Lancaster Friends of Meserete Kristos Seminary (Ethiopia) will hold its annual fundraising banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. at Stumptown Mennonite Church, 2813 Stumptown Road, Bird-in-Hand.

The banquet will include the option of authentic Ethiopian food - injera and wat - or American fare. Admission is free, although an offering will be received to benefit MKSeminary located in Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

The featured speaker will be Bekele Bedada, who graduated from the seminary in 2003. He lives in Ethiopia and is executive vice president for Africa with Global Disciples. The title of his address is "My Story: The Impact of MKSeminary in Advancing the Kingdom of God."

MKSeminary is owned by the Meserete Kristos (Founded on Christ) Church, an Anabaptist-related church that has close to 1 million members. With rapid growth in recent decades, the church has an immediate need for training new leaders, pastors, counselors, peacemakers, and evangelists. The mission of the seminary is "to equip men and women for the holistic transformation of the church and society."

The proceeds from the banquet will go directly toward scholarships for student church leaders at MKSeminary, which draws pupils from all over Ethiopia. To learn more and to register for the banquet, contact Phoebe Nafziger at pnafziger@gmail.com.