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Spiritual Counseling The primary motives why we Ethiopian
immigrants congregate in the Church here in the US are to
worship God in accordance with the Orthodox Tradition, maintain
our own cultural heritage, and transfer it to our children. The
Orthodox Church, which has a 2000 years history in Ethiopia, has
been acting not only as a center of worship but also principally
as a heart of cultural legacy. Parents commonly appear to be
zealous to their Christian culture and insist children to retain
their native tradition. Children, on the contrary, seem to be
reluctant to come to the Church and participate in Sunday school
programs. They just rush to adopt what they observe in their
surroundings without paying attention to the guidance of the
elderly. This causes family conflict and identity crisis among
the youth. Therefore, the Church in Diaspora has the
responsibility to narrow the acculturation gap between immigrant
parents and their children. It educates the Ethiopic language,
church music, and Christian Ethics to the American borne
children, helps them be empowered and oriented to their native
culture, and provides counseling to resolve family conflicts
associated with acculturation discrepancies. As part of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Debre Tsion St. Mary has
been maintaining the aforementioned cultural, social and
educational programs that are beneficial to the immigrants and
their children.
FAITH
HOPE LOVE |
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