Church Growth and its Challenges in Ethiopia
From the Forum Magazine, Spring 2016 - view the full issue here
Ethiopia has been considered to be a Christian nation since the fourth Century. Christianity was a state religion until the last few decades. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) is a unique African church and is the largest denominations in Africa. However, evidence of genuine transformation in the lives of the people through faith in Christ has been minimal. During the twentieth century, Protestant missionaries and mission agencies have become effective for the Gospel. The downfall of communism has brought the freedom to exercise faith, and evangelical churches in Ethiopia are growing. Yet, the continuity of Christianity in Ethiopia and the present numerical growth of professing Christians have not been united with the improvement of living condition and the transformation of the socio-economic life of the nation which the gospel should bring.
The reality is that Ethiopia, with a population of almost 98 million, is constantly rated by the UN as among the world’s ten poorest countries and holds a position close to the bottom of the UNDP Human Development Index. Hunger, famines, and internal and external wars occur frequently. Severe drought and famine still threaten the national development of the nation.
Despite the famine and drought, socio-political instability, the legacy of communist rule, and severe poverty, evangelical churches in Ethiopia are experiencing explosive growth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Intensive evangelistic effort and new church planting is flourishing throughout the nation. Many new converts come mainly from animistic religions, while others convert to Protestant Christianity from the Orthodox Church or Islam, creating sometimes violent backlashes from those groups. In some areas of Ethiopia, churches are experiencing severe persecution.
The spreading of the gospel in Ethiopia has been the preeminent long–term vision of the Presbyterian Church since the turn of the last century. The United Presbyterian Mission of America planted the first Presbyterian Church in 1920 in West Ethiopia. Until 1974, this planted church played an enormous role in the spiritual, educational, and social development of the country and formed the Bethel church synod. However, in 1974 the government was taken over by the communist regime with its anti-capitalist sentiment. The Presbyterian Church has since been known as American Mission and was handed over to the Lutheran mission, nationally called “Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church.” This was the end of the Presbyterian Church in Ethiopia and there was no church under the name Presbyterian until recently.
In August 1997, after the fall of the communist regime, a few Ethiopians planted a new Presbyterian Church in an under-privileged and Muslimpopulated area of the south-west suburb of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Now, after 18 years of ministry, the Presbyterian Church of Ethiopia (PCE) has planted more than 116 local churches with 75,000 members all over the country. It has become a recognized denomination and a member of the Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia (ECFE). The Presbyterian Church of Ethiopia (PCE) is one of the new and growing denominations in the country with a Reformed perspective.
The PCE has also been able to organize development programs, six elementary church schools, and holistic activities.
Since the Evangelical Churches of Ethiopia in general and, specifically, the PCE, are growing rapidly, there is a need for trained ministers to continue to promote church-planting efforts across the nation. Alongside poverty-alleviation, programs such as child development, women’s empowerment projects, and access to education for children experiencing the most extreme poverty are crucial. The PCE is praying for potential partnership with Reformed and Presbyterian denominations, churches, organizations and individuals for continued growth and the advancement of the Kingdom in unreached areas in Ethiopia and beyond.
(by Fikre Norcha, alumna)
