At SCH, we are standing on the shoulders of Christian pioneer missionaries and missionary doctors who went before us. As we approach our ten-year anniversary in a few months, we thought we’d take a look at where we began, and how far God has brought us.
Dr. Thomas Lambie was a medical missionary with the American Presbyterian Mission working among the Sudanese Nuer people. In 1918, he became the first American missionary in Ethiopia when he sailed up the Baro River and began working among the people of the Wellega region. He labored there for the next 10 years, founding a hospital, a school, and a vibrant church. At this point, he combined forces with two other missionaries – Albert Rhoad and George Buxton – and founded Abyssinian Frontiers Mission.
Now at that time, Christianity had not made its way into the southern part of Ethiopia. At least fifty different people groups occupied the south, and most were engaged in animistic worship and witchcraft. Some accounts say they were devoted to the occult and the “worship of Satan”. Dr. Lambie and his colleagues were deeply burdened by this and desired to penetrate this area with the Gospel. Abyssinian Frontiers Mission merged with the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), and was given permission to set up a mission station in the South. The most logical place at that time was Soddo.
The governor of Soddo was a man named Dejazmatch Yigezu who providentially had been a patient of Dr. Lambie’s in Wellega. He remembered the doctor, and welcomed the missionaries. (In addition, the missionaries had the support of Emperor Haile Selassie since the magistrates of Wellega had spoken highly of them). The mission station in Soddo was established by 1929, and evangelistic efforts were spreading out from there to Sidamo (Yirga Alem), and Gamo Gofa (Arba Minch).
It should be noted that Soddo was chosen as the main hub because of its easy access to Addis Ababa. At that time, it took two weeks with a mule caravan to reach Soddo from Addis. But this was considered a good distance for fetching supplies, and yet still to be a good launching point to reach the South!
In the next post, we’ll tell you how the Church in Soddo began under the mission work of the Lambies and others…
[ois skin=”Blog Post Share”]
I lived in Sodo in 1974 – 1975 and visited frequently the hospital on the hill. I became friends with a doctor and his nurse wife, Kent and Carrie (sp?) Martin.
I was evacuated during the revolution when Megistu consolidated power and murdered many people.
Is the hospital still there and operating?
I appreciate and thank you for reading and replying my question below.
I am Molla Gojam, minister in the Church.
I learned from our Church fathers 1. Ertiiro/ Shugute Dadda (Abadunago), 2. Sofeebo/ Abagolee Nunemo, 3. Sebiro (Abadogiso) Wosoro, 4, Retebo Amelee, 5. Mrs. Hekella Amelee, . . . ect
They told me/us as that “the first missionary to arrive to Hosanna, Hadiyya Zone was the American led by Dr. Lambie, the team starting from Addis Ababa they sojourned at Mereqo,and moved forward and reached to Hasanna “.
Would you please help me telling all about the first missionary, the names, the right time, and how they expand the Protestant Christianity in the South part of Ethiopia.
Honour to the mission visionaries and to those who took part involving in to sacrificial act to save the unsaved.
Thank you for your kind heart in all you made.
With all respect to the work and life of Dr. Lambie, please edit your article to remove the misinformation regarding evangelistic efforts in Southern Ethiopia. There were several godly men and women that gave their lives in service to the cause of Christ in those regions before Dr. Lambie even set foot in Ethiopia. Please inform yourself by reading any one of many books written on the subject, especially the late Dr. Gustav Aren’s masterpiece “Evangelical Pioneers of Ethiopia”. Thank you.
M T Asfaw Matthews:
thank you for your comment. The quotation on our website was an extract from the SIM website history of the ministry in Ethiopia.