Gospel work in Ethiopia
David Crook
Ethiopia, mentioned many times in the Bible, is one of the oldest countries in the world. It is a multiethnic state with 83 languages and 200 dialects. Gospel Outreach (GO) meets this challenge by choosing indigenous people as workers. They know the culture, religions, customs, languages, and dialects.
Of Ethiopia’s more than 102 million people, 43 percent are Ethiopian Orthodox, 40 percent are Muslim, and less than 0.2 percent (184,722) are Seventh-day Adventists. Ethiopia has a relatively youthful population: ages 0–14 years (41 percent); ages 15–64 (55 percent); ages 65+ (3.5 percent).
The 32 GO workers, supported by GO Canada, often share the love of Jesus amid great opposition and persecution. Usually after three to five years, in some remote village, a church is started and built by a GO worker. The faithfulness of the members that I have observed is to be admired.
Ninety percent of the population earns a living from the land, mainly as subsistence farmers. In one location, many Adventist farmers met the challenge of market day being changed from Sunday to Saturday. None of the Adventists went to market on Sabbath. These Adventists made up most of the market, so there was no market! The officials had to change market day back to Sunday.
At harvest time the church treasurer goes to each farmer to collect one-tenth of the produce, which is taken to the storehouse and later sold. The tithe money goes to the mission office.
Thank you, praying and sacrificing donors, who make the spreading of the gospel possible with GO’s heaven-sent method. Pray that many more workers can be added in this ancient and large country.
