The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Partnership Ethiopia is the oldest independent state in Africa. Situated on the northeast-african highlands, the country forms a kind of bridge between two continents, Asia and Africa. During its long history, Ethiopia has become a meeting point for many ethnic groups and cultures. The former name of the country until 1945, Abyssinia, means 'mixed people'.
Ethnic pluralism becomes apparent through a variety of languages and cultural diversity.
The official languages are Amharic and English. In addition, nearly 90 other languages with hundreds of dialects are spoken. Six of these language groups count more than one million speakers each. In the Bible, Acts 8th, we learn how Philip baptized a minister of the queen of Ethiopians, who might have been the first Ethiopian Christian. A Syrian, Frument, is regarded as the apostle of Ethiopia, who in the 4th century contributed to the conversion of the king of Acsom into Christianity.