Gudina’s Tumsa’s life experiences helped shape his understanding of how a Church is responsible to society. For example, the time he spent in the United States formed his theology and gave him a new insight on how to build a Church that served the whole man. Two specific things helped form his thoughts on this topic and according to Øyvind M. Eide are,
“The First that Qes Gudina studied was Reinhold Niebuhr, commonly considered the most powerful theological ethicist of the mid-twentieth century… The second point of importance is the fact that he studied in the USA at the time of the intense debates and struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, led by Martin Luther King.” (Life and Ministry Pg.42).
These things led Gudina to have a strong will and vision to develop a modern, efficient and Biblical church structure. He did this through thoroughly debating, writing on and presenting solutions on the Church's responsibility to Ecumenical Harmony, Nation Building, Self-reliance and Mission etc... The way that Gudina Tumsa states the church should be structured is clear when he writes about two extremes; over spiritualizing or over secularizing. He presents a solution to this by writing.
“In between these extremes there are those who represent more moderate positions with regard to the understanding of what a responsible church ministry should be in this day and age.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.119).
Gudina understood a Biblical Church structure as a moderate one, where the Church is not imbalanced in their approach to ministry.
What contributed to Gudina Tumsa’s deep thought on the responsibility of the Church was the radical change that was going on in his country politically, economically and socially. Gudina grew up and began his church service in an imperial society and completed his ministry under a socialists society. This did have a significant impact on Gudina as it did on many others, many of his writings are a response to the specific changes that were going on around him. In his writing it shows how he believed a church was to be built based on its surroundings,
“A responsible church must always grow out of an “action situation”, or, to go even one step further, true biblical and evangelical Theology must always allow for a contextual interpretation of the Gospel.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.119).
Another aspect of how Gudina believed in building a responsible Church was to make it a paradigm for society. Gudina strongly believed that the Church should be a leading force in guiding its members through change based on a theological understanding as well as setting the standard for the nation and government in matters of development, economics and even politics.His understanding of this is seen when he writes,
“The ECMY will continue to contribute her share to the economic development of Ethiopia, to improve the living conditions of the people, to the political orientation of the people in being useful to society, in knowing their rights and obligations of citizens.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.67). Gudina Tumsa’s thought on the responsibility of the Church to society can be summed up by saying he pleaded for the Church to have a balanced approach and minister to the spiritual, social, political and economic factors of life. In other words he desired total involvement of the Church.