The Maturing Church

Ermias Mamo shines a searchlight on today’s church and reveals some startling deficiencies that can only be remedied by returning to a radical commitment to follow Jesus, with mission as its motivation. This is a book written from a heart that is passionate for the restoration of the church. It lays a solid foundation for promoting a culture of discipleship that will revive the church and change the world. The book deserves a wide readership among all church leaders.

Stuart T. Rochester, PhD
Faculty of Theology,
North-West University

In this book Dr Mamo addresses a critical problem, not only for the church in Africa, but for the church in the West as well, which is the lack of focus on discipleship. All too often, men and women are accepting Jesus as Savior without realizing that he calls us all to a lifetime of growing as his disciples. While Mamo discusses this problem in the Ethiopian church, his suggestions are helpful to all of us in other contexts around the world.

Paul E. Pierson, PhD
Dean Emeritus, School of Intercultural Studies,
Fuller Theological Seminary

In this book, one hears the voice of the prophet urgently calling for radical renewal of the church. Dr Mamo casts a vision for a revitalized Christian movement that starts with deep conversion. Drawing on his experience as a leader in the Ethiopian church, he flags the danger of the kind of rapid growth, which the Ethiopian churches have experienced in the past three decades. The test of genuine conversion is discipleship that is expressed in disciple-making. This is the challenge that must be sounded afresh in every generation.

Wilbert R. Shenk, PhD
Senior Professor of Mission History and Contemporary Culture,
Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies

1. Preface
2. Acknowledgements
3. List of Figures
5. List of Abbreviations
6. List of Abbreviations
7. My Personal Discipleship Journey: Saved and Discipled
8. Introduction
9. 1 – The Need for an Integrated Approach
1. Members not Disciples
2. Culture Hostile to Discipleship
3. Diminishing Community Influence
4. Incomplete Mission
5. The Need for an Integrative Approach
10. 2 – Biblical and Theological Foundations for Discipleship
1. Discipleship – the Meaning
2. Who Is a Disciple?
3. Making Disciples
4. Commanded by Christ
5. Modeled by Christ
6. Discipleship: Backbone to Mission
7. Mission as Imitating Christ in Discipleship
11. 3 – Integrating Conversion, Rituals and Community
1. Contextualization and Discipleship
2. Conversion: The Entry Point to the Discipleship Journey
3. Different Perspectives on Conversion
4. Different Approaches to Conversion
5. Contextualization of Conversion
12. 4 – Rituals Intensify the Discipleship Journey
1. Contextualizing Rituals for Discipleship
2. Baptism Contextualized
3. Culture Change and Rituals
4. Community: Seedbed of Discipleship
5. The Need for Community
13. 5 – Reflection on the Ethiopian Evangelical Context
1. Historical Background of Ethiopian Evangelical Churches
2. Western Ethiopian Stream
1. The Social Context of the West
2. The Lutheran Mission Work
3. Conversion, Ritual and Community
3. The Southern Ethiopia Stream
1. Social Context of the South
2. SIM Missionary Work
3. Conversion, Rituals and Community
4. The Urban Pentecostal Stream
1. The Social Context
2. Conversion, Rituals and Community Formation in the Pentecostal Movement
5. Analysis of the Evangelical Beginnings in Ethiopia
6. Missed Opportunities
7. Persecution-Shaped Discipleship
8. The Current Crisis in Ethiopian Evangelical Churches
9. ECFE Mission Survey Results
10. Theological Students’ Evaluation of the Church
11. Warning Signs
12. The Leaders Respond
14. 6 – Strategies for Effective Contextualized Discipleship
1. Christian Education for Discipleship
2. Church Structure for Discipleship
3. Church Culture of Discipleship
15. 7 – Discipleship, Mission and the Future of the Church
16. References