Missions Work in Ethiopia

The original Ethiopian religion is paganism; however, God has a different plan for this nation.  In the Old Testament story of King Solomon and Sheba, Sheba gives gifts to Solomon and blesses God. [1] After Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, he sent out his disciples to “go and create disciples of all nations.” [2] The first disciple to interact with an Ethiopian was Philip who recognized that an Ethiopian traveler was reading from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. [3] At the end of their meeting the Ethiopian accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and was baptized by Philip. [4] Later on King Ezana in the 4^th Century would adopt Christianity as the nation’s state religion.  Since then there have been three distinct phases of mission’s work in Ethiopia: from the rise of Islam in 7^th Century AD until the 15^th Century, the colonial mission’s period from the 1800s until the end of World War II, and lastly the modern missionary period from the end of WWII until present day. [5]

The rise of Islam in Ethiopia was made possible through the use of three major kinds of Islamic missions’ work.  The first is the traditional method of a simple appeal or invitation to accept Allah as God; the second is through the manipulation of trade to coerce people into Islam for discounted goods; and the third is through conquest. [6] Ethiopia is proximate to Arabia, a major stronghold of Islam, through the Red Sea, and 33.9 % of the nation has been converted to Islam through these measures. [7] According to Open Doors, a Christian Missions group for persecuted Christians, Ethiopia is ranked the 18^th most volatile country in the world for Christian persecution; most of this comes from Islamic extremism. [8] 

Christian missions work in Ethiopia picked back up in the 1500s; from 1557-1632 there was a major move from Jesuit missionaries to convert Ethiopians to the Catholic faith which was strongly opposed to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. [9] Ignatius of Loyola sent missionaries to Ethiopia after hearing about the tale of Prester John. [10] He sent in 20 missionaries on 13 separate missions and one of the largest contributions of these missions was imported technology from Spain, Italy, and Portugal to help in military defense against Muslims, pagans, and domestic aggressors. [11] During the colonial period (1800-1945), Ethiopia did not experience the wave of missionaries like other African countries because Ethiopia was never colonized during this time.

Today there are approximately 20,930,000 unreached people in Ethiopia which represents 20.8% of the population. [12] The largest missionary group in the nation are Protestant missionaries who operate with 22 different member churches of the Evangelical Church Fellowship of Ethiopia [13].  One of the largest churches in Ethiopia is the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) which has over 7,000,000 members in 6,000 congregations. [14] This church was founded in the 1920s by a church plant mission group called Serving in Missions and the two are still partnered together for mission work in Ethiopia. [15] The EKHC has its own missions school and outreach programs which provide many services to the people of Ethiopia. [16] They also have their own orphanage, college, work program for women and children, and over 127 Bile schools in the nation. [17]

God's will is that none shall perish but that all shall come to to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Please pray for the people of the nation of Ethiopia to receive Jesus the Christ as Savior.  Please pray for the safety of missionaries operating within the country, as well as other Christians, for protection against persecution. 

For more information on the opportunity to serve in Ethiopia please visit: http://www.sim.org/index.php/opportunity/country/ET

Footnotes:

1. Schultz, Hannah. “Beautiful Feet: The History of Missions in Africa.” Liberty University. 2016. https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_303751_1&content_id=_12472194_1 (accessed June 26, 2016).

2. Matt. 28:19 (NIV).

3. Acts 8:26-40 (NIV).

4. Acts 8:26-40 (NIV).

5. Harper, Melody. “Missions in Africa.” Liberty University. 2016. https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_303751_1&content_id=_12472194_1 (accessed June 26, 2016).

6. Schultz, Hannah. “Beautiful Feet: The History of Missions in Africa.”

7. “Ethiopia.” People and Society. CIA World Fact Book. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html (accessed June 26, 2016).

8. “Ethiopia Country Profile.” Open Doors United Kingdom. http://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/worldwatch/ethiopia.php (accessed June 26, 2016).

9. Fernández, Víctor. "Enlivening the Dying Ruins: History and Archaeology of the Jesuit Missions in Ethiopia, 1557–1632" Culture & History Digital Journal [Online], Volume 2 Number 2 (30 December 2013). http://cultureandhistory.revistas.csic.es/index.php/cultureandhistory/article/view/33/129 (accessed June 23, 2016).

10. Fernandez, Victor. 2013.

11. Fernandez, Victor. 2013.

12. “Ethiopia.” The Joshua Project. https://joshuaproject.net/countries/et (accessed June 26, 2016).

13. “International Religious Freedom Report: Ethiopia.” United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2004/35355.htm (accessed June 26, 2016).

14. “Ethiopia.” Serving in Missions. http://www.sim.org/index.php/country/ET (accessed June 26, 2016).

15. “Ethiopia.” Serving in Missions.

16. “Ethiopia.” Serving in Missions.

17. “Ethiopia.” Serving in Missions.

18. “Missions Opportunities in Ethiopia.” Serving in Missions. http://www.sim.org/index.php/opportunity/country/ET (accessed June 26, 2016).