Our History
A handful of dedicated Orthodox Tewahdo Christians founded Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church in Edmonton, on 25th January 1994. In the same year, the church was incorporated in the province of Alberta and the Canadian Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church HAGER SIBKET. For seven years, the church rented space for worship from other churches. However, it soon became clear that the church needed to have a permanent residence and the then Board of Trustees established a Building Committee for raising funds. In the meantime a miracle happened among the parishioners, which resulted in the building of a new church by the generous couple W/Zo Emebet Gizaw and Ato Negatu Woldmedhin. His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and other Holy Fathers, ceremoniously blessed the new building on 8th September 2001. Following the opening ceremony, His Holiness named the church Réese Adebarat Debre Selam Medhanealem.
Our Beliefs
We believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven, earth and all things visible and invisible. By Him all things were made, and Without Him was not anything in heaven or earth made.
We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who for us men and for our salivation came down from heaven, was made man and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and from the holy Virgin Mary. He became man, was crucified for our sakes in the days of Pontius Pilate, suffered, died, was buried and rose from the dead. On the third day, as was written in the holy scriptures, ascended in glory into heaven, sat at the right hand of His Father, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. There is no end of His reign.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the life-giving God, who proceedeth from the Father and who spoke by the prophets. We worship and glorify Him with the Father and the Son.
We believe in one holy, universal, apostolic church, and we believe in one baptism for the remission of sins, and wait for the resurrection from the dead and the life to come, world without end.
Amen!
Our Objectives
The primary objectives and purposes of this Church shall be:
- To enable the promotion and enhancement of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christanity - which was upheld and passed over to followers by the forefathers among followers who reside in and around Edmonton with the view to maintain, spread and pass it over to succeeding generations.
- To conduct and maintain services of divine worship and religious observance according to the traditions and values of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. To offer Orthodox Tewahedo religious services every Sunday and other Orthodox holidays.
- To give services that bolster love and unity among the laity; to expand the sense of Ethiopianism and love for their country via rendering cultural and educational services that will argument religious values.
- To establish and maintain a Church of religious worship in accordance with the teachings of Christianity as adopted by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
- To provide spiritual and cultural programs in order to increase understanding of the history, culture, languages and values of Ethiopia.
- To Provide Baptism, Christening, Marriage and Burial rites (Faith) to the followers of the Orthodox Tewahdo Christianity faith.
- To guard, protect and monitor ecclesiastical objects and properties of the church.
- To perform peacemaking/keeping tasks displaying unrelenting efforts intended for the well being of all Ethiopians in Ethiopia and outside Ethiopia, particularly those who are weakened and in need; to make sure that their basic human rights such as religious freedom are met and respected. Furthermore, to cooperate as necessary with the relevant institutions for the retention of global peace and security.
- To build a strong orthodox community that promotes the teachings of Our Lord and loving one another and that does not condone ethnicism, tribalism or racism.