Dear Friends,
Thank you for interceding with us this week for Habtamu Kebede in Ethiopia.
The second most populous African country, Ethiopia is home to nearly 118 million people. According to 2016 data, approximately 68% of Ethiopians are Christians (44% Orthodox, 23% Protestant, 1% Catholic) and 31% are Muslims. Please pray for Ethiopia as the ongoing war between Tigray regional leaders and the federal government has left hundreds of thousands dead, millions displaced, and many more traumatized by rape and threatened by famine. In March, the Ethiopian government declared a humanitarian truce to allow aid to reach millions facing starvation in northern Ethiopia, though ethnic violence persists, most recently in western Ethiopia.
Habtamu is pursuing a PhD in Contextual Theology at Asian Theological Seminary (Philippines), a client of the Vital SustainAbility Initiative (VSI). His dissertation develops a biblical theology of prophecy for Ethiopian Pentecostal and Evangelical churches. Since 2008, Habtamu has taught at Ethiopian Full Gospel Theological Seminary (Addis Ababa), also a VSI client. He also serves as Treasurer for the Association of Evangelical Theological Institutions in Ethiopia (AETIE). Habtamu is married to Netsanet Alemu Hanano and they have two sons: ten-year-old Nathan and eight-year-old Dan.
Habtamu shares the following message:
My name is Habtamu Solomon Kebede. I am an Ethiopian doing my PhD at Asian Theological Seminary (ATS) in Manila (Philippines). My field of study is contextual theology. Currently, I am working on my dissertation proposal. I am studying from my home country and travel to the Philippines occasionally.
I am on the faculty at the Ethiopian Full Gospel Theological Seminary (EFGTS) which belongs to the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers’ Church. Our denomination has more than three thousand local churches. Our seminary offers undergraduate and master’s programs in theology. We also offer a diploma in theology through distance education. The seminary accepts students from several Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations across the country.
Prayer Requests
1. I am currently working on my proposal. Please pray for that I may complete my proposal successfully.
2. Our seminary (EFGTS) is in the process of seeking accreditation for its BA in Bible and Theology. Please pray for wise preparation.
3. Please pray for peace in Ethiopia. There are ethnic-based conflicts in several parts of the country.
Kind Regards,
Habtamu Kebede