Page 52 - Then Came the Glory

Then Came the Glory
Mama Solome Gebrestatiyos's house under Sister Yewubdar's leadership. We resolved the problems and made a firm decision to work together in the future and to preach the Gospel we have accepted with one heart. We formed a
temporary committee to help us elect a pastor who could lead the church with full responsibility.
We shamed Satan by preparing Articles of Faith with a renewed Spirit. This effort caused the Gospel to go out
again widespread with liberty. In September we assembled and elected Brother Tekle Superintendent of the Apostolic
Church of Ethiopia and Brother Amare his assistant. We gathered together the saints dispersed and scattered for three years and rented a house for a place of worship. As we worked together with one heart, new souls came in and the work went forward in Nazareth and Wonji. We reached out to Arsi Province and started branches in Assela, Dera, and Cholie.
Though renewed in heart and love, we did not have the church's administration manual and did not know the
roles and responsibilities of the superintendent, presbyters, and sectional leaders. This gave the enemy an opportunity to sow discord again.
Because of disobedience and misunderstandings
between preachers, we met frequently to solve these
problems with common understanding. We met May 22, 1975 in Addis Ababa with representatives of the United
Pentecostal Church International, Rev. John Harris and Rev. Donald Ikerd, missionaries from Kenya sent to assist us. Since we did not understand parliamentary procedures the
meeting became noisy and we refused to listen to each other. At last, without waiting for final decisions the following
preachers walked out of the assembly hall, Amare Waktola, 40