The history of the Ethiopian Church is intriguing. Below is an excerpt with a link through to the original article on the Ethiopian Church presence in Jerusalem.

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Accounts of Ethiopian presence in Jerusalem invoke the Bible to establish the origin of Ethiopian presence in Jerusalem.

Accordingly, some Ethiopians refer to the story of the encounter in Jerusalem between Queen of Sheba–believed to have been a ruler in Ethiopia and environs–and King Solomon, cited, for instance, in I Kings 10: 1-13.

According to this version, Ethiopia’s presence in the region was already established about 1000 B.C. possibly through land grant to the visiting Queen, and that later transformation into Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monastery is an extension of that same property.

Others refer to the New Testament account of Acts 8: 26-40 which relates the conversion to Christianity of the envoy of Ethiopia’s Queen Candace (Hendeke) to Jerusalem in the first century A.D., thereby signaling the early phase of Ethiopia’s adoption of Christianity. This event may have led to the probable establishment of a center of worship in Jerusalem for Ethiopian pilgrims, priests, monks and nuns.

Keeping these renditions as a backdrop, what can be said for certain is the following: Ethiopian monastic activities in Jerusalem were observed and reported by contemporary residents and sojourners during the early years of the Christian era.

By the time of the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem and the region (634-644 A.D.) khalif Omar is said to have confirmed Ethiopian physical presence in Jerusalem’s Christian holy places, including the Church of St. Helena, which encompasses the Holy Sepulchre of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Continue Reading)

“…are men to pray to you and learn to know you through their prayers? Only, how are they to call up on the Lord until they have learned to believe in him? And how are they to believe in him without a preacher to listen to?”[1]
This is a quote from Augustine’s Confessions in which he is speaking to God. It is so important to have people to teach the gospel. It is imperative to have defenders of the faith such as the church fathers; people that no matter what the cost will defend and preach the correct theologies about God’s word. How could Christianity have survived all of these years without teachers? But we have an amazing history because of the sacrifice others have made for the name of our God. Augustine’s statement parallels to Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Augustine probably derived the idea from this scripture. This statement is an encouragement to Christians to go out and preach the Bible as God would have them do. Through the teaching of Christians, future generations have hope of salvation.
[1] St. Augustine, Confessions, trans. R.S. Pine-Coffin (London, England: Penguin Books, 1961), book 1 page 1.