“When a building just sits unoccupied, it has its own problems, now we are going to put it to good use,” said Pastor Desta Gelgelu. The Oromo Seventh-day Adventist Church of Minnesota has been remodeling the building on the Northeast corner of Central and 32nd avenues.
Google 3207 Central Ave. NE, and you’ll see how much the building has changed since the Oromo Church purchased it in May of 2016. The building was a funeral home, and then home to Harriss Architects, after an attempt to replace it with a housing project fizzled. Eventually it was foreclosed upon and it sat idle for about two years before the church made their purchase.
“Once this place is completed, members can come and fellowship, study the Bible, get connected, pray together…that is what we are planning to do,” Gelgelu said. The Oromo Church currently rents at Grace Center, 1500 6th St. NE, with about 200 church members attending every Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
“We are Oromos from Ethiopia,” said Gelgelu. “We speak a language that is called Oromo.” According to Gelgelu, they started this church to reach out to the thousands of Oromo who reside in the greater metro area, and to reach out to the older residents who don’t understand English.
“We are creating a network, a community. When they come to a new culture, especially the older folks, they have a problem of getting settled in,” said Gelgelu. “Those of us who are fortunate to understand, to go out and work; it may be easier for us. But for the older folks especially, it is very difficult.”
Gelgelu said their church promotes a healthy lifestyle, encouraging people to stay away from alcohol and tobacco, maintain a healthy diet, exercise, take care of the environment, be compassionate, and trust in God. “This is where we teach our children,” Gelgelu said, “being good citizens, being responsible, taking leadership, contributing to the community, staying away from substances which are becoming a serious problem. This is a place where we teach those things.”
According to Gelgelu, remodeling the building for their church has been prolonged for financial reasons. He said the church and its members have contributed a great deal from their own pockets. Church members have also come together to do a lot of the demolition and cleaning work. “The process has been slow because when we run out of money, we settle down and get back to fundraising mode, and when we get money, we start the work. That’s why it took us over a year now,” Gelgelu said.
Gelgelu mentioned they recently finished their landscaping and added a fence around the property. He said they have a lot of kids who will be attending and want them to have a safe space for playing and activities. According to Gelgelu, traffic is one of the main concerns he has for this location. He hopes to work with local police in finding ways to manage traffic leaving the property after the service. He also mentioned having church members go through some sort of training, and that everyone will have to be vigilant and careful.
According to Gelgelu, the Oromo Seventh-day Adventist Church of Minnesota will have its grand opening on March 31, 2018, and the neighborhood will be invited. “We are so happy, we chose this place because it is a central location,” said Gelgelu. He said church members come from all over the metro; Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, St. Paul, Brooklyn Park, Blaine, Shoreview, and even Eagan.
“This is going to be a place where people will come and feel that sense of belongingness,” said Gelgelu. Info: oromosda.org.
Below: Pastor Desta Gelgelu, and the renovated building’s new roof line. (Photos by Liz Jensen)