Ektus, May 30, 2026 (Genbot 22, 2018 EC)
His Eminence Abune Gerima, Bishop of the Gedeo, Kore, and Burji Diocese and member of the Holy Synod, visited Dilla Debre Genet St. Michael Church to assess various ongoing development projects within the parish (debr). This visit is part of the regular monitoring routine conducted to closely follow up on the development activities of local churches under the diocese.
The development works being carried out at the local church are aligned with a pre-designed strategic plan. Specifically, they were initiated to implement the directive previously issued by His Eminence, which states, “No plot of land should remain uncultivated” (*”አንድም መሬት ጾም ማደር የለበትም”*). This directive aims to properly develop church holdings and open lands to boost institutional revenue.
Accordingly, His Eminence toured the cultivation of perennial crops thriving on the church grounds, such as coffee and enset ( false banana), alongside seasonal crops including lettuce, beans, corn, beetroot, green beans, cabbage, spinach, carrots, and green chilies, as well as an organized poultry farming project. Furthermore, he inspected the ongoing water development works and the construction progress of the episcopate building (menbere pepesena genbata) being built on-site by the diocese.
His Eminence expressed his satisfaction with the development projects achieved in a short period and extended his appreciation to all stakeholders at the parish who contributed to the success of the work.
The visit and evaluation session were attended by Melake Hiwot Berhanu Kifle, General Manager of the Diocese and Administrator of the Parish, along with members of the parish administrative council and development committees, who provided detailed briefings regarding the performance of the projects and future plans.
Following the briefings and the tour, His Eminence held a discussion with stakeholders and provided directives on further strengthening the institutional capacity of the church. In particular, to improve future land utilization and maintain service quality, he outlined directions regarding the necessary upcoming tasks and the structured system that needs to be established for cemetery management (yemekabr bota atekakem).
Finally, His Eminence urged that the initiated development projects be completed within their designated timeframe and quality standards by establishing a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system, concluding the program with a closing prayer.
