Written by: TWR Africa
Article source: JOY! Magazine
According to Joshua Project, a cause which tracks religious affiliations, an estimated 60% of Ethiopia’s population is Christian, of which 20% are evangelical. The Afar people reside solely in the Horn of Africa – mainly in Ethiopia, but also in Djibouti and Eritrea.
The Afar: A Muslim majority
”The Afar region of Ethiopia is [very much] a Muslim community,” explains Ali Ibrahim*, a producer of TWR’s programme, The Way of Righteousness. “Christians are an extreme minority in that region.” It is estimated that only one in 10 000 of the 2,85 million Afar are evangelical Christians. However, the grace of God is beginning to change this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
‘Enamoured with Jesus’
Over the past two decades, the number of Afar believers has increased from about a dozen to hundreds, says Caleb*, who initially co-ordinated a radio ministry among the Afar. To this day, he remains closely attentive to the work. “Resistance is softening simply because of the person of Jesus Christ. They are enamoured with Jesus; they want to know more and are seeing good works happening in their communities.”
The Horn of Africa
In Ethiopia, most of the people groups with large Christian populations are located to the west and south of Addis Ababa. To the east, the people groups – including the Afar, Harari, and Somali – are predominantly Islamic. That is mostly true for the rest of the Horn of Africa as well. According to Joshua Project, Djibouti is 96% and Somalia almost 99% Islamic. In Eritrea, 50% of the population identify as Christian, although less than 3% are evangelical. According to the UN Refugee Agency, the Horn of Africa, afflicted by recurring cycles of drought and floods, remains one of the most impoverished regions on earth. The region’s most severe poverty, from a Christian perspective, is a dire need for the Word of God.
From scholar to believer
Ali Ibrahim, once an Islamic scholar, began comparing the Bible with his Quran after being given an Arabic Bible by workers from World Vision and the Ethiopian Lutheran Church. “In the Bible, it is a love story, a forgiveness story,” Ibrahim stated. This comparison profoundly changed him, leading him to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ, despite increasing challenges. “Life for the Afar is complicated, especially if you are a Christian,” Terefe, the programme director, said. “If you are a Christian, you have to leave that place.”
Teaching through radio
In Addis Ababa, Ibrahim now produces Afar-language programming, translating scripture from Arabic to Afar (Muslim people trust Scripture spoken in Arabic). Despite facing severe threats, including calls for his capture or death, he continues to visit the Afar region to connect with and grow the local Christian community.
13 lives redeemed
Early on in his radio ministry, a group of 13 individuals listened and responded furiously, posting that the Christians were spoiling their religion. But one of them, a soldier, requested more information and later came to faith in Christ. Ibrahim baptised him and this soldier now teaches the Gospel. Over time, all 13 of that first group surrendered their lives to Christ.
A target on his back
Ibrahim became a marked person. Other media were broadcasting warnings, saying that people shouldn’t listen to him. “They published my name in mosques and other places for people to kill me or capture me if ever they found me,” he says. When he travels to the region, Ibrahim finds secret believers who came to faith through his radio ministry. They have no public church buildings, yet people gather in homes, disguised as Muslims. Ibrahim teaches them the basics of the Christian faith and has baptised many. He also equips new believers with audio Bibles.
Covert operations and conversions
Caleb describes the Afar believers as “pre-Pentecostal”. “It is time to convert,” Caleb explained. The covert nature of their work makes it difficult to gauge the acceptance of the Word, but they continue to discreetly assess listeners’ engagement.
Broadcasting across barriers
God’s grace is on display. In addition to Afar, TWR broadcasts in various languages from transmitters in Eswatini. These broadcasts serve as a critical lifeline through which we reach people in the hard-to-reach places on earth. From these broadcasts the secret followers of Jesus Christ derive spiritual nourishment and much needed encouragement.
TESTIMONY
“I have been a listener of this programme [The Way of Righteousness] since 2023 … My dad received Jesus, and he shared this with the family. Hereafter we started having fellowship with believers in secret. Though they told me about Jesus, your radio programme properly explained God’s love for me.”
– an Afar listener
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*Names changed for security purposes
This article is featured in the May issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 11/05/2025
Feature image: Ethiopian Village
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