Protestantism in Ethiopia
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Protestants in Ethiopia are mostly known by the name Pentay (also spelled P'ent'ay) or short for pentecostal even though Pentecostals proper are a small minority by comparison. "Pentay" is a term for Christians not belonging to Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches.
The total number of Protestants in Ethiopia are believed to be between 14-16 million. The Kale Heywet Church over 5,500,000 adherents in 1999. The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, which is Lutheran, has about 1.5 million members (2005). Established Protestant denominations are relatively abundant in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region. Some urban areas are also evangelizing very fast. Other big protestant churches in Ethiopia include Meserete Kristos, Gubae Egziabehare (Assembly of God), Mulu Wongel, and Misgana church. There officially is freedom of religion. In Gambela, Mekane Yesus followers are about 60% of the population. In regions with an Islamic majority, Christians face opposition from local authorities and radical Muslims.
According to "Voice of the Martyrs", there have been brutal killings of Pentay Christians in rural areas that tend to be overlooked by the Ethiopian government and stay undisclosed to international organizations. "Voice of Martyrs" also states that Pentay Christians have been murdered by Islamic militants because they refused to renounce their faith. Other Protestant denominations include United Pentecostal, Full Gosp-Mulu Wengel, Heywet Birhane, Seventh-day Adventist, Meserete Kristos, Sefer Genet, Churches of Christ, Birhane Wengel and Emmanuel Baptist churches. The Protestant minority is growing by about 6.7% per year.[citation needed]
[edit] Sources
- http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_93.html
- http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_94.html
- http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71301.htm
- http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=et
- http://www.gmi.org/ow/country/ethi/owtext.html
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