Who we are?

We are a community of Oromo Americans called to proclaim the liberating power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve all God’s children in His name. We speak Oromo the language of our native land, Oromia, as well as English the language of our adopted land. We welcome all people to join us in traditional Oromo worship of God with music, prayer, the celebration of the sacraments and the preaching of the Word of God.

Where are we from?

Our people, who presently number more than thirty five million in Ethiopia alone, enjoy a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of recorded history. Like many Americans with European roots, we have found refuge in America from a long history of persecution and denial of human rights that continues to this day. Our spiritual history is rooted in the tradition of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, a community of faith whose membership of more than five million makes it one of the fastest growing churches in the world.

What is our History in America?

The Christian fellowship Church among the Oromos in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area traces its origin to the day that Ms. Marta Namarra from Minneapolis, Minnesota traveled to Washington DC to plant a Christian Church among the Oromo immigrants in DC area. She sought the counsel of Pastor Waaqtola Dinagdee who was studying at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. On May 21, 1995 with attendance of about sixty people, the first Oromo worship service was conducted in the basement of the Reformation Lutheran Church in Washington DC.

Pr. Waqtola traveled to DC from Philadelphia every other Sunday to preach. After completing his studies, he accepted the call to serve the growing community of Oromo immigrants and asylum seekers in the Metropolitan Washington DC area. Because of the historical ties that bind us to the 70  million member communion of the Lutheran World Federation, it was natural that we found a warm reception within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). So, the ELCA Outreach Office for Region 8 placed the Oromo Mission at Reformation Church, located at E. Capitol Hill St., Washington, DC. In April 1996, The ELCA Region 8 Outreach Division and Grace Lutheran Church made an arrangement for Grace Lutheran Church to be the home for the Oromo Mission. With immeasurable help of Grace Lutheran Church, the Oromo Mission began to experience a speedy growth. Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA also supported this mission by providing financial assistance for the pastor at that initial stage. Under the care and guidance of the Grace Congregation, the Oromo Mission started to function in full capacity, developing its own worship life, administration, constitution and bylaws, outreach and partnerships. Eventually the mission established its office on the Church premises.

By year 2000 the Church already claimed over one hundred confirmed members. The mission was also rendering spiritual and social services to a larger number of Oromo immigrants. The Church also extended its Spiritual and social services to Oromo community in general. In conjunction with the office for UOEC (United Oromo Evangelical Churches), the mission has been facilitating immigration and asylum issues and providing temporary shelter and other basic living needs for newly arriving immigrants. Consequently, the Washington Metropolitan became the primary destination for many new immigrants. We are very thankful for the spiritual leadership provided by pastor, the Rev. Waaqtola Dinagdee from 1996 to 2010. Rev. Waaqtolaa Dinagdee retired in 2010.

At a festive of Reformation Day worship service at the Washington National Cathedral, October 31, 2009, the Oromo Evangelical Church of Washington DC became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

However, years have been counted since the OECWDC terminated its membership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America of Washington DC Synod due to the August 2009 decisions of ELCA on Marriage and Human Sexuality (Legalization of the same sex marriage) which the Oromo Evangelical Church of Washington DC has considered as an inappropriate step that totally contradicts the Holy Scripture and challenges the core values of the faith it professes. Despite the so many objections many times at various meetings and occasions, ELCA appeared to have seriously engaged in an irreversible gear, which has forced the OECWDC to consider termination of its membership in a peaceful manner and consider other options of sustainability without corrupting its faith.

On its 2014 its annual meeting, OECWDC congregation unanimously voted to terminate its relationship with ELCA, and since then, the Council of Elders of the church had diligently worked with the Washington Metro on exit strategies, and finally, with the help of God and positive cooperation of Bishop Graham, the Washington Metro synod council of ELCA, on its meeting which held Saturday July 25, 20015, agreed and approved the termination of OECWDC’s relationship of ELCA  to be effective immediately.