Sunday is church day in the City of Atlanta, where smartly dressed men sit erectly on the right side of the hall while the women, equally dressed in sharp traditional attire, grace the left side of the same auditorium. The church is festooned with all kinds of paintings, memorabilia and religious artifacts, which help lend this packed place of worship a serene aura for reflection.

On this particular Sunday, it was raining heavy, forcing motorists to drive gingerly, though bad weather did not seem to have impacted church attendance. The location of the church itself is not conducive, as it is quite a distance from where most of the worshipers live. Not surprisingly, that did not seem to have hindered attendance either, for the place was filled to the rafters–a common occurrence every Sunday.
Attending Atlanta’s church is like being in your favorite classroom with an engaging teacher. And the city’s favorite teacher is Pastor Gebremichael Yohannes, a member of a new generation of Eritrean preachers of various denominations, who have assumed leadership positions in their respective communities and, like dutiful shepherds, are diligently looking after the welfare of their flock.
“We have perhaps the lowest divorce rate in the country,” Emanuel Berhane Muhtsun, one of the city’s active members, proudly told this reporter. “If a [married] couple are having any problems, the pastor will find a way to bring them together.”
Equally important for his congregation is that Pastor Gebremichael made a clear break with the regime in Eritrea, which he–like many other religious leaders across the world–believes has been a colossal failure.
Serving a population of diverse backgrounds, leaders like the pastor are serving as counsellors and healers in their respective communities, assuming many of the duties