Ethiopia

“Princes shall come out of Egypt,
Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto
God”
Psalms 68:31

Every  prophesy  in  the  Bible  has
a  time  for  literal  fulfillment.  That is also the case with the prophesy about  Ethiopia,  which  is  quoted above.   The Reformation message for the Laodecian period is gaining a stronghold in the African continent and   it   has   recently   entered   the very strategic territory of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a relatively vast country with   a   population   of   over   75 million  inhabitants.    The  country is located in the north east of   the African Continent, just 4° north of the  equator.   About  two  thirds  of the population are Christians, while the rest is composed of Muslim and other pagan religions.
Ethiopia  is  a  country  with  a  rich biblical history as well as a unique political   background   for   Africa. As  we        know            from   the   Bible information, many years before the birth of Christ, the Queen of Sheba
(in Ethiopia) visited King Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9:1-12).
Besides   learning   from   Solomon about  his  God  and  his  wisdom, during  the  brief  time  she  stayed with him, she conceived and later bore a child who became the head of a minor tribe in Ethiopia, known as  “Phalangists”,  who  even  today believe  to  be  the  descendants  of Solomon  and  therefore  have  been recognized  as  “Jews”  in  Ethiopia.

Some    of    them    have    recently immigrated to Israel.
Again, in the Apostolic Era, as we read in Acts 8:26-39, the princes of Ethiopia  (Cush)  used  to  come  to Jerusalem for worship service, and it  was  thus  that  Christianity  was introduced in Ethiopia, while other parts of the continent were still in darkness.
Even today, in the royal museum, one  can  find  old  paintings  related to the ministry of Jesus Christ and His disciples extending the gospel message.
Politically  and  culturally,  Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that has never been colonized by any foreign power or nation.
Italians  attempted  to  rule  Ethiopia but were defeated in the battlefield. They   only   managed   to   colonize the  region  of  Erithrea,  which  later separated from Ethiopia and became
a sovereign state.
For  many  centuries,  the  Royal government  of  Ethiopia  was  very strong  and  has  had  an  advanced system of government.
They have a unique national language derived   from   an   Aramaic   tribe. English  is  now  being  introduced as a foreign language for the sake of communication.  Also the staple traditional food is very special and unique.

During  my  first  missionary  visit to   this   country,   in   December,
2005, answering  the invitation of brother Gebre Assefa and brother Sileshe- chairman of a big group which  has  been  separated  from the SDA Church for the past seven years, I was surprised to hear that apart  from  this  group,  there  is no  splinter  or  independent  SDA group as we have experienced in other countries.
I  was  very  curious  to  know  how it   is   possible,   since   the   SDA church  in  Ethiopia  has  the  same weaknesses  and  problems  as  in other countries. The answer I got is   that   the   Ethiopians   are   very united and careful in weighing and scrutinizing  any  information  and evidences before taking decisions. The   group   that   separated   from the  SDA  Church  back  in  1998, constitutes  the  greater  number  of members   in   the   whole   country and  is  well  organized  at  the  level of   local             churches,         fields   and Union.      Formerly   they   did   not form a different organization apart from  the  established  SDA Church because  of  some  bitter  experience and persecution inflicted upon them by the SDA church leadership. The Church has reported them to the civil authority  to  be  apprehended.  This fact  motivated  them  to  investigate

in  order  to  know  more  about the  reformation  groups,  and  in their  endeavor,  while  searching in   Internet,   they   came   across our  GC  web  site  whereby  they came to learn about the existence of  the  International  Missionary Society,  SDA  Church,  Reform Movement. Therefore, they made a Macedonian call to our General Conference who sent me there. After  my  first  visit,  a  series  of intensive   seminars   have   been organized.  In April 2006 a health and spiritual seminar was planned to  be  conducted  by  brother  Idel Suarez, brothers Tzvetan  Petkov and Parmenas Shirima.
Since there are many places to be visited to meet interested   souls, more              seminars          and      spiritual meetings are needed in different parts of the country.  Most of the leaders  have  shown  a  positive stand for our Reform Church and we are working to reach as many members as possible from among those  who  separated  from  the SDA Church, which amount well over 50,000. This means that we have to consider acquiring places of   worship   because   the   SDA Church is claiming the properties the           groups use         for      worship service, which originally belong to them.

Considering God’s hand is working to bless His children in Ethiopia, it is high time for His faithful children worldwide to be aware of the time in which we are living and aid God’s work.
IMS News
Vol. 5 March 2006
No. 3

“We should have a sprit of progress.
We must guard continually against being fixed in our views, feelings, and actions. The work of God is onward.
Reforms must be carried on, and we must take hold and help move on the car of reform. Energy, tempered with patience and ambition, and balanced by wisdom, is now needed by every Christian.” 3T, p.540.

Ethiopia’s hand is now stretched out, will you make a special sacrifice and contribute to their blessings? May God reward your understanding.
–Parmenas N. Shirima
Regional Representative