A new publishing house is giving evangelical leaders hope for the future in Ethiopia. The initiative is supported by representatives from a wide variety of denominations and has seen new Christian material published by local writers.
The Onesimus publishing house was the first serious venture of its kind in Ethiopia, according to the Langham Partnership who supported the project. There is much hope among local scholars that the initiative will lead to better education and training for Ethiopia’s church leaders, as although 18% of the national population of over 129 million is believed to be evangelical, around 90% of its pastors are believed to lack formal training for ministry in the absence of quality material.
Tekalign Duguma, the Ethiopian who started the facility, was converted at a prayer meeting when on the verge of suicide. He has since turned his life around and fulfilled his dream of becoming a Christian publisher.
He spoke about why it is crucial for his nation’s church to have access to books by local authors rather than only being able to read translated writing from other scholars: “Translated materials often fail to fully address the unique cultural, social, and spiritual realities of Ethiopian communities.
“By publishing works authored by local scholars and practitioners who deeply understand these contexts, we aim to provide more relevant and impactful resources for the local church and theological community.”
Langham said that the launch event for Onesimus was attended by around 400 people. They hope it will act as a “foundation for a generation of future Christians in Ethiopia,” with plans to publish 90 books in the next few years already in place.
