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                                                                             “The Seed of Faith in a Foreign Land”

Misrake Tsehaye Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was born out of the deep longing of Ethiopian faithful who found themselves far from home, yet never far from God. Like the children of Israel in a foreign land, this congregation began humbly, though its story reaches even deeper into God’s providence.

The congregation began in 2009 with a small group of faithful Ethiopians and Eritreans. We gathered at St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church every Saturday for prayer and hymn singing. On Sundays, we attended Holy Mass, where Fr. Michael and Fr. Anthony celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Through their guidance and the shared commitment of the faithful, the community began to grow, not only in number, but in faith, unity, and spiritual depth.

As the congregation grew, so did the desire to worship fully in the richness of our own tradition. In time, we found a temporary home, renting a small space in the basement of Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church. There, in a borrowed place, we celebrated the Divine Liturgy, received Holy Communion, and worshiped God according to the sacred teachings and traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

We had no building to call our own, no walls adorned with holy icons, no altar bearing the faces of the saints we cherished. Yet, week after week, we gathered faithfully, lifting our voices in Ge’ez and Amharic, ringing our brass sistrums, and beating our drums. We trusted that the same God who led our ancestors through the wilderness would one day lead us to a place of our own. That seed of faith, quietly planted beneath another congregation’s roof, was the beginning of something God had already prepared.

                                                                                 The People Who Made It Possible

When the time came to purchase the church building from Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, it was not the work of one person, but of the entire body, every hand and every heart.

Members of the congregation gave sacrificially, offering what they had with faith that God would multiply it. Families who had come to Spokane with little gave generously. Many stretched beyond their comfort, understanding that what was at stake was not merely a building, but a spiritual home for future generations, to worship God in the fullness of their Ethiopian Orthodox faith.

It was an offering reminiscent of the widow’s mite in the Gospel, seemingly small by worldly standards, yet precious in the sight of God. And God honored every gift, both great and small, until the day the keys were placed in our hands and the church became our own.

What God Has Done

                                                                            Only God could have written this story

A Lutheran congregation that had faithfully served its community for decades found itself aging and diminishing. Rather than allow their beloved church to fall silent, they entrusted it to a growing congregation. As one member of Messiah Lutheran Church humbly expressed, “We are decreasing, but they are increasing.”

What seemed like an ending became, in God’s hands, a beautiful beginning.

Today, pews that once sat nearly empty are filled with hundreds of worshipers—singing, rejoicing, and processing in celebration of the faith. The walls that once reflected a different tradition now shine with holy icons and the vibrant heritage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Misrake Tsehaye Saint Mary is not merely a church that was purchased, it is a church that was given, prepared, and filled by God.

                                                                                                    Legal Status

Misrake Tsehaye Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is recognized as a 501(c) organization. A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization under the federal law of the United States, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)). This status affirms the church’s commitment to serving the community, advancing its spiritual mission, and operating for charitable and religious purposes.

To Him alone be all the glory.

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