Dagaga Gemachu, ALWM missionary to Kenya

Dagaga Gemachu is currently an evangelist of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Mekane Yesus, the newest NALC global worker who will be ordained soon and headed to serve in Nairobi, Kenya. He will serve the Oromo Christian Fellowship Nairobi in Word & Sacrament ministry as the only ordained pastor on staff. Here is the background to this exciting and challenging call.

The Oromo Christian Fellowship Church in Nairobi (OCFN) was started as a home prayer group by some Ethiopian refugees residing in Kenya mid to late 1980s. No one imagined it would last 30-plus years, let alone it was destined to do such a substantial mission work in the Kingdom of God. The plight of Oromo refugees from the tyranny and dictatorship of the Ethiopian government(s) in the last 30-plus years continued and there was a constant increase in the flow of migrants into the neighboring Kenya.  This little church has grown mightily over the years, with solid ministry in the city, and beyond. In all, nearly 10% of the population of 55 million are unreached with the Gospel, and many others need ministry.

Rev. Dr Gemechis Buba, NALC Assistant to the Bishop for International Mission, visited OCFN in 2022, which began the connection with the NALC. He found the congregation to be struggling for lack of a spiritual leader, and in need of mission leader to be stationed in Nairobi and do Word in Sacrament ministry to this rapidly growing number of Oromo immigrants to Nairobi, Kenya, and other parts of Kenya.

Rev. Buba wrote, “That congregation in Nairobi is doing a phenomenal work in spreading the word of God among the Borena community in the northern part of Kenya, where that community has been unreached by the gospel for many years. Now having Dagaga as a missionary in Nairobi is going to help the congregation in Nairobi plus their immensely impressive mission expansion work in the northern part of Kenya.”

Rev. Gemachu will join the evangelists on staff, assuming responsibility for Word & Sacrament ministry as the only ordained pastor on staff. This is a joint ministry of OCFN, EECMY, the NALC, and ALWM. The fast-growing population, widespread poverty, spreading urban slums, and urgent need for land reform create tension in Kenyan society. Kenya shares borders with Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and South Sudan – all notorious for upheaval. The political scene is fraught with tribalism and corruption. Pray for Dagaga and his family as they begin ministry there and the end of this year, or early in 2024. For more information about how to support them, donate here.