Church attacked, then closed down and member arrested

A Pentecostal church in Ethiopia has been ordered to stop meeting in a residential area, in the wake of a mob attack on the church, after which a church member was arrested for 'illegal activities' that 'incited religious clashes'.

The Full Gospel Church in Tikil Dingaye, 20km from the historic city of Gondar in Amhara State, previously applied for land on which to build a church, but its application was refused, leading the church to purchase a house in which to meet.

Although Ethiopia guarantees religious freedom on paper, Pentecostal churches in rural areas often face restrictions in a society dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).

The attack on the church took place early in the morning of Sunday 11 June, when a mob destroyed the church's meeting hall, offices and the accommodation of a church worker. They also stole money from church members and assaulted some of them, including one man whose front teeth had to be removed due to the injuries he sustained.

Fanatical opponents

The attackers are thought to have belonged to a student movement called Mahibere Kidusan, which critics accuse of being 'fanatical' in the way it operates to protect the traditions and dominance of the EOC in society. Previously, the group has even been criticised by the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch for 'bringing unfounded charges' by claiming that an evangelical renewal movement in the church was infiltrating EOC-administered seminaries.

Their activities are hardly Christian. In June, a member of the mob is believed to have stolen and handed to police church documents outlining plans for evangelism. A church member was then arrested and charged with 'inciting religious clashes through illegal activities'.

Church leaders reported the attack to the local administration office in Gondar, and asked for protection against further attacks. Instead, they were issued a letter informing them they were no longer allowed to conduct religious services in a residential area.

This is the second attack on churches belonging to the Full Gospel denomination in two months. In July a gang of Muslims armed with machetes attacked the Full Gospel Church in Hirna, a rural town in the Mirab Hararghe Zone east of Addis Ababa.

They, too, were angry about rumours of Christian evangelism. After attacking the church, the gang went to the house of a 27-year-old man and assaulted him. He suffered deep wounds to the back of his head and needed life-saving surgery.

Harassment and violence

Ethiopia is number 22 on the 2017 World Watch List, which ranks thecountries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.

Violence against Christians in Ethiopia is increasing. More than 100 incidents were recorded in 2016, including physical attacks on people and businesses, imprisonment, and murder. Evangelical Christians face challenges from the more conservative Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as the government.

Tigray state in northern Ethiopia is considering adopting a new law that would ban Christians from evangelising outside church compounds and make it difficult for non-Orthodox Christians to own their own church or even meet in a house. But Christians face other forms of harassment. A Muslim who has converted to Christianity will often be shunned by family members, and denied inheritance and child custody rights.

However, the latest (2007) census showed that Christianity is still Ethiopia's main religion (63 per cent of the population), and it is growing. In the last 10 years, indigenous faiths have declined, in most cases yielding to Protestant Christianity, which is said to be the fastest-growing religious group in Ethiopia.