ELCA NEWS SERVICE February 4, 2009 Ethiopian Church Honors ELCA Pastor, Teacher and Bible Translator 09-032-JB ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (ELCA) -- For more than 40 years the Rev. Loren F. Bliese, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), worked in Ethiopia -- planting churches, helping to educate future pastors and overseeing the translation of the Bible into more than 20 Ethiopian languages. His service to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) was recognized here during the church's 50th anniversary celebration Jan 17-18. The church's seminary where Bliese taught awarded him an honorary doctorate in language development. Bliese, 73, retired to Harrisburg, Ore., in 2006 after 44 years of service in Ethiopia. He still serves as a part-time volunteer missionary here through ELCA Global Mission, spending up to five months a year here, he said. After he earned degrees at Texas Lutheran College (now University), Seguin, and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, Bliese went to Ethiopia in 1960 as an evangelist of the former American Lutheran Church. "At that time there was a lot of publicity about Ethiopia, and that's how I ended up here. I liked the idea of serving God in a way that (God) opened the door for me. I've developed many fond friendships with students and coworkers over the years," he told the ELCA News Service in an interview. Texas Lutheran University is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; Wartburg is one of eight ELCA seminaries. Bible translation was a significant part of Bliese's contribution in Ethiopia. For 27 years he was the United Bible Societies' translation consultant for Ethiopia and Djibouti. Bliese helped "train the translators," he said, including review of their work and administering projects related to the Bible Society of Ethiopia. During his career in Ethiopia, Bliese learned the Amharic and Afar languages. Bliese began his ministry as a church planter, helping to start EECMY congregations in Waldia, Worgesa, Wuchale and surrounding areas. He started an EECMY outreach to the Afar ethnic group in 1963, including service through a mobile clinic in the nomadic area and building a literacy school. He initiated literacy work in the Wuchale area and by 1976 was administering 70 literacy centers of EECMY. A famine in the early 1970s resulted in relief feeding programs connected to many of the literacy centers, organized by Bliese and his wife Edith, who are parents of four adult children. Bliese served as the principal of the Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary for two years. After completing course work in 1977 for a doctorate in linguistics at the University of Texas, Austin, Bliese returned to Ethiopia to write a dissertation on Afar grammar. He wrote and published articles, and for nearly 20 years Bliese taught courses in Old Testament at the seminary. His career in Ethiopia included many difficult years. Following the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie I, Ethiopia was under the control of a Marxist regime from 1977 to 1991. "During that time there was always tension," Bliese recalled. "Travel was dangerous, and you never knew if you were going to get thrown out." Some churches were closed, and it was difficult for church leaders and members to talk with one another, he said. More than once, Bliese said, he was held temporarily at gunpoint for one reason or another. Bliese was one of four people honored. Other honorary degree recipients were Ato Emanuel Abraham, president emeritus, EECMY; the Rev. Tesgara Hirpo for translation work in the Oromo language; and the Rev. Neils Reimer, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), for translation work in the Anuak language. Ethiopian President Girma W. Giyorgis, and leaders of the EECMY and the Mekane Yesus Seminary presented the honorary degrees. --- Information about the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is at http://www.eecmy.org/ on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog