When Juhar Bekele converted to Christianity in 2016, while living in Hurumu, in the Illu Ababora Zone in eastern Ethiopia, he knew his life would change radically. What he did not imagine was the extent of the price he would pay. In a report published by the ICC (International Christian Concern) on June 15, 2026, Juhar describes how his family, deeply rooted in the Wahhabi strain of Islam that has been expanding in the region, broke completely with him, drove him out of the house, and began to threaten his life. This path is emblematic of the situation of tens of thousands of converts in Muslim communities in eastern Ethiopia.
The persecution of Christians in Ethiopia has two distinct faces. In the eastern regions, dominated by communities under Wahhabi Islamic influence, former Muslims who turn to the gospel face domestic violence, social rejection, and real physical risk. In the regions affected by armed conflict in Tigray and Amhara, Christian communities have been targeted in indiscriminate attacks during the military operations of recent years. The ICC reported in March 2026 that "we cannot ignore the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia," a country that, despite having a Christian majority, is home to pockets of intense persecution along its Islamic borders.
Juhar Bekele represents a common profile on the mission field: the isolated convert, without a community of support, who needs discipleship at a distance and basic resources such as a Bible in his own language and access to other believers. Organizations such as Christian Aid Mission and Voice of the Martyrs work with networks of local churches to identify and support converts like Juhar in hard-to-reach regions, where pastors also take a risk when they visit these brothers and sisters.
Pray for Juhar Bekele and for all the converts from Islam in Ethiopia who face rejection and threats from their own families, that the love of God would sustain them and that nearby Christian communities would welcome them. Intercede that Ethiopian churches in the eastern regions would grow in courage to disciple converts in high-risk contexts. Pray also that the movement of conversions in Muslim communities would continue, and that each persecuted believer would be, paradoxically, the seed of a greater harvest.
