P'ent'ay (from , also transliterated as
Pentay or
Pente) is an Amharic and Tigrinya language term for a Christian of
Protestant denomination, widely used in modern-day
Ethiopia and
Eritrea and among Ethiopians and Eritreans living abroad. It is used to describe
Christians who are not members of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo,
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo,
Roman Catholic or
Ethiopian Catholic churches. The term
P'ent'ay is a shortening of the word "Pentecostal", however, it is widely used when referring to all Protestant Christians whether they are actual
Pentecostals or not. The equivalent rendition in many other languages is
Evangelicals. The four major Evangelical denominations in Ethiopia are: the
Kale Heywet (Word of Life);
Mekane Yesus (Place of Jesus) or
Lutheran;
Mulu Wongel (Full Gospel) and
Meserete Kristos (meaning "Christ foundation") or
Mennonite. Some P'ent'ay communities - especially Mekane Yesus - have been influenced by the Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which represents mainstream, traditional Ethiopian Christianity. But for the most part they are very Pentecostal in their worship and theology.