Pray for: Ethiopia

The nation struggles through social, political, and economic crises. The major ethnic groups (Amhara, Tigrinya, Oromo, Somali, Afar) divide themselves largely by geographic region, which gives each more independence at the expense of national unity. As a result, Ethiopia’s stability and power balances are precarious. Corruption increased with economic growth, and a wide gap now exists between the few who are rich and the many who are poor. From 2020, devastating civil conflict – along ethnic lines – erased much of the progress of recent years. The Tigray region – the centre of the previous ruling party’s power – has been attacked by both Ethiopia and Eritrea. The governments blame separatists (or the convenient label of “terrorists”), but many accounts from the region indicate that the local Tigrinya people are subject to atrocities, war crimes, or even genocide. Pray for an end to the terrible violence, and a peace that offers esteem to every region and ethnic group while also enabling a genuine national unity.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is enduring a time of immense change. Centuries of isolation from the rest of the Christian world – as a Christian island in a sea of Islam – helped form its unique culture, theology and traditions. The Orthodox Church is being challenged by the growth of both Islam and contemporary Christian movements, but its roots run deep. Pray for God to bring new vibrancy to this ancient faith.