Many of us know and love Tariku as a man of boldness, vision, and sacrifice. For over 5 years now he has served Horn of Africa Mission Engagers (or HO-ME, which is Horn of Africa’s partner organization within Ethiopia). God is expanding his ministry and focus this year. Read his testimony below.
At 8 years old, I was invited by a friend to come to their Sunday school. My friend’s family were evangelicals and thus regarded by both the government and the Orthodox church as heretics and followers of “imported religion.” Despite repeated warnings from my traditional Orthodox family, I attended the Sunday school for more than two years without their knowledge. I needed something to fill my time, which was a common problem for the children of families of our class. This childhood experience left within me a conviction of the existence of God, counting Him as the Creator.
My truth encounter, which led to a very personal knowledge of God, happened when I was a senior in secondary school. One afternoon as I walked home from school, I literally heard the small still voice.
“Tariku, why are you living on earth?” I could not tell if another person would have heard the voice if they were with me. But it was loud and clear to me, as if it was asked by an Authority with an obligation to answer it right away.
I began a quest to find a response to this question that had been asked of me. After six months and through the faithful witness of a young evangelical girl, I found my answer: I am created to live for God, and the way to God is through Christ Jesus. I do not remember any dramatic or ecstatic experience right after my confession of Christ as the Lord and Savior. But in this short time, my life had been transformed with a sense of purpose.
This on-the-road encounter was, indeed, a call for life and ministry. My desire to serve God wholeheartedly with all of my time consumed me. My calling and focus since then has been to win people for Jesus and multiply disciples. After graduating college in 1993, I was ordained as an evangelist by the Bahir Dar Meserete Kristos Church. In the early days, I led outreaches everywhere from prisons, street kids, and prostitutes to campus youth and government officials. We saw hundreds of people accept Jesus and many churches planted and multiplied.
I have been married for nearly 15 years to Frehiwot, who was born and raised in an evangelical family. God has blessed us with three kids.
In the last five years as executive director of Horn of Africa Evangelical Mission Engagers (HO-ME), I have witnessed the equipping of more than 40,000 leaders who have catalyzed the addition of more than 130,000 new disciples into the body of Christ, and the multiplication of close to 10,000 simple churches up to 9 generations among 32 of the least reached groups of Ethiopia and the rest of the Horn of Africa region.
I have recently transitioned to serve as African Director with Horn of Africa (USA). My passion and heart’s desire is to maximize the sending potential of the African church towards finishing the task among the least reached. We want to see Africa transformed with sending bases located throughout the continent.
My dream is to see one out of every 10,000 evangelical believers become missionaries to the most strategic mission frontiers over the next five years. I will be especially focusing on the African nations that have more than one million believers. As we strategically coach and provide resources to key leaders, churches, and mission agencies within these African nations, they in turn will be equipped to raise up and send more workers to unreached people groups.
For the glory of His name among all nations.