Missionary Dilemmas in Times of Persecution Case Ethiopia

Abstract

Under the Communist regime in Ethiopia, 1974-1991, the evangelical churches were subject to severe persecution, with more than 3,000 church buildings closed and pastors imprisoned, tortured, and killed. In this situation a group of missionaries was asked by the leadership of the Lutheran church to pass on information to the Lutheran World Federation. This was a politically charged request and, therefore, a risky undertaking. At the same time the harassment of the churches constituted serious breaches of human rights. This article explores the dilemmas of conscience of the missionaries and how the dilemmas were solved. At the same time, the article sheds light on dilemmas of missions and churches, locally and internationally, in relation to brutal dictatorships. It also shows how a church is forced from a position of critical engagement in society to submission and silence.