Meron (Mary) Haile has become the first woman missionary from Ethiopia to be a part of Serving in Mission (SIM) UK’s Engage programme. The 29-year-old is now serving with Inspire at St James, Clerkenwell, as part of SIM’s strategy of bringing experienced workers from overseas to work with churches in their multicultural contexts.
Engage helps (mainly urban) UK evangelical churches to share the gospel cross-culturally with the different ethnic and religious communities now embedded where they are. Many churches now recognise the strategic gospel opportunity – on their own doorsteps – to reach those who have not heard the good news of Christ.
Mary teaches English as a second language to migrants and is involved in door-to-door ministry, as well as running life-skills courses for low-income families. She is also studying on a Bible training course at Cornhill.
‘I believe God will use me in two ways,’ says Meron. ‘Some will be curious to hear from someone completely different from themselves. To others, the fact that I too am a foreigner experiencing London just like them, will be the way in to start conversations and build relationships. I hope to be able to understand their challenges and desires from a different angle.’
‘I know London will be different,’ she admits. ‘I’ve never worked abroad before, but the Engage programme is designed to provide me with mentors who will guide me along the way’.
Pete Nicholas, Senior Minister at Inspire, Saint James, says: ‘We hope that an overseas gospel worker will be a blessing for our church family as we learn how to receive a missionary to help us better to reach out in our multicultural context. We also trust that it will bless Meron by continuing her development and helping fan her many gifts into flame’.
Meron’s story: When her youngest brother became severely ill, Meron Haile and her family in Ethiopia searched for answers and healing.
‘I stumbled upon audio recordings of Bible teachings online and it completely changed the way we prayed as a family and the way we viewed our situation,’ she recalls.
‘We learned to patiently wait and trust God and I decided to surrender my life for one purpose: to be a student of God’s word and to teach others the powerful truths I experience.’
Meron’s brother is now able to live a normal life with the help of medication, while over the years, God has guided Meron into full-time multicultural ministry, beginning when her father took her to the only international English-speaking church as a young child.
‘He hoped I would learn the Bible and pick up some English. I stayed there till I was 19. With more than 50 nationalities represented each Sunday, I was able to master the language and learn about several cultural differences we have with the Western world,’ she recalls.
‘Slowly, God increased the love I have for Him and His word, which slowly led to the path I’m on right now.’
