"On this mission I will be teaching, counseling and spreading the Gospel of Jesus the Christ to the people who live in Hawassa," Ingraham explained. "



 

Dunnigan pastor hopes to weld ties with Ethopia


A Dunnigan pastor is raising money - and prayers - to establish a church in Ethiopia. Pastor Lashanna Ingraham, 27, of Dunnigan's Body of Jesus the Christ Church has been invited on a two-year mission trip to Hawassa, Ethiopia by Pastor Bereket Asnake of Hawassa's Siloam Reformation Messenger's Church.
"On this mission I will be teaching, counseling and spreading the Gospel of Jesus the Christ to the people who live in Hawassa," Ingraham explained. "(I will be) visiting their local churches and college, where approximately 3,000 locals and students gather on the college grounds every Friday for the opportunity to hear the word of God."
Ingraham needs to raise $10,000 for the overseas trip, which is not the first exotic location to which Dunnigan's Body of Jesus the Christ's church has spread.
Dunnigan's leader and founder, Pastor Herman Brown, works to train ministers who then establish churches in places where people "want to be the recipient of the grace of God."
Brown, a Vietnam veteran, has been ministering across the United States for 36 years. He founded Dunnigan's Body of Jesus the Christ three years ago.
At the end of last year a church was established in Tonga, and Brown is presently training a minister to go to China.
Dunnigan's Body of Jesus the Christ Church is nonprofit and volunteer-led.
"The word of God needs to be spread," Brown said. "We're doing the part that the Lord tells us to do."
This will be Ingraham's second trip to Ethiopia. She traveled to the impoverished country in March for five weeks where she built a rapport with the community to the point where her group meetings exceeded building capacity and she ministered outside.
During her time there she counseled groups of young men and women on various topics. Since her return, Ingraham receives daily emails and Facebook messages asking when she will return.
"The people were really accepting and really excited that someone was concerned with them and their needs, especially with the Gospel because a lot of women don't have the free voice with the Gospel," she said. "Even the young men who desire to be counselors, ministers, evangelists - they're limited. Bibles are scarce.
"We're non denominational and stand for the holiness of God. It's not about worshiping the preachers, worshiping the building, but worshipping God. It has proven to be effective."
The focus of this mission is to build and establish a branch church, The Body of Jesus the Christ of Ethiopia, and establishing a school to teach the same theology as the Dunnigan church presently does.
Ingraham, a certified welder, will also spend time teaching welding techniques at the local trade school. Woodland's Home Depot will be donating gift cards for the mission so Ingraham can bring with her welding helmets and safety goggles. As it is, the welding students weld with sunglasses and they suffer from flash burn with bleeding eyes on a daily basis, she said.
During her March visit, Ingraham connected with one of her interpreters who she described as "very humble." While Ingraham travels to Ethiopia next to build and establish the new church, the young man will be an exchange student in Dunnigan.
He will learn the same teaching as Ingraham under Pastor Brown and earn his associates, bachelor and doctorate degree in religion. When his education is complete, he will return to Ethiopia to continue the work of Ingraham.
"Many missionaries go over to start a work but they don't stay long enough to complete it and the people are there, like, now what?" Ingraham said. "You're going back to American or Europe and your fine living and we're still here in the same spot. (This) way the ministry is continued. The hands of the Lord will be able to grow.
"The doors have really been opening. There is a place and it is in Dunnigan where they are reaching out to everyone. We have missions and we have goals. Great works are being done."
For more information, contact Ingraham at 383-3171.
Follow Elizabeth Kalfsbeek at twitter.com/woodlandbeat
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_24178380/dunnigan-pastor-hopes-weld-ties-ethopia

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