Meet Our Pastor

The Rev. Belete Belay worked for several years in faith and educational programs before coming to the United States in 2013. In his native country, he was an evangelist for over a decade with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Ureal Congregation in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa. He was ordained by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 2016.

 In Ethiopia, Pastor Belay cofounded the Leadstar University College, an institute of higher education for leadership and management, and started a private Ethiopian enterprise, Ammanuel Publishing and Advertising, dedicated to informing citizens about democratic and human rights practices. He served as lecturer, dean of students and instructor for the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus as the Central Ethiopian Synod coordinator of training programs 

Rev. Belay is currently working toward the Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. His educational path in Ethiopia included earning the Master of Divinity in Church history from the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa and the Bachelor of Theology at the Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary, also in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

Pastor Belay was Installed as Pastor of Galilee Lutheran Church on October 1, 2017. He will be living on Kent Island with his wife and three children.