Ethiopia Court Releases Jailed Evangelists
Thursday, October 29, 2009 (6:38 am)
By BosNewsLife Africa Service
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa were anticipating the return Thursday, October 29, of two evangelists who were imprisoned for three months on what believers said were "false charges" of "offering money for conversion" and "insulting" the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).
Last Friday, October 23, a local court in Debiretabor acquitted Temesgen Alemayehu and Tigist Welde Amanuel on the “insulting” charge, which was made by fellow inmates, opening the doors to freedom, Christians said.
Last month they already won an appeal at a Supreme Court against their imprisonment for allegedly paying people to convert to Christianity. That penalty was reduced to a 500 birr ($40) fine, Christians explained.
"Thank you to those who prayed for us," Alemayehu said in a statement distributed by Christian news agency Compass Direct News. "The enemy has tried to frustrate us and delay our freedom, but through prayers and God’s intervention, we are now released from prison. We thank those who prayed on our behalf," Amanuel added.
Both men of Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa, had gone to Debiretabor in Ethiopia's Amhara state in July to help establish a church.
However observers say the local population if is predominantly EOC and hostile towards evangelicals. The two Christians’ arrests reportedly stemmed from a July 19 incident in which passersby began to question them as they were preaching on a roadside.
Christians said a heated argument led to a group attack on the two evangelists , wounding Alemayehu. Amanuel reportedly sustained minor injuries. Church leaders in Debiretabor also said Alemayehu was suffering from kidney infections and had sought permission to get treatment, but that prison officials refused. Officials could not be reached for comment.
A group within the EOC known as 'Mahibere Kidusan' or 'Fellowship of Saints' had allegedly incited its activist to attack the two men. Mahibere Kidusan has not issued an official statement, however Christian say the group opposes reform movements within the EOC and views evangelical Christianity as as threat.
The two evangelists were expected to return to Addis Ababa shortly, Christians said.
There has been opposition towards evangelists within Ethiopia's Orthodox Church.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa were anticipating the return Thursday, October 29, of two evangelists who were imprisoned for three months on what believers said were "false charges" of "offering money for conversion" and "insulting" the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).
Last Friday, October 23, a local court in Debiretabor acquitted Temesgen Alemayehu and Tigist Welde Amanuel on the “insulting” charge, which was made by fellow inmates, opening the doors to freedom, Christians said.
Last month they already won an appeal at a Supreme Court against their imprisonment for allegedly paying people to convert to Christianity. That penalty was reduced to a 500 birr ($40) fine, Christians explained.
"Thank you to those who prayed for us," Alemayehu said in a statement distributed by Christian news agency Compass Direct News. "The enemy has tried to frustrate us and delay our freedom, but through prayers and God’s intervention, we are now released from prison. We thank those who prayed on our behalf," Amanuel added.
Both men of Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa, had gone to Debiretabor in Ethiopia's Amhara state in July to help establish a church.
However observers say the local population if is predominantly EOC and hostile towards evangelicals. The two Christians’ arrests reportedly stemmed from a July 19 incident in which passersby began to question them as they were preaching on a roadside.
Christians said a heated argument led to a group attack on the two evangelists , wounding Alemayehu. Amanuel reportedly sustained minor injuries. Church leaders in Debiretabor also said Alemayehu was suffering from kidney infections and had sought permission to get treatment, but that prison officials refused. Officials could not be reached for comment.
A group within the EOC known as 'Mahibere Kidusan' or 'Fellowship of Saints' had allegedly incited its activist to attack the two men. Mahibere Kidusan has not issued an official statement, however Christian say the group opposes reform movements within the EOC and views evangelical Christianity as as threat.
The two evangelists were expected to return to Addis Ababa shortly, Christians said.
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October 29th, 2009 at 8:11 am
you said you are followers of GOD. BUT YOU ACCUSED MAHIBERE KIDUSAN> I AM NOT THAT MUCH SURPRISED OF YOUR LIES ,BECAUSE YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER AND HE IS AFATHER OF ALL LIES. Where do you getthe meaning”FELLWSHIP OF SIANTS?”. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN THE TRUTH OPEN YOUR EYES,EARS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR HEART GOD WILL TEACH YOU THE TRUTH FROM THE ONE AND ONLY CHURCH,TEWAHEDO.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Believers of the orthodox church are peaceful and have kept our country united. why do foreigners want to destroy this heaven on hearth, people who live by the truth? We have been living peacefully for thousands of years by the teachings of the bible including teachings rejected by the rest of christianity.Why do we have to fight to keep our own Ethiopian belief system in our country?
We have all seen This evangelicans in the US and how polarized they make the country. All Ethiopia needs is a united country, not fake religion.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am
… FOR CHRIST’S SAKE HAVE A PROPER INFORMATION ABOUT MK!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Dear Daniel and Marg,
These evangelists were NOT foreigners, but Ethiopians. They do not have a religion, but a personal relationship with Christ which they wanted to share with others. Apparently that is now allowed in that region.
Stefan J. Bos
October 29th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Mr, stefan,
Your evangelical movement is not welcomed in my group of people, so we ask u to satay way funding, mobilizing…etc! i can write you how you are related with those so called native evangelists, i know the inn and outs of who they r, who support them…etc! Evangelicals are the arm of the western church groups who want to dominate the nation with their luthran, calvinist, and diluted version of catholocism!!! why do not you preach it to the rich tele evangelists, the homosexuals, to the gay leaders of your evangelical belivers!! you have been trying to do it for a long time-but it will not work! So save your american people
October 29th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Dear Mr Stefan Bos,
With all due respect, I am not sure I understand your concept of “personal relationhip with GOD”. You’re trying to take the high road and make people who follow Orthodoxy seem like a group concerned about RELIGIOUS dogmatic values and principles as opposed to ‘communicating with GOD’ one to one. But, believe me I have heard it all, thats just full of crap. I have seen and heard all the sinful activities Evangelicals brought to our country. If we do analysis regarding the pros/cons of Evangelical activity in Ethiopia, unfortunately the result is a BIG NO NO for this ‘imported’ religion ( ooops, I meant to say ‘personal relationship with GOD’).
About the people who are being released, YES they are Ethiopian and not foreigners, I didn’t miss that part when I mentioned the involvement of foreigners in our country. But all their ACTIONS speaks of a work of a foreigner, so I think of them as puppets of a political party masking itself in the form of religion to spread its influence in our HOLY spiritual country.
BTW, I have come across lots and lots of religions, so far I find this religion to be very destructive in its nature. Ethiopia has always enjoyed Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism, animists, pagans, … etc but unfortunately this one religion in a very short period of existence in the country, has created animosity and divide, WHICH IS THE LASTTING THING PEOPLE need to be divided by. So, for GOD’s sake please stop activities in Ethiopia, WE DO NOT NEED YOU.
FYI: I am not a member of mahebere kedusan, but I do know people who used to be members in a University setting, and I heard only great things. So, back off our BELOVED country. See if they will let you preach that in Saudi-Arabia or in the middle of the Vatican, thats how we see our country.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:54 am
What is the criteria you used to measure whether a religion is true or fake?
If the measure is Bible, yes it is all about truth and the truth shall set as all free. When you press down truth, it will multply. This is not new development. What is foreign and local is also controversial. In history class we learned that Chritianity was introduced to Ethiopia in 4th century. What does that mean? We have to respect each others religious right, freedom of speech and worship. You can discredit one’s teaching by exposing the truth not by hatrade and name calling.
As a country we are now facing serios problems. We have to accomodate our differences and work for common good.
God bless
October 30th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I see my last post yesterday @ 5pm EST US, was not posted on your website. That is Okay by me, because most people in the country have seen how evangelical Christians are destroying the unity the people had, and are fighting back.
The sad truth is both orthodox and Evangelicals are Christians, so its like fighting in family in the greater context of things. But, the difference is the way it is practiced, spirituality is very important to the poor farmers in rural Ethiopia as it is directly affects there life, especially if it relates to them. But, these new Christians have absolutely no respect for the Orthodox church, Islam, animists, …etc They want to change people to follow them like RIGHT NOW! They have already destroyed most of the south of the country, but the NORTH is still strong believers they haven’t backed down and it will continue that way.
Again, report on POSITIVE NEWS, PLEASE!
These 2 days is the first time I have been to your website, but by looking around your site, you don’t strike me as a news organization dedicated to the vaules of a professional journalist. Most of the garbage on your site is negative news, like muslims killed christians or corruption in country XY …etc The world is changing, however slow, towards peace and tolerance, but there will always be violence amongst different groups.
I am OUT
October 30th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Dear Daniel,
There may have been a delay in posting your previous message due to technical reasons. We have posted them both, unchanged. Unfortunately we can no longer allow people to post in real-time as this was misused by spammers. Our news agency is dedicated to persecution news and/or related developments. So for funny stories or gossips you may have to visit another site. I am sure there are sinful evangelicals. As a matter of fact the Bible says “…All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11-12). However in Christ, the Bible says, people are made new. John 5:24 says: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” And John 11:25-26 reports: “Jesus said to her: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’ 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” I think the evangelists just wanted to share their faith with others. They do not represent a party or a foreign country. You said you are somewhat confused about a personal relationship with God. Many people are. What they
wanted to explain that it doesn’t matter to which church you belong. Gods word, the Bible, is all what counts.
Stefan J. Bos
October 30th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Why do they try to “evangelize” the EVANGELIZED sons and daughters of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Why don’t they go and help those who suffer in spirit in countries like Saudi Arabia?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:24 am
Ethiopian church will not be destroyed by the followers of devil i.e all those who don’t accept Jesus as God.U better go & teach ur groups like Saudi,Somalia,Iran…
Chala