Page 186 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
Between 1975and 1978, the five disfellowshipped na tional board members built a church in Nazareth with someofthemoneytheyhadwrongfullykeptfrom Brother Harris and the church. They sent one of the five, Ashenafi Andarge, to be pastor of this work. He struggled without making much progress until 1978, when the Lord ap peared to him and told him that he would die if he did not repent and make things right with Tekle.
Shortly after the painful ministers meeting that ended with the final split in 1975, Amare had written a four- page letter to Brother T. F. Tenney, then director of foreign missions, accusing Tekle as a heretic who con stantly worked against the United Pentecostal Church. He declared firmly that he, Amare, and his co-workers were the true followers of the doctrines of the church and that they would be faithful to the United Pentecostal Church but that Brother Tenney must take action against Tekle as he was not worthy to be a part of this great church.
Brother Tenney, according to standard office pro cedure, sent a copy of the letter to Brother Harris, who in turn sent a copy to Tekle, the recognized leader of the work.
When Ashenafi came repenting in 1978, he went all the way. He notified the government office dealing with property that the church actually belonged to the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia under the supervision of Reverend Teklemariam Gezahagne. (He could do this for the church had been built in his name.) Rejoicing, the
saints in Nazareth moved out of the rented house into their own property.
Upon hearing this Amare wrote to the authorities that 184