The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church maintains the ancient Eastern tradition of permitting married men to be ordained as deacons and priests, but requiring celibacy for bishops. A man must marry before ordination and may not marry after. Bishops are chosen from among celibate monks. Deacons are often ordained as children—Ethiopia is one of the few traditions where boys are ordained as deacons from a very young age—and play an active role in liturgical chanting and service.

Monasticism is central to Ethiopian Orthodox church life. The tradition of the Nine Saints—missionaries from the Eastern Roman Empire (Syria, Egypt, etc.) who arrived in Ethiopia in the 5th–6th century—founded the great monasteries that became centers of Ethiopian Christianity, including Debre Damo and Lalibela. St. Tekle Haymanot, an Ethiopian monk who is said to have stood on one leg for seven years in prayer, is among the most beloved saints. Ethiopian monasteries have preserved ancient Ge'ez manuscripts and served as the educational and spiritual heart of the church.