[ Dr. Kebede responded to the following questions about the potential for using technology for reaching out with the Gospel in East Africa – Ethiopia, of course, but perhaps also in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Uganda. ]
1. How available to the general public are these technologies: radio, television, internet, cell phone – and any others that could be useful?
All of these technologies are available in Ethiopia and in in the neighboring countries. However, these days, the most available technologies in Ethiopia are cell phones. The internet accessed on cell phones brings radio and television broadcasts to the public.
2. How many people have cell phones? Do they use the Apple system or the Android system? Are they “smart phones”? If not yet, how quickly are smart phones arriving?
In Ethiopia, more than 40,000,000 (forty million) cellphones are used by the citizens and foreigners. Most local users of smart phones use the Android system while most visitors and some foreigners who live and work in Ethiopia use the Apple system. Both expensive and cheap smart phones of various brands such as Samsung, Nokia, Tecno, Smadle, Huawae and LG are available in almost all shops. It is up to what a person can afford to buy one of the smart phones.
3. Are good Christian materials, such as Luther’s Catechism, available in the languages of the region? Are they available in print? Are they available in digital form, so they can be distributed on phones or on the internet?
Good Christian materials such as Luther’s Catechism, are available in two major languages (Amharic and Oromifa), but not much in the languages of the many regions in Ethiopia. Efforts have been made and are still being made to meet this need. Yes, the existing printed and digital materials can be distributed on phones and on the internet.
4. What language(s) do you use in your church and school, and are you in a position to produce Christian materials in the languages of the region? Have you already done so?
Here in Ethiopia, we use the different languages of the regional states of Ethiopia. Here in Bishoftu which is in the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, we use the English language for instruction in our theological seminary and in the government’s higher education institutions. In most primary and junior schools they use Amharic (a Semitic language like Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic) and Ormifa (the language of the region).
The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) in Ethiopia has been translating confessional Lutheran writings such as The Book of Concord, Church and Ministry by C.F.W. Walther, Dying to Live, The Hammer of God, and Theology of Martin by Paul Althaus into many languages of the neighboring countries and into the above-mentioned two major languages of Ethiopia, and they plan to translate into more languages.
The Lutheran Church of Ethiopia and Maor Theological Seminary has already translated the 95 Theses for the 21st Century (which was adopted by the CELC in Grimma, Germany) into Amharic and Oromifa. The three-language 95 Theses document can be viewed here.
The book Reformation 500 – The Enduring Relevance of the Lutheran Reformation, printed by Northwestern Publishing House, is being translated into Amharic and Oromifa so that other willing citizens can consider translating these documents in to their mother tongues. Here is a possible area for collaboration with our CELC member churches.
5. Are there any barriers, from the governments or from adherents of other religions, that would make distributing Christian material difficult or dangerous?
There are no serious barriers from the governments or from adherents of other religions because these days there is religious freedom, so long as the material is not contrary to the constitution of the nation and does not interfere in the affairs of the government.
Return to original language with "show original" button at top left.
Discussion
Thank you for this unique perspective and insight into East African outreach, it is not often that I see on the ground news out of Ethiopia.
Thank you for sharing your view from Ethiopia. I love hearing how the truth of God’s Word is being spread in places so far away from me. It is wonderful to know that I have brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. Technology certainly has been a blessing in our world. I am never sure what other countries have access to, so it was enlightening to hear that Ethiopia has the same technological resources that I use.
The most interesting part of this article for me was learning about the languages. I am curious as to how you manage with the different languages in your ministry. You said, “The Lutheran Church of Ethiopia and Maor Theological Seminary has already translated the 95 Theses for the 21st Century into Amharic and Oromifa.” To know that these translations have been made is very encouraging. My question for you is how you do the multiple languages in worship services.Is there one language that you use in a service, or do you use both Amharic and Oromifa? Do the differing languages cause you many problems as you evangelize?
Reading your article was wonderful. I have always been looking for an opportunity to do mission work, so hearing any news about the churches in Africa is welcoming to me. I pray that your work in the church continues to be prosperous.
God’s blessings and thank you for contributing to the Conference!
Worship in the language of the people is a must in places where the people could not speak Amharic and Oromifa, And we evangelize, especially, in rural areas by using ministers who speak the language of the people in tose specific areas. When this is not possible, we use translators from those villages.
Having never been to any part of Africa, it is difficult for me always to comprehend what it would be like living there. I know it is a huge continent and culture and resources vary greatly across it, but it was really helpful to get a better understanding of how technology can be used in this culture. The vast use of cellphones, the ongoing translations, and the freedom of religion are all opportunities for the spread of God’s Word that I personally do not often get to hear about. Thank you for your work there and for taking the time to share with this conference so that we can better understand the extent of mission work in the world.
While reading the last section which mentions freedom of religion, I was wondering if religion in Ethiopia is very diverse. Is freedom of religion a relatively new opportunity there? Is there a single religion that is most commonly practiced? Is Christianity often openly accepted or is it still beginning to become more known among the people of your nation?
We are continuing to keep your mission in our prayers, that God may bless and grow your work in Ethiopia.
The freedom of religion in Ethiopia is a relatively new opportunity compared to how religion has been treated by the communist government before the existing government now. And the freedom is for all religion and for each citizen to follow the preferred religion. Given this, more than half of the population in Ethiopia is Christian. And twenty million citizens (around one-fifth of the population of Ethiopia) belong to Protestant denominations, however, the confessional evangelical Lutherans are very few in number.