A letter from Rich and Marilyn Hansen in Ethiopia
February 2013
Dear Friends in Christ,
In our first newsletter of 2013, we have some exciting news to share!
First of all, we are deeply grateful to those of you who have told us that you have been praying about whether we would extend our time in Ethiopia beyond our initial three-year commitment, which ends this June, 2013. As we sought God’s leading last fall, it became more and more clear, as students expressed their appreciation of Rich and we saw the impact EGST is making on Ethiopian church and society, that the Lord wanted us to continue. So just before Christmas we informed EGST and the PC(USA) that we will stay another academic year. We will now end our term here about the end of June 2014.
One of the factors in our decision is displayed in the chart below. As the only Christian graduate school for 18 million Protestants in Ethiopia, EGST is educating the young men and women who, over the next 40 years, will become leaders of the third largest Christian nation in the world!! The PC(USA) has designated Ethiopia as a “strategic country” for mission. This chart shows the wisdom of that decision, and also why we believe our continued work here will have a significant impact—not only on the future of Ethiopia but also on global Christianity in the 21st century.
Countries with the Largest Christian Population, 2010 vs. 2050
Rank in 2010 Rank in 2050
1. United States 243,186,000 1. United States 329,343,000
2. Brazil 174,700,000 2. Brazil 235,666,000
3. Mexico 105,095,000 3. Ethiopia 179,493,000
4. Russia 99,775,000 4. Congo (DRC) 170,380,000
5. Philippines 90,530,000 5. Philippines 158,895,000
6. Nigeria 76,281,000 6. Mexico 139,773,000
7. China 66,959,000 7. Nigeria 127,374,000
8. Congo (DRC) 63,825,000 8. Uganda 113,415,000
9. Italy 55,070,000 9. Russia 76,759,000
10. Ethiopia 54,978,000 10. China 71,208,000
Source: Wikipedia, "Christian Population Growth"
(assumes the percentage of Christians in each country remains the same in 2050 as in 2010)
Here’s our second piece of news. Because we will be staying an additional year, we will be spending two months in the U.S. this coming summer (2013) on “interpretation assignment” visiting churches and sharing what God is doing here in the Horn of Africa. We would like very much to see you and share about our ministry in Ethiopia. Beginning now, we will be scheduling visits to churches and presbyteries that have been involved in our ministry as well as churches and presbyteries that are not yet involved. (This could be preaching, Sunday School classes, Bible studies, youth groups, men’s/women’s groups, classes at a college/seminary, mission committees, presbytery/synod meetings, etc.)
If you would like us to visit, please contact us as soon as possible. Our window for speaking will be approximately the second half of June and the entire month of July. We hope to schedule several visits in the same general geographical location in order to be good stewards of time and money. We plan to spend time in the Washington, D.C./Virginia area, the Los Angeles/Central California area, and the southern Indiana area, so we would especially appreciate an invitation from those of you who live in these areas. If you can help connect us with other churches and/or the presbytery in your area, that would be helpful.
As far as expenses, we are paid our normal salary during this speaking time and do not expect any honorariums. However, in most cases, travel, food and lodging expenses are not paid. One reason for combining speaking visits geographically is so that inviting churches can share expenses. We can be very flexible as far as expenses: we would be happy to stay in homes, use borrowed cars, use frequent flyer miles for airfare, or any other means to reduce costs. If expenses cannot be covered, please let us know and we will try to find funding.
We have a story to tell about Ethiopia, Christianity in Ethiopia, and our lives here. We are excited to be able to share it with you.
With gratitude for your partnership,
Rich and Marilyn
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 107
Read more about Rich and Marilyn Hansen’s ministry
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