Dagne Assefa Memorial Scholarship
Those who knew Dagne Assefa (MDiv 1984) of Indianapolis, Indiana, remember him as a caring, fun-loving person who loved people and community — a lively storyteller with a sly humor, a radiant smile, and a kind, jovial spirit.
Friends of Dagne from First Mennonite Church of Indianapolis started the Dagne Assefa Memorial Scholarship in his honor. The scholarship will provide funds for international students who are committed to pastoral ministry, with priority given to People of Color.
AMBS currently has more than 70 international graduate students; more than 30 of whom are Ethiopian students enrolled in MA cohorts through AMBS’s partnership with Meserete Kristos Seminary in Bishoftu/Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Support Dagne’s memorial scholarship
Click the big “Give Now!” button to give in U.S. dollars. If you’d like to give in Canadian dollars, click here to donate in Canadian dollars and designate "Dagne Assefa Scholarship" in the dropdown.
If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to “AMBS,” note "Dagne Assefa Scholarship" in the memo line, and mail it to 3003 Benham Ave., Elkhart, IN 46517.
More about Dagne
As a young adult in Ethiopia, Dagne worked for the budding Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) as an evangelist and pastor. To provide opportunities for the church’s youth, he helped found the Meserete Kristos Church Addis Ababa Choir, which continues today after nearly five decades of ministry.
Dagne went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Goshen College, a Master of Divinity from AMBS and a Doctor of Ministry from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indianapolis.
A passionate activist and community organizer, Dagne put his gifts and education to use, founding Shalom Mennonite Church in Indianapolis and faithfully pastoring the congregation for 24 years, until his retirement. He also served as a clinical supervisor for CTS students in the field of pastoral care.
Dagne died in September 2021 at age 71, leaving his wife of 36 years, Carol Weaver; daughters Lydette and Menan and their spouses; and a granddaughter.
We invite you to share this link with others who may wish to support this fund.
Thanks to many generous donors, we have made it to the goal of $25,000! That means that during the next academic year (Fall '24) this Scholarship will pay-out to a student with financial needs. However, it doesn't mean that we no longer accept gifts for this fund; we can keep it growing which will only add to the amount that is paid out in financial aid every year. And it will continue to tell Dagne's story and reflect God's goodness to him and his love for God and others.
Thanks so much for joining in this effort to tell his story and assist students pursuing theological education. I am sure that Dagne would be pleased!
850 days ago by Randy DetweilerSince we launched the Scholarship Fund to honor Dagne Assefa, more than 15 households have given gifts in honor of, or in remembrance of Dagne. As of mid-November we are 69% of the way to reaching the goal, at which point the Scholarship becomes active and will begin impacting students. In dollars and cents, that means we need less than $8,000 to push us past the $25K threshold. There is no upper limit for these scholarship funds, the more there is in the fund, the more is paid out each year in scholarship dollars. (There is also no deadline to reach this threshold, but the sooner-the-better.)
You can help us reach this goal in a couple of ways;
-You can give another gift that pushes us closer to the goal.
(Give online or by sending a check to AMBS, 3003 Benham Ave, Elkhart IN 46517)
-You can share this link with your friends, so they can help too.
Who do you know that appreciated Dagne and would want to have the opportunity to honor him in this way?
Thanks for your interest and thank you for making a difference for our students at AMBS.
943 days ago by Randy DetweilerDonors
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