What Bekele Shanko Taught Me About Partnership

One of the most fascinating podcast conversations I’ve ever had was with the head of the Ethiopian branch of Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), Bekele Shanko. In fact, it wasn’t much of a conversation because most of the time, I found myself gob-smacked by his story and spent most of our exchange listening.

Bekele grew up in a small rural village in south-central Ethiopia. There was no water, electricity, running water, church, or other Christians around. To fill this void, people in the community worshiped anything they could find. Animism was common, and people worshipped all sorts of objects, such as large trees, the moon, and the sun. Witchcraft was rampant, and Bekele’s dad worked for a prominent witch doctor.

In the heart of a polygamous culture, his dad had three wives who had a combined eighteen babies. Twelve of them died. As Bekele described, it was like growing up in a cursed family. If ever his father did not obey the commands of the witch doctor, one of his healthy children would suddenly die.

So certain were they in this curse that when Bekele was born, his parents didn’t bother giving him a name for the first few years of his life. In their minds, Ethiopian names held great meaning, so why name a baby when there was a good chance he would die? Finally, when he turned four, his parents decided on the name Bekele. The name means “he has grown” and speaks of a seed that germinates.  

Thinking it odd that a child from this “cursed family” had survived, the witch doctor saw something in Bekele and asked if he could train him to become his servant—just as Bekele’s father had been. Bekele’s father agreed, and Bekele went into training. Reflecting on this season, Bekele said, “It was a hopeless life under spiritual darkness.”

This is where the story gets a bit crazy, and if you’re not one to believe in the supernatural, you’ll just assume Bekele is either nuts or a flat-out liar. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact of my own supernatural experiences, I’d be inclined to dismiss his words as well.  

A Crazy Story

As Bekele shared, one night when he was five, God sent two angels to visit his father. These heavenly beings explained to Bekele’s father that God was the creator of all the heavens and the earth. And through a vision, Bekele’s father saw into heaven and hell.

Following this extraordinary experience, the angels asked Bekele’s father where he would like to go. Bekele’s father responded that he wanted to go to heaven. The angels smiled at his father and told him they would send two men who would tell him how to get to heaven.

Two days later, God appeared to two men from another village who were illiterate. And God told them to go and tell Bekele’s father that the only way he could get into heaven was if he believed Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for the sins of humanity. That day was a turning point, and it was just the start of a series of miracles Bekele’s family experienced.

Bekele’s father had never been to school as it was never an option. In addition to his work for the witch doctor, his father was a farmer and tended to cattle. One day, while he was working with the cows along the river, he discovered a Bible laying on the ground. He had no idea where it had come from, but he picked it up and started thumbing through the pages. Suddenly, he heard a loud voice say, “This is my word.”

Something in his heart told him to go sit down underneath a tree and look at the book. And thee, Bekele’s father uttered these words, “God, was that your voice? Is this your book? If so, I cannot read it. Can you help me?” He then went on to make God a promise. “If you enable me to read this book, I will teach from it my whole life.”

To his amazement, as soon as he stated these words, he was able to read the text before him.

The Power of Partnership

Hurrying home, Bekele’s father called his entire village to his home. About four hundred men and women showed up in Bekele’s front yard. Rising to his feet, Bekele’s father stood up and shared all that had happened to him in the past few days. He invited people to read the Bible and deny demonic powers. And that night, the entire village came to faith in Christ.

Bekele’s dad would go on to be an evangelist for thirty-seven years. And during that time, the Bible was the only book he could read. When Bekele asked his dad why this was the only book he could read, his father responded that when he read the Bible, it was as if someone was shining a powerful torch over his head.