Dereje Bekele was born in 1962 in Arsi, Ethiopia. He is married and has five sons. During the years of the Ethiopian revolution (1974–1991), he left the country and lived in Somali...view moreDereje Bekele was born in 1962 in Arsi, Ethiopia. He is married and has five sons. During the years of the Ethiopian revolution (1974–1991), he left the country and lived in Somalia and the Middle East. He then returned home and served as a schoolteacher for ten years until he sensed a call to the ministry, which led him to pursue a degree in theology. Upon graduation, he served as a Bible school instructor and later as head of church growth and evangelism for fifteen years. Dereje has authored five books, including the story of the prophet Gerbole, his close friend and associate. Currently he is pastoring a church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.view less