Ethiopian church finally has a home to call its own

Orthodox congregation holds first major service at new Park Hill site

By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Monday, January 7, 2008

A church member kisses a Bible on Sunday at the Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Church at 5152 E. 17th Ave.

A church member kisses a Bible on Sunday at the Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Church at 5152 E. 17th Ave.

Is a church a people or the building where they worship?

To members of the Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the answer is finally both. The congregation held its first major service Sunday in its new Park Hill home at 5152 E. 17th Ave.

The joy was palpable for this flock of 250-plus who until Sunday have rented cramped spaces or worshipped at a Greek Orthodox church.

It's also Christmas today, according to the Orthodox calendar. Sunday night, the church hosted a splendid wedding and additional holiday services.

"It's just blessing after blessing after blessing," said longtime member Tibeb Taye-Shafer, 54.

Taye-Shafer said that when she showed up Sunday morning she "couldn't stop crying." She cried again as she looked upon the sanctuary from an upper balcony.

"We always were so cramped and didn't have enough space," she said. "It's so huge."

The past year has been marked by ups - excitement over finding the Park Hill property - and downs, when the congregation was turned down for a loan.

Then, the price of the former Baptist church dropped from $950,000 to $800,000, reopening the door.

Now, they're in.

On Sunday, the church teemed with women and some men wearing gauzy white wraps. Bright-eyed children wore shimmery white smocks and headpieces with crosses stitched on them.

Ethiopian and American flags hung above the door.

Members removed their shoes, then split by gender for worship. Thick clouds of incense hung in the air. The archbishop helped lead services on this special day.

People swayed as they prayed, the din of a large drum punctuating their movements. Women trilled. Parents shushed and hugged children eager to play two hours into a lengthy service in the Amharic language.

Melaku "Angel" Hailegiorgis, 36, secretary of the church's board of directors, said an official grand opening for members of the neighborhood and wider community will be held in a few months.

On Sunday, pieces of plywood obscured the altar area, which is still under construction. A replica of the Arc of the Covenant already had made its way to each corner of the building as part of the dedication.

"It's really something that has been our dream," Hailegiorgis said. "I think it's God's miracle."

poppenj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5176