Ethiopia is home to 120,303,487 souls and is second only to Nigeria in population among African nations.
Each and every one of these numbers represents a person who is a beloved child of the living our Lord and carries the image of God within them. This is why Mission Partners For Christ deeply desires to show the love of Christ to them through our ministry and our partnerships with other organizations.
A few facts about Ethiopia:
- It is one of the world’s oldest nations and can trace its history back to the first millennium BCE.
- Ethiopia’s head of state, Sahle-Work Zewde, is the 5th and current President. She is the first woman to be serving in this role, and was elected in a unanimous vote by the Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly in October 2018.
- Ethiopia became a prominent presence in the world community when it fought back against Italian colonialism in 1896
- Ethiopia is an incredibly diverse nation and is home to 80 different ethnic groups.
- More than 100 languages are spoken by Ethiopians, but all can be grouped into four categories: Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic, and Nilotic.
- Speaking of languages, Ethiopia has five official languages: Afar, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Tigrinya.
- There is no official religion, however the two main faiths practiced in Ethiopia are Islam and Christianity.
- Ethiopia is home to a vast array of wildlife and claims the lion as its official animal.
- Poverty is on the rise in Ethiopa; 41% of the destitute in Ethiopia living in a home where two or more children have been lost to preventable causes.
Christianity in Ethiopia
Christianity has a long history in Ethiopia. It was first introduced in the 4th Century CE when King Ezana, who ruled over the Kingdom of Aksum (Which encompassed modern-day Eritrea and modern-day Ethiopia), adopted Christianity as his faith and made it the state religion. Since that time, Christianity has been central to much of the Ethiopian culture. You can see its influence in poetry, artwork, and music.
Currently, the state of faith in Ethiopia is split:
- 43.5% of Ethiopians identify as Ethiopian Orthodox Christians (known as Tewahedo)
- 18.5% of Ethiopians identify as Protestent Christians (known as Pentay)
- 0.7% of Ethiopians identify as Catholic
- 33.9% of Ethiopians identify as Muslim
- 3.3% pf Ethiopians identify as some other faith
A recent report from the Office of International Religious Freedom has noted increased religious persecution and backlash. The end result has seen a lot of violence committed in the name of God and multiple places of worship being destroyed.
Mission Partners For Christ wishes to see the saving gospel reach as many lives as possible so that peace can reign in that region. As we aim to work with the people of Ethiopia, and other ministry organizations in the area, our number one goal is, and always has been, to preach the gospel in word and in action.
Poverty in Ethiopia
Prior to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Ethiopia had been making huge strides toward overcoming the poverty that had plagued the nation for far too long. Beginning in 2000, the agriculture market was especially lucrative for farmers who were finally able to name their own prices.
However, things like food and housing insecurity, lack of access to schooling and clean water, and more are all still serious concerns that Mission Partners For Christ is hoping to help address. The 1984 famine and a number of natural disasters over the decades have left huge holes in the social safety nets of the nation. A May 2020 report from the United Nations outlined concerns about the impact COVID-19 could have on Ethiopia:
The emergence of COVID-19 in Ethiopia and the likely drop in economic performance is likely to increase poverty levels by 2 million people and lead to a further marginalization of rural communities. This estimate, however, could turn out to be conservative, depending on how the pandemic and associated social and economic impacts evolve over the next 2-3 months and beyond.
United Nations Development Programme
Indeed, their estimates proved to be conservative. The real poverty rate numbers that we are beginning to see have nearly doubled in size from 34% to 63% in 2021. There are a number of issues impacting the well-being of Ethiopian citizens:
- Only 28% of Ethiopians have access to clean drinking water
- Ethiopia continues to have a high child mortality rate with 178,000 deaths in 2019.
- Severe malnutrition is a great concern in Ethiopia, particularly for children.
With access to health care and education, these numbers could drop dramatically.
What Mission Partners For Christ Plans To Do In Ethiopia
Mission Partners For Christ is currently planning a medical missions trip to Ethiopia this coming October, and you are invited to join us on this trip. We will be serving among the Oromo in the Southwest region of Ethiopia.
Our purpose will be to work will be both medical and spiritual in nature. We will be providing medical assessments and treatments as well as providing health education to the communities that we will be working with. Our other priority will be to ensure that each soul in our care not only experiences the love of Christ but hears the gospel as well.
Our medical missions team will be there to support the work being done by our partners, Global Hope Network International.
We will also be squeezing in a little bit of time to enjoy the people and the culture and have a trip planned to Nech Sar National Park where might be able to spot all kinds of God’s creations in wildlife like zebras, leopards, monkeys, and more!
How You Can Get Involved
There are a number of ways that you can be involved in our upcoming medical missions Ethiopia trip:
1. The number one way to participate is to invest your time and money into coming with us and being part of what God is doing in Ethiopia! You will be an integral part of ensuring that much-needed medical help and encouragement reaches those who need it most. You will also be an incredible help in spreading the gospel to the Oromo people. Be sure to sign up soon though – we still have a few spots open that need to be filled by May 31st! Sign up here: https://missionpartnersforchrist.servicereef.com/events/mission-partners-for-christ/ethiopia-2
2. Another way to get involved is to donate. If you can’t physically be with us in Ethiopia, your money can be a great boost to the work that we are doing!
3. Spread the word! Maybe someone you know has been looking for a way to get involved in missions? A medical missions trip is a great way to get started.
4. Pray. Remember us and our team in your prayers as we prepare for this journey and the work to be done there. You can also sign up to be part of our prayer team (Send us a message to get more info!).
We look forward to working with you in the name of our Lord!
