The rainbow in the clouds

The recent breakaway of the three bishops from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOTC) is one of the most significant challenges in the church's history. It was a clear breaking point for a centuries-old institution. The precedent, if set, would have made the church a fragmented piece of its old version.?

What was worrying is that there is more to the issue than religion.

?One of the few common denominators we have left as Ethiopians is religion (Orthodox, Muslim, and other forms of Christianity). Our fragile nation was at risk of losing its last bridge that connect us regardless of ethnicity, language, or political views.?

The crisis was delicate and needed the utmost wisdom and care to manage.?

It was a blessing in disguise that the EOTC rose to the occasion.??

Before going public, the approach by the church leaders showed they did a thorough analysis, clearly articulated both the problem and the solutions, and outlined a strategy for multiple scenarios. While spirituality may have played a role in their calm and collected attitude, we cannot deny that the strategy was well-informed by corporate crisis management tools that have been tested and proven.?

Here are a few things I picked up:?

• Controlled communication: we mainly heard from His Eminence Abune Abraham and His Eminence Abune Petros throughout the crises. Each time they insisted that we only listen to them. That blurred out anyone who might want to speak on behalf of the church. Remember, the church is a big institution with many loyal and senior fathers/leaders and followers. If everyone was to speak, the issue could have gotten out of hand quickly.?
• Action on multiple fronts: they swiftly reached out to influencers (writing outstanding letters), pursued legal actions, and used the media (and even social media) like a pro. Those who ignored them (public media) were clearly at loss.?
• Remained transparent: This closed the door to conspiracy theories and suspicion of what happens behind the curtains. It was also respect to followers and supporters, which strengthened faith and loyalty.?
• Time to reflect: for each development, they did not run to Twitter or the media, a common mistake by many institutions. They took time to reflect. That probably helped all of them to be on the same page and put up a united front.?
• Light-hearted in their approach: The incident was heartbreaking for anyone. The fathers were obviously distressed. However, they showed up with a positive spirit and even a smile.?
• It was not personal: they made sure their actions weren't necessarily a personal attack on the other side. It was rather standing up for the religion and its unity and sovereignty. This also played a role to resolve the matter peacefully.