Medhane Alem Eritrean Orthodox Church

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 8, 2026

2. Medhane Alem Eritrean Orthodox Church

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By the grace of God, the story

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of the MedhaneAlem (Savior of the World) Church began in November 1990. In our earliest days, the community of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church on 16th Street in Washington, D.C., graciously allowed us to use their space to gather. A small group of ten dedicated pioneers—eight men and two women—came together there. After extensive reflection and discussion, we mutually agreed to formally establish a parish, naming it Enda MedhaneAlem (The House of the Savior of the World).

We honor the foundational members who launched this spiritual journey with such deep faith and devotion:

Priest (Qeshi) Dawit Akolom • Haleqa Gebrekristos Dagnew • Haleqa Tsegay Gebrehiwet • Mr. (Ayte) Welde Sillasie Araya • Mr. Yemane Merese’e • Mr. Kinfu Gebremariam • Dr. Shimendi Haile • Mr. Kifle Gebretinsae • Mrs. (Woizero) Sara Gebremedhin • Mrs. Lemlem Tsegou

During that inaugural meeting, each person contributed $200 to purchase the sacred vessels and liturgical items necessary to begin holding services.

The Search for a Home
With our foundational items secured, we set out to find a dedicated place of worship. Through divine providence, the National Cathedral on Wisconsin Avenue provided us with a room. This became our very first house of prayer, allowing our regular services to officially begin. Nine months into our journey, in June 1991, Deacon Weldetinsae Berhane joined our ministry at the cathedral, providing much-needed assistance to Priest Dawit. Demonstrating immense devotion, both clergy committed to serving the congregation entirely pro bono, vowing, "We will serve MedhaneAlem freely until our church stands firmly on its own two feet."

After about a year at the Wisconsin Avenue cathedral, we relocated. One of our respected elders, General Goytom Gebreegziabher, secured an intimate room at a Chinese community center near 16th and R Streets, which became our next temporary home. Shortly thereafter, through the joint efforts of General Goytom and our church mother, Mrs. Sara, we transitioned to a much more suitable chapel space at a church located at 16th and Allison Streets.

Historic Milestones and Spiritual Growth
While ministering at the Allison Street location, our community experienced two watershed moments. First, the Tabot (Holy Ark) that our congregation had so eagerly anticipated finally arrived in November 1995. It was brought to the United States directly from our homeland, Eritrea, for the very first time by a delegation of church fathers: Abune Yaqob (who later served as the second Patriarch), Abune Dioskoros, and Priest Gebremedhin. They formally anointed and blessed the Ark for our parish before returning. This was a monumental milestone—the Tabot of MedhaneAlem was the first Holy Ark to travel from Eritrea to the United States following Eritrean independence, cementing a unique place for our church in history.

The second major milestone occurred in 1998, when Deacon Weldetinsae Berhane traveled back to Eritrea to be married. While there, he was ordained into the priesthood by Abune Phillipos (who would later become the first Patriarch of Eritrea), returning to us ready to shepherd the growing flock.

As we continued to worship in this chapel, our membership grew beautifully. Eventually, we received notice that we needed to vacate the space, prompting a necessary move to another house of prayer at 16th and S Streets.

Institutional Foundations and Overcoming Obstacles
In September 2000, His Holiness Abune Phillipos, the first Patriarch of Eritrea, traveled to the U.S. to attend a global council of churches. Recognizing the needs of the diaspora, he called a historic convention in Atlanta for all Eritrean Orthodox churches across the United States. There, he established the North American Diocese. Representatives from MedhaneAlem attended the convention and gladly accepted the Holy Father’s apostolic directive.

Following the convention, internal debates arose within our congregation. A faction of the membership argued that the church should remain entirely independent, creating structural challenges that temporarily hindered our progress. However, these difficulties were resolved in October 2002 when a delegation of four members of the Holy Synod arrived from Eritrea on a pastoral tour: Abune Antonios (who was elevated to the third Patriarch and remains so to this day), Abune Dioskoros, Liqe Gubae Beyene Iyassu, and Liqe Hiruyan Priest Tekle Teferi. They provided us with the clear administrative guidelines, governance, and spiritual framework of the mother Church in Eritrea. Guided by this intervention, MedhaneAlem Church has proudly remained an active, integral member of the diocese ever since.

Our clergy continued to expand as well; in 2001, Deacon Tesfahiwet Gezai joined our ministry team, and in 2002, he was ordained into the priesthood by the visiting bishops.

Putting Down Permanent Roots
Through the good will of the Savior, and sustained by the prayers, tireless labor, financial sacrifices, and dedication of countless fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, we finally transitioned from renters to property owners. In April 2004, we purchased the building we call home today. All glory and praise belong to MedhaneAlem, who provided us with a permanent sanctuary where we can gather to seek God whenever we desire.

Our children are thriving here, nurtured in both body and soul across six age-tailored Sunday School classes. They are being raised in accordance with the wisdom of Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Today, our Sunday School proudly serves over one hundred children, and our broader congregation continues to welcome more faithful souls into our fold every single week.

Ultimately, our church exists to fulfill the Great Commission given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In faithful obedience to this command, from our humble beginnings to the present day, our church has granted the grace of baptism to 428 infants—fulfilling the primary mission and sacred duty of Christ's Church. Furthermore, we have blessed the holy covenant of marriage for 66 couples, and we continue to faithfully provide comfort to grieving families through funeral prayer services (Tselote Fithat) for our departed loved ones.

Removal from church
In January 2005, the Patriarch's annual Nativity message was not broadcast or televised. On 27 May 2007, he was replaced as Patriarch by Dioskoros, with the support of the Eritrean government. Antonios remained under house arrest and strict surveillance and held without charge. He reportedly seldom received visitors, including relatives, and had no telephone service. Since 2007, Antonios had been considered by the United States to be a religious prisoner of conscience. His removal at the behest of the Eritrean government was denounced by the other Oriental Orthodox Churches, who refused to recognize Dioskoros as Patriarch of Eritrea.

In July 2019, in an unprecedented move, bishops of the Holy Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church excommunicated Antonios for heresy. The letter from five of the six most senior Eritrean bishops declared that "His name should never be mentioned and remembered and those who do so will be punished severely." Although the patriarch was expelled from being a member of the church, the bishops promised he could still live in a church building. The president of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches condemned the excommunication.

He died while in detention in Asmara, Eritrea, on 9 February 2022 at the age of 93.