THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX TEWAHEDO CHURCH
IN BARBADOS
Brief History
In December 1993, a delegation from the Archdiocesan headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago including then Kes Abraham Springer, Deacon Hamere Mariam La Rose and Brother Markos Modeste visited Barbados by the invitation of a group who were interested in bringing the church to Barbados.
During their visit, then Kes Abraham Springer met with the faithfuls discussing the church. In addition, he held public meetings and had interviews with the Press. Also, during that time, then Dr. Ashton Gibson, a prominent person in Barbados and as ordained minister in the Baptist Church, joined the group and began taking catechism classes to prepare for baptism.
In order to receive additional church services before the establishment of the church, the faithful travelled to Trinidad where they further received instruction and training in preparation for the establishment of the church; they were subsequently baptized in February 1994.
In August 1994, the first group to be ordained as clergy was then Dr. Ashton Gibson whose baptismal name was Zacharias was ordained Kes Zacharias; Ainsley Prescod whose baptismal name was Wolde Tinsea was ordained Deacon Wolde Tinsea Prescod; Peter Andrew Linton whose baptismal name was Petros was ordained Deacon Petros Linton and Azikiwe Coppin whose baptismal name was Amde Sion was ordained Deacon Amde Sion Coppin.
In April 29th 1995, His Grace Abuna Thaddaeus led a delegation to Barbados, included were then Kes Abraham Springer and other clergy and lay members. On that visit, the St. Paul Ethiopian Orthodox Church was officially established. At the opening ceremony there were many representatives from the Caribbean Conference of Churches, a Barbadian Parliamentarian, local Pan Africanists and members from all walks of society. During the opening ceremony, many faithfuls were baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The St. Paul parish was then located at Long Gap, Spooners Hill, St. Michael, next door to the home of Kes Zacharias Gibson.
During the same year, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Barbados became a member church of the Barbados Christian Council (BXC) and has since then been fulfilling its obligations in this ecumenical organization. In addition, Kesis Zacharias Gibson was appointed as Memhir and later elevated to Liqu Maemiran and was given the responsibilities of Secretary General of the Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America. As Secretary General, he worked on the proposed visit of His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, with other Holy Fathers to the Archdiocese
His Holiness Abuna Paulos, accompanied by his entourage of Archbishops from Ethiopia; Archbishop Matthias, Lekke Kahanat Zewdineh Absalom, Kes Gabre Kristos Sandy and Deacon Tewolde Medhin from North America and other clergy, visited Barbados in July 1995. During that visit he met the Governor-General and many other Barbadian leaders at Government House. While in Barbados, His Holiness also met with Minister of Government, conducted an ecumenical service in the capital city of Bridgetown, held public lectures and visited a Senior Citizen’s Home and the Prisons.
His Grace Abuna Thaddaeus has made pastoral visits to his Barbados Region, teaching and administering the Holy Sacraments to the faithful, and meeting the Governor-General and other leaders and representatives of the Barbados Government. He has conducted marriage ceremonies and also ordained Barbadian clergy while making these pastoral visits.
Kes Amha Eyesus Williams of Trinidad and six Ethiopian priests, including Abba Tsige Genet Kidane Wold, also served at different times with Liqa Maemiran Zacharias in Barbados. Liqa Maemiran Zacharias served this branch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church until his passing in May 2000.
The annual St. Paul Festival is an important occasion in the calendar of events of the Barbados Region of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The celebration, which was inaugurated by His Grace Abuna Thaddaeus on one of his pastoral visits, includes the Holy Communion Service on the Second Sunday of July. The Feast Day of the Death of St. Peter and St. Paul, which comes at the end of the Fast of the Apostles, is on 5th Hamle (E.C) [July 12th Gregorian Calendar]
The local priests that are presently serving the Barbados Region of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are Kes Amha Selassie Yaicob and Kes Petros Linton.
Contacts:
Ø The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Barbados
Four Roads,
St. Phillip
BB18054,
Barbados, W.I
Tel: (246) 416-4063
Ø Kes Amha Selassie Yaicob
Tel: (246) 416-5876
E-mail: kesamha@hotmail.com
Ø Kes Petros Linton
Tel: (246) 423-5326
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