On the History of Ethiopian Gospel Music

Source: Tibebe Eshete (2009). The Evangelical Movement in Ethiopia: Resistance and Resilience. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.
[Secure your copy from Baylor University Press]


Yonas Gorfe in the chapter on the history of Ethiopian gospel music in his book Bet Yataw Betegna:

The youth who set off the revival movement were university students with close relationships to different western programs, such as:

  • the American Peace Corps
  • the English program conducted at the SIM mission station
    (located in the vicinity of Black Lion Hospital)
  • the conferences of Mennonite missionaries in Nazareth
    (now called Adama)
  • the annual revival program run by the Swedish Pentecostal Mission in Hawassa
  • the Finnish Pentecostal mission in the Merkato area of Addis Ababa
  • the Ethiopian University Students Christian Fellowship (which merged with other groups to form the Evangelical Students and Graduates Union of Ethiopia, EvaSUE)
  • and the Mekane Yesus young peoples’ youth hostels (which translated Christian songs popular in America and published them in the hymnal Mezmur lewotatoch)

Documentary on “how worship service began in Ethiopa”:
(Wengel Tube channel on YouTube):