On Sabbath, August 9, the Oromo Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrated the inauguration of their new worship location in Brooklyn Park. Following an inspiring church service and a delicious fellowship lunch, the afternoon program included Minnesota Conference vice president for finance, Gayln Bowers, the Brooklyn Park mayor, and the city manager.
Also participating was the congregation’s first pastor, Claudio Consuegra, who was instrumental in guiding the group to full church status. This inaugural event drew a crowd of more than 350 people.
The Oromo Church holds services in both Oromo and English, though worship is primarily conducted in Oromo. Earlier in the summer, the congregation moved from a smaller facility in Minneapolis after purchasing their new Brooklyn Park location—an internal transfer between two Minnesota Conference churches.
Pastor Desta Gelgelu, who has served the congregation part-time for 14 years, has overseen remarkable growth during his ministry. As part of the service, he invited all attendees of college age and younger to join him on the platform—more than 100 young people responded.
We rejoice in how God has blessed the faithfulness of the Oromo Church members and the wider Minnesota Conference family.
Edited for clarity by Chat GPT
