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Pentecostalism in Ethiopia

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Pentecostalism in Ethiopia

Pentecostalism (included within the evangelical category of P'ent'ay) is a Christian religious movement with a presence in Ethiopia. With their respective organizations combined, Pentecostals maintain an Ethiopian constituency of approximately 6 million members. Ethiopia's current prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn is a member of the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia, a Oneness Pentecostal organization.

History

In 1951, Anna-Liisa and Sanfrid Mattson traveled from Finland to Ethiopia and established a Pentecostal mission in Addis Ababa. In 1960, a mission was created in Awasa by the Swedish Philadelphia Church Mission. Pentecostalism, during the 1960s, attracted many students, and the movement grew enough that the Full Gospel Believer’s Church (FBGC) was created in 1967.[1] Pentecostal practices eventually affected other Protestant denominations in Ethiopia, particularly the Lutheran church.[2][3][4]

Persecution

The appeal for an officially recognized Pentecostal organization was rejected by the royal government. This was only the beginning of political repression which accelerated in the 1970s. On one 1972 Sunday alone, 250 worshipers were arrested. In 1979, the Derg government shut down the Addis Ababa FBGC church.[5]

Oneness Pentecostalism

In the 1969, an Ethiopian minister named Teklemariam Gezahagne converted to Oneness Pentecostalism. The United Pentecostal Church missionaries were “required to leave in 1972.” Their church was registered as the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia. Although still technically tied to the UPC, the ACE began to assert its independence to the point of 1.5 million members in 2000. Teklemariam espoused a new Christological doctrine which led to an official split. [6]

Current Statistics

As of 2011, both the FGBC and HBC maintain constituencies of 500,000. The Oneness ACE has 500,000.[7]

References

  1. ^ Haustein, Jörg (2011). Writing Religious History: The Historiography of Ethiopian Pentecostalism. Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 14. ISBN 9783447065283.
  2. ^ Haustein, Jörg (June, 2011). "Charismatic Renewal, Denominational Tradition and the Transformation of Ethiopian Society" (PDF). Evangelisches Missionswerk in Deutschland (EMW). {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Djaleta, Tesso. A Critical Survey of the Development of Charismatic Influences in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. (Unpublished Master's Thesis). University of Liverpool.
  4. ^ Godebo, Yacob (2011). The Impact of the Charismatic Movement and Related Tensions on the Traditional Lutheran Worship of the South Central Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Since 1991. PhD Thesis (University of Liverpool).
  5. ^ Haustin, Jörg (2011). Writing Religious History: The Historiography of Ethiopian Pentecostalism. Harrassowitz Verlag. pp. 14–15. ISBN 9783447065283.
  6. ^ Reed, David (2014). Robeck, Cecil; Yong, Amos (eds.). Then and Now: The Many Faces of Global Oneness Pentecostalism. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9781107007093. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Haustein, Jörg (2011). Writing Religious History: The Historiography of Ethiopian Pentecostalism. Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 17. ISBN 9783447065283.
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