in Jesus; RinJ is changing people’s lives. My visit to Ethiopia was a huge experience and exciting moment. I gained a lot of experience of how people  interact and engage with others in Ethiopia. I experienced kindness and gentleness on the road and in Addis Ababa. I learned how to engage and manage diversity. The visit to Ethiopia inspired and uplifted my spirit.”

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust.
To find out more please visit the Rooted in Jesus website.

Posted 17th March 2020

Putting down roots in Kenya

Rooted in Jesus has now been introduced to eight Anglican dioceses and two denominational networks in Kenya. In recent months training conferences have been held in the Diocese of Butere, the Diocese of Kitale, and the Diocese of Kericho.

Getting to grips with Rooted in Jesus in Kitale

The Diocese of Kitale

The Diocese of Kitale lies in north-west Kenya. Created in 1997, it now has 71 parishes and 4 missionary areas, served by 93 clergy. The mission of the diocese is to promote God’s kingdom through teaching, discipling and serving for wholistic transformation, and when Emmanuel Chemengich was appointed its second bishop in 2018 one of his first actions was to request a training conference for Rooted in Jesus.

In September 2019 the Diocesan Synod formally endorsed the partnership with Rooted in Jesus, and at the end of January 137 clergy and lay readers came to St Luke’s cathedral for a four day residential training conference. The conference was led by a team from the US, UK and Kenya, and 126 people were commissioned to start groups.

  • A Rooted in Jesus practice group
  • Facilitators Benjamin, Morey, John and Richard

Team Leader Richard Morgan writes:

There were many points during various times of worship, prayer and ministry where the Spirit’s presence was very tangible. Participants commented on how this had been a spiritual experience for them and not simply informational. Bishop Emmanuel was a great example to his people. After introducing us, he said ‘Now I’m going to sit down as a student’, took his seat, and faithfully attended every single session of the conference. He was the first to receive a certificate of completion and has already identified some of the people he will invite to the Rooted in Jesus group that he will lead. We pray that the Spirit would continue to deepen these faithful ministers in their relationship with Christ and empower them for ministry in this Diocese.

The Diocese of Butere

One of the team members in Kitale was Revd Capt Benjamin Kibara, who is the Rooted in Jesus Coordinator for the Diocese of Butere. Butere adopted Rooted in Jesus in 2017, and at the end of 2019 they hosted their first Rooted in Jesus Junior conference. 89 Sunday School teachers responded enthusiastically to the training, with much time spent in prayer. An additional conference was held to encourage the existing leaders of the adult groups and train a new generation of leaders, and this was attended by a further 140 people. Team leader Ben Beecroft believes that Butere now has the potential to become a flagship diocese for Rooted in Jesus.

  • Sunday School teachers at the conference
  • Learning by doing!

All this was borne out by Benjamin Kibara in Kitale, where he shared his experience of Rooted in Jesus in a report which those present described as ‘electrifying.’ Benjamin has sent through an annual report which shows that there are now 712 adult and Junior Rooted in Jesus groups spread across the diocese, with new groups being formed by those who have completed the course. ‘Many group members are gradually understanding how to make disciples,’ he says.

Diocese of Kericho

Earlier this month a team from Trinity church, Cheltenham travelled to Narok to lead a Rooted in Jesus conference for the clergy and lay leaders of the diocese. Team leader Tim Grew reports:

Based at St Luke’s in Narok, the Diocesan senior team were delighted that very nearly their entire clergy team were present, each bringing a key lay leader with them, so we were just under 60 delegates in total. Bishop Ernest and his senior staff were present throughout. The level of engagement was high for the duration. All sessions were positive; feedback was excellent. All in all, I’d say that God answered our specific prayers, including being anointed for the responsibility of facilitating the conference, and seeing a high level of enthusiasm and acceptance of the RinJ vision, approach and material.

We had some lovely testimony from folk – one key MU leader saying she’d had a total breakthrough in her sense of being loved deeply by the Father; some healings, including a man’s back that had given him fairly constant pain since a car accident in 2007. He waited 24 hours before sharing, just to be sure! Another man who had been praying and hoping to learn and grow more in the gifts of the Spirit, just delighted as we taught/shared/practised in this area. Praise Jesus.

Praying together in Narok

To find out more about Rooted in Jesus in Kenya visit our website page here.
Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust.


Posted 3rd March 2020.