Test of faith: Church tries to move forward from devastating fire

Lemma B. Symegn wiped tears from his eyes with the back of his hand Monday morning as he stood in front of the burned-out shell of St. Michael’s Ethiopian Church.

“I’m sorry, sorry,” he said, apologizing for showing his emotions.

Symegn, who was not at the church at 14th Street and Dakota Avenue when the fire broke out Sunday, was present for the aftermath and saw how the church’s loss has devasted the members.

“Our kids, our grandkids were crying yesterday, they were crying like somebody passed away in the family,” he said. “It was heartbreaking.”

A half-dozen men, all members of what is officially known as Debre Mihret St. Michael Kidst Dingle Marian Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church, paused in their conversations then as neighbor Jon Dewitz approached. He was carrying a small, intricate metal cross he wanted to donate to the congregation.

“There should always be a cross in front of a church,” Dewitz said, as he was hailed a hero.

The morning worship service had ended Sunday, and the congregation was gathered in the basement. Dewitz had stepped outside his house, which abuts the church parking lot.

“I was standing outside and saw the window blow out and fire shoot out,” he said. “I just ran to the door and pulled the doors open. You couldn’t see anything. It was just smoke.”

Daniel Wendemu was downstairs with about 100 other members. They were first alerted by an unusual sound coming from upstairs, and then everyone began fleeing the building.

“The smoke was high, high, high,” Wendemu said.

No one was injured in the fire, which left the church sanctuary gutted. Fallen insulation covered the floor Monday, making for soft and treacherous walking. Wisps of smoke still emerged from several of the padded chairs. The stained-glass window coverings either had melted, or the windows themselves were absent.

Ordinarily, the church sanctuary offered a colorful welcome to visitors, Wendemu said. It had been adorned in bright icons, glittering candles and velvety drapes covering the walls.

In the fire’s aftermath, remnants of ribbons could be seen on the floor, and crosses were covered in soot.

A congregation member helped Dewitz hang the cross he had brought on an inside wall. The building, which was constructed in 1934 at 610 S. Dakota Ave., originally was the Sons of Israel Temple. Over the years, it served as St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran and as Midwest Dance Academy.

The St. Michael’s congregation purchased the church 18 years ago. First established about 30 years ago, it originally met at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. It is Sioux Falls’ oldest Ethiopian Orthodox congregation, Wendemu said. Sioux Falls also is home to several other Ethiopian Orthodox churches.

Symegn remembers when the congregation bought the building.

“It was really wonderful, and it was great,” he said. “We didn’t have anyplace to worship before. We got this place, and we are growing.”

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, a founding member of the World Council of Churches, was established centuries ago. Its laypeople observe 180 fasting days a year when only vegan food is eaten.

Wendemu estimated the St. Michael’s congregation at 200 members. A steady stream of people walked through the church Monday, and Symegn wasn’t the only person in tears.

Not only is the building lost but also the materials carefully and expensively gathered over years, Wendemu said.

That includes special robes for the priest and choir, hymnals and prayer books, and a special umbrella used to cover the tabot on the altar, which holds a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. Miraculously, that and what Wendemu called the covenant of the Virgin Mary were not damaged in the fire and have been placed somewhere safe.

According to a news release from the Sioux Falls Fire Department, the call came in at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Church members had gathered in the basement to sip tea and share bread while visiting, Wendemu said.

It served a community of people who came in the doors looking “to gain power and to gain hope,” a place to leave their sorrows and their tiredness, he said.

The first arriving crews found smoke and flames coming from the front door and south windows of the structure. Initial reports indicated children still were inside the building. Multiple fire crews entered the structure to search for occupants. The initial searches of the first floor and basement confirmed that everyone did exit the structure safely. Firefighters found heavy fire in the southeast corner of the building, knocked the main body of the fire down and conducted a second search of the entire structure.

Fire crews had the main fire extinguished in about 20 minutes. Because of unique construction features and what the news release described as void spaces, crews remained on scene for an additional four hours extinguishing small fires and smoldering insulation. On Monday, a fire department spokesman had no update on the cause.

It likely will cost $1 million to replace the church and its contents, Wendemu said. Monday morning, the congregation members still had not come to grips with the loss and were unsure where they would meet and how they would raise the funds. A GoFundMe campaign would be a possibility, he said.

The All Saints Neighborhood Association will reach out to see how it can be of assistance, member Katrina Lehr-McKinney said.

Update on March 8: A GoFundMe campaign was started late Monday with a goal of $200,000.