ETHIOPIA: Catholic Church Leaders Receive Training on Self Reliance
AMECEA in collaboration with Missio Aachen-Germany and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) has conducted a three-days’ Capacity building training on Self Reliance to Ethiopia Catholic Bishops Conference.
The workshop which took place between 13th and 17th December, 2018 benefited 48 participants who included Bishops, Vicars General, Diocesan Finance Officials, Diocesan Directors, Project Coordinators and Pastoral Coordinators.
According to Ms. Christine Mbugi, AMECEA Capacity Building Coordinator, the training is an implementation of the November 2015 Stakeholders Conference on Financial Self-Reliance of local Churches through appropriated formation courses.
“During that November 2015 Conference, CUEA committed to provide tailored workshops to respond to the needs of the Bishops, financial administrators and project managers in AMECEA Region. Our partner, Missio Aachen, committed to offer partial financial support for the trainings,” Ms Mbugi told AMECEA Online New.
AMECEA Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde, while speaking at the end of the trainings which took place at the Bishops’ Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia explained that the program ought to have started earlier but was delayed because of the preparations for the AMECEA 19th Plenary Assembly.
Fr. Makunde who together with AMECEA Chairman, visited Missio Aachen and other partners in Germany a week earlier, informed the participants that they had a quite constructive meeting with Missio Aachen President, the Vice President and the Officer for the International Relations regarding this project on Self Reliance training and other projects which AMECEA is running under Missio sponsorship.
“They are ready to work with us, and they need to hear feedback from us. So later we will engage someone who will be going around doing evaluation and we hope that he will receive the same cooperation which we have received from you,” he told the participants.
He further indicated that other conferences of AMECEA will also receive the same training and the plan is to start off with Zambia and Tanzania in January and Uganda in March as AMECEA Secretariat awaits confirmation from other conferences.
Speaking at the same occasion Vice Chairman of Ethiopian Catholic Bishops Conference Rt. Rev. Tesfaselassie Medhin commended the facilitators for capturing well the subjects which he said came at opportune moment.
“On behalf of the President of our Conference H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus, our Bishops Conference, member Bishops here present and those who because of their duties left earlier, also on behalf of our Vicars General here present, Diocesan Finance Officials and Diocesan Directors, our national office and on behalf of the coordinating teams of administration, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to the facilitators,” Bishop Medhin said.
Bishop Medhin reiterated that the fruits of AMECEA are solidarity and collaboration and that the Catholic Church in Ethiopia was proud to be part of the Association.
“Hosting AMECEA 19th Plenary Assembly in July this year was a great opportunity for us as the Catholic Church in Ethiopia. It was a moment for us to come together, to work together and to know what capacity we have in responding and hosting AMECEA.”
Among the subjects tackled during the training included introduction to Church Administration; Mobilization of Resources; Project Planning and Management; Financial Management; Leadership and Management in Church Institutions; Human Resource Management; Business Ethics; Church Social Teaching; and Implementation Research.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
