The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is one of the oldest churches in the world with more than 3,000 years history (1,000 years of that in Judaism and 2,000 years in Christianity). EOTC is the only African founding member of the World Council of Churches. The history of Ethiopia is largely influenced by the history of the Church which has contributed significantly to the modern civilization of the country. It has served as an education ministry for many years, being the only institute for basic education in the old days. It has contributed the unique Ethiopian alphabet and provided the basic framework of Ethiopian literature. As the state religion for more than 1,000 years, EOTC has significantly influenced the culture and tradition of the country. Not surprisingly, most tourist attractions like orthodox church buildings and monasteries are properties of the Church whose involvement and determination significantly symbolized the sovereignty of the country. It plays a major role in strengthening national identity and mobilizing its followers at times of foreign invasion like the battle of Adwa. The Church currently has more than 35,000 parishes and monasteries, more than 40 million followers and 6.5 million registered Sunday school members while running 10 clergy training centers, three theological colleges and more than 10,000 traditional Church schools.

EOTC currently runs its spiritual, social and developmental activities through 44 dioceses and 481 administrative zones. Church management comprises clergy and laity at parish, woreda and zonal council and at the patriarchate Head Office General Assembly. EOTC used to possess one third of the land property in the country but since the Derge regime separated Church and State, EOTC has been securing its financial resources from its members. With all these comparative advantages, EOTC can reach all corners of the country within the shortest possible time. The high credibility of and respect for the clergy make EOTC ideally positioned to accelerate social and developmental endeavours.

The moral authority of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is widely respected not only among church members, but within the Government, academia, business, social service organization, NGO and community circles and also internationally within Africa and beyond. The Church has managed to blend a fundamental affirmation of the faith with many measures that help to contextualize and emphasize its relevance in today's world. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is naturally a community-based organization. It operates locally with a high degree of voluntarism, dialogue, interaction and other elements essential for sustainable social development. The Church is a great mobilizer of energy and can bring vast masses of people together within the shortest possible time.