Christianity in Ethiopia dates back to the ancient Kingdom of Aksum, when King Ezana first adopted the faith in the 4th century AD. Various Christian denominations are now followed in the country. Of these, the largest and oldest is the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, an Oriental Orthodox church centered in Ethiopia. Next in size are the various Protestant congregations who include 13.7 million Ethiopians. The largest Protestant group is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, with about 5 million members. Catholicism has been present in Ethiopia since the nineteenth century, and numbers over 530,000 believers as of the 2007 census.
The story of Christianity's arrival in Ethiopia is intertwined with both religious and political narratives. Rufinus of Tyre, a church historian, recorded a personal account as did other Church historians such as Socrates of Constantinople and Sozomen. Frumentius, a Phoenician Christian, was a slave to the Ethiopian king and there is evidence Judaism was in the land before his arrival (mythically due to King Solomon of Israel). After being shipwrecked and captured at an early age, Frumentius was carried to Aksum, where he was treated well with his companion Edesius. At the time, there was a small population of West Asian Christians living in Aksum who sought refuge from Roman persecution. Once of age, Frumentius and Edesius were allowed to return to their homelands, however they chose to stay at the request of the queen. During a trip to meet with church elders, Frumentius met with Athanasius, Pope of Alexandria. By 331 AD, Frumentius returned to Ethiopia, he was welcomed with open arms by the rulers who were at the time 'not' Christian.
The Syriac Nine Saints and Sadqan missionaries expanded Christianity far beyond the caravan routes and the royal court through monastic communities and missionary settlements from which Christianity was taught. The efforts of these Eastern Rite Syriac missionaries from Assyria (Mesopotamia and south east Anatolia), Asia Minor and Aramea (Syria) facilitated the Church’s expansion deep into the interior and caused friction with the traditions of the local people.
The Syriac Christian missions also served as permanent centers of Christian learning in which Syriac speaking monks finally began to translate the Bible and other religious texts from Greek and Aramaic into Ethiopic so that their Ethiopian converts could actually read Scripture. With the translation of Scripture into Ethiopic allowing for common people to learn about Christianity, many of the local people joined the Syriac Christian missions and monasteries, received religious training through monastic rule based around communalism, hard work, discipline, obedience, and asceticism, and caused the growth of the Church’s influence, especially among young people who were attracted to the mystical aspects of the religion.
Newly trained Ethiopian ministers opened their own schools in their parishes and offered to educate members of their congregations. By the beginning of the sixth century, there were Christian Churches throughout northern Ethiopia. King Kaleb, of the Aksumite Kingdom, led crusades against Christian persecutors in southern Arabia, where Judaism was experiencing a resurgence that led to the persecution of Christians. Christianity has also spread among Muslims.
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During the 6th century, the Patriarchate of Alexandria encouraged clerical immigration to Aksum and a program of careful recruitment of religious leaders in the kingdom to ensure that the rich and valuable diocese of Aksum remained under the control of the Alexandrian patriarchate. The kings and bishops who encouraged these settlements assigned missionaries to appropriate areas in Aksum. They donated money to communities and religious schools while protecting their occupants from local anti-Christians. Students of the schools were recruited, ordained, and sent to work in parishes in new Christian areas.
There is little evidence about the activities of the daily life of the early Aksumite Church, but it is clear that the essential doctrinal and liturgical traditions were established in the first four centuries of its creation.
The Solomonic Dynasty and the Kebre Negast
The Solomonic Dynasty’s legendary origins come from an Ethiopian account called the Kebre Negast. According to the story, Queen Makeda, who took the Ethiopian throne in the 10th century, B.C., traveled to Jerusalem to learn to be a good ruler from King Solomon, who was famous worldwide for his wisdom and capabilities as a ruler. King Solomon agreed to take Makeda as his student and taught her how to be a good queen. Queen Makeda was so impressed with Solomon that she converted to Judaism and provided Solomon with many gifts. Before Makeda returned home, the two had a son together. Solomon had a dream in which God said that his and Makeda’s son would be the head of a new order. In response, he sent Makeda home but told her to send their son back to Jerusalem when he came of age to be taught Jewish lore and law.
Makeda did as she was told and sent Menilek I, their son, to Jerusalem to be taught by Solomon, who offered to make him the prince of Jerusalem. The Kebre Negast exemplifies the importance of Judaism, and subsequently, of Christianity to the Ethiopian people, serving as a source of Ethiopian national pride and providing a justification for the idea of Ethiopians as a chosen people of God. More importantly to the Solomonic Dynasty however, it provided the grounds for the “restored Solomonic” Empire, so named because of its renewed fervor for the connection of King Solomon to Ethiopian royalty, which began under Emperor Yekuno Amlak.
Historical Challenges and Resilience
By the time that Amda Siyon took the throne in 1314, Sabradin of Ifat led a united Muslim front made up of people angered by Christian rule, destroying churches in Ethiopia and forcing Christians to convert to Islam. Siyon responded with a savage attack that resulted in the defeat of Yifat. The Yafit defeat allowed Alexandria to send Abuna Yaqob, to Ethiopia in 1337 to be its metropolitan. Yakob reinvigorated the Ethiopian Church, which had been without a leader for almost 70 years, by ordaining new clergy and consecrating long-standing churches that had been built during the power void. Furthermore, Yaqob deployed a corps of monks into the newly obtained lands.
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One of the more fervent monks appointed by Abuna Yakob was Abba Ewostatewos. Ewostatewos designed a monastic ideology stressing the necessity for isolation from state influences. He insisted that the people and the Church return to the teachings of the Bible. Ewostatewos’s followers were called Ewostathians or Sabbatarians, due to their emphasis on observing the Sabbath on Saturday. The spread of Ewostathianism alarmed the Ethiopian establishment who still considered them to be dangerous due to their refusal to follow state authorities.
In response, in 1400, Emperor Dawit I invited the Sabbatarians to come to court and participate in a debate. Abba Filipos led the Ewostathian delegation, which argued their case with passion, refusing to repudiate the Sabbath, until the Ethiopian bishop ordered that the delegation be arrested. Ewostathianism enjoyed impressive growth in the first half of the 15th century. This growth was noticed by Dawit's successor, Emperor Zara Yakob who realized that the energy of the Sabbatarians could be useful in reinvigorating the church and promoting national unity.
Emperor Yakob called for a compromise in 1436, meeting with two bishops, Mikail and Gabriel, sent by the sea of St. Mark. Yakob convinced the bishops that if Alexandria agreed to accept the Ewostathian view of the Sabbath, then the Ewostathians would agree to recognize Alexandrian authority. With the emergence of Islam in the 7th century, Ethiopia's Christians became isolated from the rest of the Christian world. The head of the Ethiopian church has been appointed by the patriarch of the Coptic church in Egypt, and Ethiopian monks had certain rights in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
In 1441 some Ethiopian monks traveled from Jerusalem to attend the Council in Florence which discussed possible union between the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. The arrival of the Christian monks caused something of a sensation. It began two centuries of contact in which there were hopes to bring the Ethiopians into the Catholic fold (the doctrinal problem was that they inclined to miaphysitism (considered a heresy by the Catholics) associated with the Coptic church of Egypt).
In 1554 Jesuits arrived in Ethiopia to be joined in 1603 by Pedro Páez, a Spanish missionary of such energy and zeal that he has been called the second apostle of Ethiopia (Frumentius being the first).
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The Rise of Evangelical Christianity
P'ent'ay (from Geʽez: ጴንጤ P̣enṭe) is an originally Amharic-Tigrinya language term for Pentecostal Christians. Today, the term refers to all Evangelical Protestant denominations and organisations in Ethiopian and Eritrean societies. Evangelical Christianity was originally introduced by American and European Protestant missionary work, which began in the 19th century among various peoples, including Christians schismed from the Orthodox Tewahedo church, other branches of Christianity, or converted from non-Christian religions or traditional faith practices.
At the turn of the 19th century, Ethiopian Christians began proclaiming the gospel with the help of the Lutheran missions in the country. From these joint efforts the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) was instituted as a national church in 1959. It takes its name from its first congregation in Addis Ababa, Mekane Yesus, meaning the "Place of Jesus".
Documentary of Mekane Yesus Seminary. MYS President Rev. Dr. Bruk Ayele
The church professes that the holy scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments are the holy word of God and the only guiding source and infallible method/doctrine of all the church's principles and practices. The EECMY believes that all powers and duties exercised by the church are committed to her for the furtherance of the gospel through the word and the sacraments. Under the central office, the church is organized in synods and work areas, a gospel ministry department (Christian education, youth, Sunday school, theology, evangelism, counselling, Christian-Muslim relations, Bible translation, music ministry and university students' ministry), a development and social services commission, a peace commission, and communication services.
In the 1970s the EECMY developed the theme "Serving the Whole Person", later on often quoted and referred to as holistic ministry. This has been a guiding principle throughout the years for all church work, be it evangelism or development. The concern is for the spiritual needs of the human being as well as for their physical and human needs. Therefore the EECMY has been integrating physical development and spiritual services. In the spirit of holistic ministry, the gospel ministry departments at the levels of the synods and the central office have been charged to coordinate the spiritual ministries of the church, to produce Christian educational materials, to conduct consultations on theological and doctrinal issues and formulate statements to guide the life and ministries of the church, to develop curriculum guides for Bible schools, to focus on discipling and training youth leaders, to do leadership training, to visit synods, presbyteries and work areas to advise and encourage on matters related to theological issues and church ministries.
The peace, justice and advocacy commission, established in 1998, aims at making the prophetic voice of the church heard and equipping the members of the church for peace-building.
Modern Evangelicalism in Ethiopia
Evangelicals now represent an estimated 10 percent of Ethiopia's population, and their numbers are reported to be growing quickly. Protestantism gained a foothold through missionary work in the 19th century. The churches established then have grown, especially in southern Ethiopia, where whole ethnic groups converted from animism. New on the scene are urban congregations like Faith Army, whose members are often derogatively called "Pentes," short for Pentecostal.
Foreign missionaries are playing an important role in promoting new forms of evangelical Christianity. Most evangelicals, local and foreign alike, share similar criticisms of the Orthodox Church: that it is too focused on outward piety, not an inward knowledge of Christ as the savior. Talargie Tafesse, director of missions and evangelism for the Evangelical Church Fellowship of Ethiopia, admitted, "When Orthodox people claim that evangelicals are being Westernized or Americanized, in some ways they are right."
Indeed, the evangelical churches have given birth to a trendy new genre of Ethiopian Christian music. The tunes, booming out from corner shops and commuter minibuses, are indistinguishable from modern Ethiopian pop music, except for the Christian lyrics. The new hymns are luring souls from the Orthodox Church, where the beautiful but labored music of the liturgy - brought to Ethiopia by the 5th-century Syrian saint Yared - takes years to master.
Challenges and Opportunities
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church sees itself as representing pure Christianity, viewing outsiders as bringers of foreign, nonorthodox religion. We have seen in the past state-sponsored persecution against evangelicals as a foreign, white-man’s religion: they have given us the slang names of “anti-Mary” or “Pente.” There is some improvement now, but for many years, we evangelicals were seen as heretics and a foreign threat. If someone wants to insult you in Ethiopia, they will call you “Pente,” as someone who denies the faith. While it’s not as bad as other times, there is not a strong, flourishing relationship.
For evangelicals in Ethiopia, the focus is the gospel; it is not tradition or religion, but salvation that is by faith in Christ and not by works. This is our main, distinguishing mark: our sinfulness and salvation through Christ. For the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, it is tradition. We seek to be aggressive proclaimers of Christ. The most important thing is the good news of the saving work of Jesus Christ.
Today, Ethiopia has one of fastest growing evangelical churches in Africa and in the world. Almost 20 percent of Ethiopia’s 118 million population is now evangelical. It is a young church, filled with children and youth with almost 70 percent under the age of thirty. We see the need to invest in the young people. Another unique strength is that it is an indigenous church, starting with its own identity from the beginning. It is largely self-led and supported, not primarily missionary supported. We have different denominations, but there is general unity of evangelical denominations.
Ethiopian people have basic knowledge about the Scriptures, such that when you evangelize, you don’t start from scratch. The Ethiopian Church is really changing; we are less on the receiving end of the gospel. Instead, we are mission sending, mission minded, and globally engaged. The present government has given us relative religious freedom to preach the gospel, unlike some previous generations. Our geographic location, in the horn of Africa, is strategically important-near the Middle East and its gateway to Africa.
However, there are many challenges. It is believed that there are up to 63,000 local churches in Ethiopia. However, this numerical growth is not met by maturity. There is a theological famine, and many churches are largely without properly trained pastors. Islam also continues to grow. It is now 33 percent of the population and continues to be a challenge for the church and the country as a whole. We are also currently facing political instability, with religious extremism rising. Internal civil war in Ethiopia right now is a hindrance to preaching the gospel. We believe the gospel can bring peace if leaders have changed hearts. Globalization is another challenge to the church as postmodernism is now well introduced in Ethiopia, denying absolute truth. Liberal thinking can creep into our institutions, denying the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and miracles, seeking to redefine and “demythologize” the Scriptures.
In spite of the challenges, the church grows in persecution. We are not promised that we will be saved from experiencing this. If the church shuns persecution and compromises its identity in this, it will die.
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY)
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY; also called Mekane Yesus Church) is a Lutheran denomination in Ethiopia. It is the largest member church of the Lutheran World Federation. With the encouragement of the Lutheran and Presbyterian missionary societies in Ethiopia and the Lutheran World Federation, the Evangelical congregations in several parts of the country met on April 23 and 25, 1958 to deliberate on the draft constitution and establish the EECMY.
From these joint efforts the church was instituted as a national church on January 21, 1959, taking its name from the first congregation in Addis Ababa, Mekane Yesus[6] ("Place of Jesus").[7] EECMY has a motto of "Serving the Whole Person" that was developed in the 1970s. This "holistic ministry" theme has helped it to carry out its ministry in evangelism and development work.
The EECMY was founded on work begun by Northern European missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Reformed section of the denomination was founded by the United Presbyterian Church in 1869. Dr. Thomas Lambie, a missionary of the United Presbyterian Church, begun work in the western part of the country. During the Italian occupation, missionaries were forced to leave, but the Bethel Evangelical Church was founded with native believers. It became an independent church in 1947. After World War II, BEC experienced rapid growth. In 1974 it became part of the EECMY, and now it has more than 1,000 000 members. Former BEC presbyteries and synods retain their names.
In 2000, the EECMY ordained the first women as pastors.[10] However, this practice has since been paused due to a resurgence of Confessional Lutheranism, which emphasizes traditional interpretations of pastoral ministry.
Theology and Worship
The EECMY adheres to evangelical Lutheran theology, emphasizing salvation by grace through faith, the authority of Scripture, and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Although the EECMY is doctrinally aligned with Lutheranism, its worship reflects the Eastern Christian heritage of Ethiopia. The church incorporates elements of the Alexandrian Rite, including adaptations of the Liturgy of St. Dioscurus, which is historically associated with the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Services often include chant, incense, vestments, and observance of the liturgical calendar, creating a worship experience that blends evangelical theology with Eastern ceremonial tradition.
Structure and Governance
The EECMY is governed through a synodical structure, consisting of regional synods and a national General Assembly. Each synod is led by elected officials, including a president and secretary, and sends representatives to the General Assembly, which serves as the highest decision-making body. While the church does not follow a traditional episcopal model, it maintains hierarchical oversight through its synod system.
Membership and Outreach
The EECMY claimed almost 2.3 million members in 2007, growing to 8.3 million baptized members according to the 2016 statistics.[12] They operate a seminary in Addis Ababa with 150 students. The church also owns several bible colleges, schools, and health care and social facilities in various locations throughout the country. In Addis Ababa they also run a language and cultural orientation school, called MY-LINC, for people who want to learn Ethiopian languages.
The EECMY, because of its development work, is a member of ACT Development, a global alliance of churches and related agencies committed to working together on development.
Table: Key Facts About the EECMY
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) |
| Denomination | Lutheran |
| Origins | Formed through joint efforts of Ethiopian Christians and Lutheran missions |
| Foundation Date | January 21, 1959 |
| Motto | "Serving the Whole Person" |
| Theology | Evangelical Lutheran |
| Worship Style | Blends evangelical theology with Eastern ceremonial tradition |
| Governance | Synodical structure |
| Membership (2016) | 8.3 million baptized members |
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