JIMMA, Ethiopia — An Ethiopian minister who converted from Islam in 2016 has been beaten, threatened, and forced to flee from town to town across southwest Ethiopia for nearly a decade, the U.S.-based monitoring group International Christian Concern reported.
Juhar Bekele, a husband and father who now leads an underground house-church ministry, said the persecution began almost immediately after his conversion in Hurumu, Illu Ababora Zone. “After giving my life to Christ, I began sharing the gospel with my community,” Bekele said. “My decision was not accepted by many people around, especially within my Muslim community. As soon as I started spreading the gospel about Jesus, people began to hate me. I knew my life would never be the same.”
The hostility drove Bekele first to Metu, where he was beaten because of his faith, and then to Jimma, where life remained dangerous. He moved several more times because of harassment and threats. In December 2025, Bekele was attacked again while secretly ministering in underground house churches.
“Sometimes I do not sleep peacefully because I fear I will be attacked and even killed,” Bekele said. “But I still believe God has called me to continue his work. Despite living under pressure, I have refused to abandon Christ. I continue preaching the message of Christ in different towns across southwest Ethiopia.”
Bekele’s case fits a broader pattern documented by ICC across Ethiopia, where Christians face violence from multiple sources — including Islamist hostility in the south and west and the lingering aftermath of the Tigray War in the north. The outcome, ICC noted, too often ends in death or displacement.
“I have suffered because of my faith, but I cannot deny Jesus,” Bekele said. “Even when people threaten me, I still want others to know the hope found in Christ.” He acknowledged the toll on his family but said his trust remains firm: “I always feel unsafe wherever I am, but despite the fear, I believe God is with my family and me. He will strengthen me every day.”
International Christian Concern continues to track persecution cases across Ethiopia and is accepting support through its Where Most Needed Fund for ongoing work in the region.