One of the privileges of my role at GC3 is connecting with churches and church leaders from around the world who are part of our movement.
The Christian Brethren (Open Brethren) movement emerged in Ireland and England in the 1820s–30s, and through its missionary activity it has spread to every corner of the globe. It now exists as a worldwide network of independent local churches. IBCM (International Brethren Connections for Mission) is the main global connecting body for our movement, facilitating networking and connecting people to ministry resources so we can inspire one another toward shared mission.
BTN, the Brethren Training Network, operates as a ministry under the IBCM umbrella, focused on leadership training and theological education. Every four years, Christian leaders involved in training gather from across the world for the BTN Conference. This year's conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together Bible teachers, college leaders, church trainers, and ministry practitioners from dozens of countries. Among those attending from New Zealand were Dr Ian Payne and Dr Richard Goodwin, both from Pathways College, and myself.
Our hosts for the conference were the Christian Brethren Churches of Ethiopia. Ethiopia has one of the longest continuous histories of any nation in the world. Its story runs from some of humankind's earliest origins, through ancient dynasties claiming descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, to being one of the only nations to successfully resist European colonisation. In the twentieth century, it saw a Marxist military junta, years of civil war, and devastating famine - a long and varied history of both prosperity and hardship.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest in the world and remains the largest single religious body in the country. Ethiopia also has a very old and large Muslim population, and Christianity and Islam have coexisted there for over a thousand years - one of the oldest examples of sustained religious pluralism in Africa.
The Evangelical movement grew significantly from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries onward through missionary work. The Ethiopian Brethren Church itself was established by missionaries from the UK in the early 1950s. From 1974 until 1991, severe persecution forced all missionaries to leave and drove the church underground. Today, the Brethren movement in Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing church movements in the world, with more than 325 young and vibrant churches across the country, all under local leadership.
The conference explored the theme "Being Human," examining what it means to be created in the image of God and how that shapes our response to today's challenges. Discussions ranged from artificial intelligence and mental health through to questions of identity, culture, and ministry. While the issues varied from country to country, one reality became clear: followers of Christ around the world are asking many of the same questions as they seek to faithfully apply Scripture within their own communities. It was a reminder that although our contexts differ, the gospel continues to speak into every culture and every generation.
One of the greatest encouragements from the conference was meeting leaders faithfully serving Christ in very different contexts. Their stories remind us that, while our circumstances may vary, we share the same mission and the same hope in Christ. Throughout the conference, international delegates experienced Ethiopian worship, fellowship, and hospitality - including the traditional coffee ceremony, a fitting touch given that Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee itself. It was a wonderful picture of the global Church working together while celebrating the distinctiveness of each culture.
One of the greatest strengths of the global Church is that we do not serve in isolation. For me, attending the Brethren Training Network Conference was a privilege - a chance to witness these partnerships in action. It is a reminder that God's Kingdom is far bigger than any one organisation, country or church, and that each of us has a part to play through going, giving, encouraging, and praying.
Please continue to pray for those who attended the conference, for the ministries they represent, and for the churches and communities that will be strengthened as they continue serving Christ.
You can also read Dr Richard Goodwin's own reflections on the conference in his Pathways College blog post, "Through the Entire Land of Cush": BTN Conference in Ethiopia.
Michael Hanson
