Anthony and Trudi Elyard

Anthony and Trudi have always sought ways to support other believers and walk beside them, asking, “How can we be good stewards with all that God has given us; our skills, interests and relationships?” So, now that their children have grown, they asked “What next?”

They have built relationships with the leaders of the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) through various short-term visits over the past 15 years, and have now been asked by EKHC to join them long term.

Anthony has been asked to teach at the Bible College, one of only two full-time theological training centres in the region of 25 million people. Trudi aims to support the leaders to think through how to contextually engage in often persecuted, rural communities.

Northern Ethiopia Context

• Latest population estimate is 116 million - 2023 (12th largest country in the world)

• Faith Backgrounds 2016 estimate: Christian Orthodox 43.8%; Muslim 31.3%; Protestant 22.8%; Other 2.1%. However, the reason we will be based in Northern Ethiopia is because there are less than 1% believers in Amhara and these are mainly in urban settings.

Challenges

• The church in Northern Ethiopia is under great pressure from conflict and persecution

• We will be leaving our family and friends and transitioning from what we are familiar with

• Training and retaining pastors in poor rural communities

Opportunities

• Jesus brings peace. So there are opportunities for believers to love others and show peace

• For us to learn language and culture so that we can engage more deeply

• There are opportunities to build on the relationships we have formed over the years, to support and equip the leaders of the North

Anthony and Trudi have been attending training for cross-cultural ministry at St Andrew’s Hall, Sydney since July 2023. They will spend time in the first half of 2024 building relationships with their link churches and we look forward to the congregation meeting them when they come to Christ Church St Ives for a week in May for Deputation.

They hope, God willing, to leave for Northern Ethiopia in September 2024 where they will commence language and culture learning before heading to the Bible College.

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