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amed the Berhan Media Ministry (BMM), the Lutheran Hour Ministry (LHM) center in Ethiopia was opened in the capital city of Addis Ababa December 1996.
At one time, radio outreach in Ethiopia would have been a possibility.
However, '' The Radio Voice of the Gospel, " a radio station belonging to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), was confiscated by the now defunct military regime about 30 years ago.

Since then, the broadcast of religious programs over the radio has been prohibited by the government, which owns all the stations in the country.
Religious programs have only been allowed during public holidays. The only way for Ethiopians to hear religious radio programs is by tuning into stations located outside of Ethiopia, such as Trans World Radio from South Africa.
The BMM is conducting an extensive Bible correspondence course to help spread the Word of God in Ethiopia.
More than 63,000 people enrolled from 1997 to November 2004 after the course was announced through local magazine and newspaper advertisements, as well as on posters and contact persons.
Most of the correspondents are "Unchurced," as well as people form traditional religious backgrounds.
Some are newly converted Christians who are interested in studying the Word of God. Some people from other religions are also taking the courses.
Several Lutheran Hour Ministries booklets are being translated into local languages. These booklets will serve to support the Bible correspondence courses by addressing many of the questions triggered by these studies.

Ethiopia is a landlocked country located on the Horn of Africa, in the northeastern part of the country. It covers more than 435,606 square miles (1,128,176 sq km), making it approximately the same size as Texas and California combined.
Ethiopia is the oldest independents nation in the world, with a history that spans more than 3,000 years. It is known as the "Land of the Queen of Sheba," the " birthplace of the Nile " and " cradle of mankind."
Amharic, a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Arabic, is the official language of the country. Amharic, Tigrigna and Oromiffa are the most widely spoken languages. However, more than 80 other tongues are spoken as well. With dialects, the figure rises to more than 200.
Though only 12 percent of its land is arable, Ethiopia's economy is based almost entirely on subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Wealth is often measured in the size of a person's cattle herd. Coffee is the main cash crop, accounting for 60 percent of all export earnings.
Ethiopia is divided into 14 states and two autonomous cities (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa). Each state has its own parliament, but the local leaders are ultimately responsible to the federal governments. A president, elected by parliament is the head of state while the Prime Minister is head of the government and has strong executive authority.

Ethiopia's population is nearly 70 million people. Historical tensions between the various ethnic groups remains a problem for the nation. Small factions of these groups are still fighting for the their autonomy. This animosity makes it very difficult to create unity or to build a sense of national identify among Ethiopians.

While Addis Ababa, the capital has nearly 2,887,000 (2005 CSA projection) inhabitants; most people live in rural areas. The extended family is prominent throughout the country.

About 40 percent of all Ethiopian belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which has been a leading cultural influence since the fourth century A.D. This autonomous, Christian church is headed by a patriarch and is closely related to the Coptic Church of Egypt.

Ethiopian Christians are quick to point out that their country's ruler's long ago adopted Christianity before many western nations were exposed to it. In fact, the Evangelical Church (Lutheran) Mekane Yesus has nearly four million members and is fast growing.
Muslims account for 40% while Protestant 10.2%; Catholic 0.9 of the total population (CSA June 1999). Much of the rest of the people of Ethiopia believe in animism, with traditional religious beliefs that stress a reverence for all living things.

Pray, praise, and give thanks for the opportunity to bring the Good News of God's love and salvation to the people of Ethiopia.
Become a sponsor of this ministry or increase the level of your support so these people may come to truly know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Help others experience the joy of bringing the people of Ethiopia to Christ by sharing the LHM story.
For more information, call the Internationals Ministries Department at
1-800-944-3450.

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