Session 14 - Annual Lecture by Dr Tsehaywota T. Woldetsadik: 'Zimidetawīneti': A Relational Paradigm for Child Theology
The Child Theology Movement's Annual Lecture 2026, delivered in person at Mill Grove and streamed live online.
Dr Tsehaywota T. Woldetsadik turns to the Amharic term zimidetawīneti (ዝምደታዊነት), which can be translated as "relationality", and which emerged from his doctoral research into child spirituality in Ethiopia. In his own words:
At its core, zimidetawīneti (relationality) is the inherent capacity with which human beings are endowed to live together. This capacity is expressed in the big and warm hug of a child, the unpretentious smile of a mother living in poverty, the wisdom of elders in the village, the unsparing commitment of young people to a cause, the selflessness of a spouse, the parent who invests their life in their children, the tireless work of professionals, and so on.
Join Us
Tuesday 24th November 2026, 3:00PM (GMT)
Join us online via Zoom:
- Meeting ID: 810 3373 2934
- Passcode: 200001
If you would like to attend in person, please email childtheologymovement@gmail.com.
About the speaker
Dr Tsehaywota T. Woldetsadik
Dr. Tsehaywota T. Woldetsadik has over 30 years of experience in holistic child development programs and currently serves as the National Director of Compassion International Ethiopia, an organization that supports the holistic development of more than 140,000 babies, children, and youth in partnership with over 600 local churches across 22 evangelical denominations. He holds a B.Sc. from Addis Ababa University, an M.A. in Child Development from Daystar University, Kenya, and a Ph.D. from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in partnership with Middlesex University, UK.
His doctoral research, Child Spirituality and Holistic Ministry: A Qualitative Study in Wonji Shoa, Ethiopia, explored the role of child spirituality in holistic child development and ministry. He has served at various levels of leadership in Compassion's holistic development programs and has been actively engaged in child-focused initiatives and church mobilization efforts. He brings extensive experience integrating research and practice in discussions of child development, child spirituality, child theology and community transformation.
Dr. Tsehaywota is married to Ferehiwot Zewdie, and together they have three children.
Recording
The recording will be available here after the event.