Hope in a Hotspot
Worthington, Minnesota has become a hotspot in our state for the COVID-19 pandemic. You might not know that we have some connections in Worthington with an upcoming church plant that I have been working with. 98% of the Ethiopian population in and around Worthington works at the JBS meat processing plant that was recently closed. Yet even during this pandemic God has been faithful and has been expanding the Kingdom. Let me give you some context for our work with the group and then I’ll share a text with you from Abera, the leader of the group there, about how God is continuing to move in the hotspot.
Last summer I traveled down to Worthington with Pastor Alhoubele Mamo of Zion Evangelical Fellowship in St. Paul (now Pastor Mamo is planting their site in Minneapolis) to meet with a group of Ethiopian believers who had been meeting for years who were interested in becoming a church. They had been connected to Zion for many years but the group had primarily been transient, with most working at the meat packing plant until they could make enough money to move up to the Twin Cities. Now the group had stabilized, bought homes, and made Worthington a more permanent home. Along with this permanence came the idea to officially start a church.
One man in the group, Abera Angolie, speaks good English and works in the medical field. He has felt called to ministry since being a young man though he had never pursued it as he immigrated here from Ethiopia. Through discerning with Zion St. Paul and the leaders of the group in Worthington it was decided that Abera would pursue pastoral training through the LEAD program where he would, upon graduation and follow-up through our LOCC, become a licensed pastor in our district and the church would become an official church plant with us as well.
These last weeks have been heartbreaking and challenging for this group, as they knew that cases were starting to happen in their plant yet they also had the financial need to continue working and they are considered essential workers. On Monday, April 20th, the plant was closed indefinitely to stop the spread of COVID-19 amongst the workers there. The group, like many other churches, has had to be creative in how they meet. I received this amazing testimony from Abera this week and I wanted to share it with you to encourage you and give glory to God:
“One person who is covid-19 positive received the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior in last Sunday’s zoom fellowship program. Since the church in person program suspended, we have been using the teleconference or zoom video meeting. If God wants to work, He can work how and when. Praise the Lord!”
Please pray for Zion Worthington in these days. Pray for more to move from eternal death to eternal life. Pray that God will protect the people who are waiting to see if they are COVID-19 positive. And pray for our hearts that we may be grow softer and softer as we work with alongside people who are from different languages and races yet are all part of one body.
Kyle Magstadt
Associate Superintendent for Church Multiplication
North Central District of The C&MA