Please pray: Orthodox Christians killed and historic church destroyed in Ethiopia

Recent attacks in the Arsi Zone of Ethiopia have devastated Orthodox Christian communities in multiple areas. Please pray for those traumatised, bereaved and displaced by the attacks.

At least a dozen Orthodox Christians were killed in another flurry of attacks in the Arsi Zone in Ethiopia on 30 May. Homes and buildings were reduced to ashes, including the 101-year-old Telata St. Gabriel Church, and over 280 people have been displaced. 

Fleeing from the terror, believers escaped with church relics and personal belongings. Local sources say that the attackers, who remain unknown, gave warning of their incoming incursion.  

The available information suggests that the aggravators singled out Orthodox believers and churches, as no one else in the predominantly Muslim zone has yet reported similar incidents. 

“Orthodox Christians have been forced from the homes where they were born, raised and built their lives. Their houses were singled out and burned solely because of their religion, and their property and livestock were looted. Those residents who survived the attacks fled with nothing but their faith and identity, and they are now left stranded in open areas without shelter,” Arsi Diocese Public Relation Media reports. 

Please pray 

The Arsi Zone has suffered attacks by armed groups for years. Earlier this year in March, almost 30 believers were killed when a market and a church were stormed by attackers.

 A local source reports, “This specific zone has faced an ongoing pattern of mass casualties and displacements targeting Orthodox Christians, with violence escalating significantly since July 2020. Another mass killing occurred in October 2025, when more than 30 Orthodox Christians were killed and numerous others were displaced.” 

Please pray for believers in Ethiopia, especially for those who have lost loved ones, homes and places of worship in the recent attacks.