The restructuring of our Church began with a meeting with The JSDN, LLC representative, Haile Mariam Sheriff who met with the Administrator and the Board of Trustees and outlined the following.  He presented us with a brief description of the past, the present, and instructed us to visualize and actualize the future.

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THE PAST

Emperor Haile Selassie I, sent His Eminence, Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq with a Goal.

- Goal: To reconnect the displaced and disposed African descendants back to their roots in Ethiopia in a special and meaningful way.

- Mission: To educate the Western-born with the true culture and lineage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

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THE PRESENT

- Unite Western-born Clergy and Congregation.

- Integrate back with the Mother Church {Spiritually, Legally and Morally}.

- Purchase a new building.

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THE FUTURE

- The Church has to have a Business Plan, a living document, i.e., it changes with time. It encompasses the function of who we are, what we are about and what is our mission, of the Church, outside of the doctrine.

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The J.S.D.N., LLC Representative advised us to adopt the Purpose/Objective/Agenda/Deliverables (P.O.A.D) format for our meeting to be more effective, harmonious, productive and structured.  He advised us to develop rules (Respect for each other, Tardiness, Accountability, Professionalism) of conduct for all meetings and to embrace technology as we move forward.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Special thanks to the Priests, Melake Selam Kesis Paulos Mussington, and Melake Berhan Kesis Gebre Menfes Quidus Jacobs, Melake Ganet Kesis Tesfa Eyesus Sheriff and the Board of Trustees, namely: 

Sister Fikrte Selassie Boreland, Chairperson

Sister Kristos Semra Sheriff, Vice-Chairperson

Sister Ganette Mariam Dhu-Gilling, Secretary

Brother Amaha Eyesus Groves, Treasurer

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This Board of Trustees has fulfilled the requirements of faith and works in the few years since in office.  Not only the Business Plan, but all the progress made in the past few years would have been impossible without them.  Also, very special thanks and appreciation goes to Haile Mariam Sheriff the J.S.D.N., LLC representative who provided us with and excellent blueprint and gave us expert yet gentle guidance in developing this Business Plan.  May God bless him and his company J.S.D.N., LLC.

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May God Continue to guide, protect and deliver us and our families from all evil.  May God continue to bless our Mother Church in Ethiopia, our Patriarch Abuna Matthias, and His Eminence Archbishop Bitsue Abune Zackarias.  Also, may God give eternal rest to the soul of our late Archbishop His Eminence Abuna Yesehaq who came to the West and championed the cause for us in the Diaspora to set us free and grant us Salvation.  He laid the foundation for and established all the Churches in the West.  He baptized thousands of us as members and ordained some of us as Priests and Deacons.

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We, the Clergy, the Board of Trustees and Congregation here at Debre Ganet Kidus Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in New Jersey are continuing his legacy.  Thus, we formulate this Business Plan to solidify the Church and complete his mission, which was the vision of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, who sent him to establish the Church out of care and concern for us Ethiopians born in the West.  Thanks be to God that this vision has been fulfilled, and we are determined and motivated to continue the good fight of faith until the end.