Ethiopian Pastors College - Class of 2024
An update from Josh Pannell, Dean of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia…
Celebrating the First Ordination and Commissioning of a Graduate
This past September marked a significant milestone for Trinity Fellowship Pastors College as we celebrated the first ordination of a pastors college graduate, Brian Kiama, and commissioned him to plant Sovereign Grace Church of Nairobi. Brian, his wife Julia, and their two children moved to Addis Ababa from Kenya three years ago to join the pastors college, and Brian embodied the heart of 1 Timothy 4:16, to “keep a close watch on your life and your doctrine.” From day one, Brian pursued his walk with Christ with humility and a readiness to learn, both in academic study and in personal holiness. After graduation, he continued into a two-year pastoral residency with us at Trinity Fellowship Church, where he grew into a shepherd, equipped to guide others toward Christ.
While it was bittersweet to send off Brian and his family, we are filled with gratitude for how God is using them to further His Kingdom in East Africa. This moment came sooner than expected, and it’s a beautiful reminder that the Lord’s plans often exceed our own. “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!”
The Graduation of Our Second Class
We also celebrated another milestone this September with the graduation of our second class of Pastors College students. Nine men completed their training, eight of whom are Ethiopian, along with one Somali brother—which made us particularly aware of the Lord’s work in our midst, as the Somali people are 99.9% Muslim. He is the third Somali to go through our college, and we are grateful for the small role we’re able to play in reaching unreached people groups with the gospel as we train them for ministry.
About 100 church members gathered to celebrate the graduation, and the ceremony ended as they all joined the graduates in singing “All Glory Be to Christ,” filling the room with voices celebrating the work God has done in the lives of these men over the year.
Welcoming New Pastoral Residents
As we celebrate our graduates, we’re excited to announce that four of them—Abel, Gemechis, Solomon, and Shak—are stepping into year-long pastoral residencies at Trinity Fellowship Church. Each resident will follow a track aligned with their specific gifts and calling: Solomon and Gemechis will focus on preaching and leadership, Shak on counseling and discipleship, and Abel on theology and teaching. We trust that God will use this residency to transform their head knowledge into practical skills for ministry.
Ongoing Leadership Development and Previous Pastors College Graduates
Since our first graduation in 2022, seven graduates have faithfully continued in our pastoral residency at Trinity Fellowship Church. They attend weekly elder meetings, conduct membership interviews, lead counseling meetings, teach at midweek services, lead small groups, lead worship, preach on Sundays, and more! Many also handle the many administrative tasks that help maintain our church and college’s operations.
Three of our graduates have taken on leadership roles within the Pastors College. Mikey now handles logistics and operations, ensuring that the college runs smoothly. Sami has become my academic assistant, helping teach classes, grade papers, and manage the library. Ammanuel leads discipleship and pastoral care for the college, organizing group meetings and meeting individually with students to help them grow.
This year also saw three of our graduates help teach classes at the college, and one graduate teach an entire course. Watching these men transition from students to leaders has been one of the greatest joys of this past year.
We are grateful to witness God raising up men whom we trust will carry the pastors college forward long into the future after our role of equipping men for the work of ministry is done.
