Pivot

5.55: The Harvest is Plentiful but the Laborers Are Few

Discover the synergy in church leadership with Dr. Samuel Deressa as we delve into the rapid growth of churches in Ethiopia and the rise of new leaders.

“The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” Luke 10:2

In this episode of the Pivot podcast, co-hosts Terri Elton and Dwight Zscheile are joined by guest, Dr. Samuel Deressa.

Deressa began teaching part-time at Concordia University of St. Paul, MN in 2016 and joined the faculty full-time in 2018. Previously, he was a member of the Faculty of Theology (Gudina Tumsa Chair for Justice), 2008-2011, at the Mekane Yesus Seminary, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Deressa teaches courses on Global Christianity, Scripture and its Interpretation, Christian Vocation, and Christianity and the Media.

Stay tuned for more episodes unraveling the complexities of the current state of the church.

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Show Notes:

Shift Ministry Models
Faithful Innovation

Featuring

Dr. Samuel Deressa - Pivot Podcast

Dr. Samuel Deressa

Dr. Samuel Deressa began teaching part-time at Concordia in 2016 and joined the faculty full-time in 2018. Previously, he was a member of the Faculty of Theology (Gudina Tumsa Chair for Justice), 2008-2011, at the Mekane Yesus Seminary, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Deressa teaches courses on Global Christianity, Scripture and its Interpretation, Christian Vocation, and Christianity and the Media.

Deressa’s recent published works include Forming Leaders for the Public Church: Vocation in 21st -Century Societies (London: Fortress Academic Press, 2023), which he co-edited with Mary Sue Dreier; Leadership Formation in the African Context: Missional Leadership Revisited (Eugene, Origen: Wipf and Stock, 2022); He has also written numerous articles for books and journals on Christianity in the Global South. He is a member of American Society of Missiology, International Association for Mission Studies, African Society of Evangelical Theology, and Lutheran Society of Missiology.

Deressa enjoys strong Ethiopian coffee, spending time with his three children, dabbling in video creation and traveling.

Academic Focus: Theology of Mission; World Christianity; Christian Leadership; Christian-Muslim relations; and development studies.

Meet Your Hosts

  • Terri Elton

    Terri is a teacher who loves Jesus and God’s world. She currently is a Professor of Leadership and Dean of Academic Affairs at Luther Seminary, but has also served in congregations and non-profit settings. In her free time, Terri loves to bike and explore nature. She, along with her husband Eric, believes the world is interesting and together they travel to different cultures and places as often as they can.

  • Dwight Zscheile

    Dwight Zscheile is vice president of innovation and professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest book is Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press, 2023).

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