An apparatus and method for configuring a Relay-Frame Control Header (R-FCH) transmitted in an intermediary link area in a multi-hop relay Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) communication system are provided. The method includes determining a modulation scheme of a Relay Station (RS) Downlink (DL)-MAP (or simply referred to as R-MAP) in consideration of a channel state with the RS while an initial network entry process is performed by the RS or while communicating with the RS in a Base Station (BS)-RS area where communication is made with RSs connected to the BS and transmitting a message including the determined modulation scheme to the RS. Accordingly, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) on the R-MAP can be dynamically changed according to a channel state between an RS and a BS, thereby enabling effective use of resources.