The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

One week after Easter was celebrated at various churches around the world, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrated Tinsae – the Resurrection of Christ. On Sunday past, Tinsae was commemorated all around the world services as the culmination of Holy Week.

While The Bahamas is a Christian nation, the spiritual practices of the people have largely been affected by the colonisers who settled here. The Bahamas’ population consists of a majority of people of African descent; yet their customs and practices are mostly European.

The tragedy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was being cut off from the motherland and the subsequent disconnect between the people of the Diaspora and the continent. Today, with technology at our fingertips, people of the African Diaspora are reconnecting with the continent in a whole new way. A plethora of religious and spiritual practices exist in Africa.

For those who wish to remain in the realm of Christianity but draw closer to their African roots, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church may hold some answers. For people like Teri Greenidge, the Orthodox Church provided a priceless connection with Africa and a path to salvation.

Teri spent eight years living in The Bahamas and while here, she contributed much to society before returning to the United States where she was born. We spoke at length during Holy Week, and she shared some of the rituals she underwent with her church. They include the washing of feet, confession and penance, and a multitude of prostrations, prayers, hymns and songs of praise. Members attend church all throughout the week, including the Holy Communion Service and Good Friday (Silket) leading up to Resurrection Day. On that day, similarly to Easter, the fasting ends and the feasting begins, and an assortment of Ethiopia’s finest cuisines are shared by all.

Thanks to Teri, many Bahamians are more aware of and appreciate the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. There has always been a fond connection between Rastas and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Therefore, Teri’s presence in The Bahamas helped to bring more awareness of her church, while she simultaneously poured into the Nyabinghi, Bobo Shanti, and House of Rastafari in The Bahamas. Afework Gebre Medhin was instrumental in the local movement, holding Amharic classes at the Bob Marley Resort, with the permission of queen Rita Marley. He and Teri, along with Rasta elders, including Ras Justice and his band, Michael Hoyte, Jah Ducks, Papa Wayde and many others communed together for a memorable length of time at the resort. Rastas hail the great Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and his wife, Empress Menen. As faithful members, the Emperor and Empress led a nation steeped in Tewahedo church traditions that date back more than 2,000 years.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) is one of the only Christian dominations in sub-Saharan Africa which predates European colonization. Christianity began in Ethiopia after a eunuch had been baptized by Saint Phillip. Even further back, Christians are aware of Simon of Cyrene, the Ethiopian man who carried Christ’s cross to Calvary. Ethiopia remained largely pagan, with some Judaism until the fourth century, when Christianity became the official religion of what was then called the Aksumite Empire. In the year 328, when Frumentius was consecrated in Alexandra and became the first Bishop of the Ethiopian Church. He then converted Ethiopian King Ezana to Christianity, and it quickly became the favored religion of the country.

King Ezana removed the symbols of the sun and moon from Ethiopian coins and replaced them with the sign of the cross, making Ethiopia the very first country in the world to place a cross on its currency. In 479 AD, Nine Saints came to Ethiopia from the Byzantine Empire. These saints translated sacred text into the Ethiopian language Ge`ez and introduced the people to Christianity and monastic life. Ethiopia is now considered the center of Christianity in Africa. Ethiopian people have held on tightly to their Christian faith, and Ethiopia has one of the strongest Orthodox Churches in the world today with more than 40 million members worldwide.

There are a few people practicing the traditions in The Bahamas today, but there is no established Church. The Greek Orthodox Church on West Street, Nassau, provides the closest of traditions. Ethiopian Orthodox Churches are widespread throughout the region, however. Jamaica has several churches and Bob Marley is known to have converted to the faith. This year, the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian featured a front page story on services there, during the Palm Sunday procession (Hosannah). It was held by the Holy Trinity Parish, Beetham Gardens, Port of Spain, and included members of the Rasta community who joined in the procession.

Here in Nassau, our knowledge of the Ethiopian Orthodox festival days, fasting days, and more was heightened by Teri’s presence. She, along with several prominent Rastas including Jah Charlie, Jah Country, Priest Marcus and others helped to teach Amharic, the Ethiopian official language to adults and children.

Teri is a pioneer in vegetarian food service in The Bahamas, having operated a restaurant on Quakoo Street for many years. Ethiopian apparel, historical and cultural books and songs were all shared by Teri. She loved working with children in the community as well as the children of the Rastafari movement, and thus, she hosted numerous after school programmes and summer camps for the children. Her community spirit spurred her to lead a food cooperatrive which was successful during her time, and provided affordable vegetarian groceries and fresh produce to many homes.

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to New Jersey at the age of ten with her parents, where she resides today. Teri is a faithful member of Bisrate Gebriel EOTC in Newark, New Jersey. The Church is led by Priests - Kesis Getachew and Kesis Senaye. Images shared from the church today were taken by Aria Selassie Battiste (Lauren), who has been recording the history of the EOTC for more than 40 years. He has covered special events in churches throughout the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Bermuda and other Caribbean Islands. Originally from St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Brother Aria was also given the title “Writer of the Eyes and the Church” by Abba Zekarias, former Archbishop of New York.

As Teri shared the beautiful services and hymns that she and the members participated in during Holy Week, I was inspired to share her story – one of selfless service to others – a story she wouldn’t willingly share herself. Humble and kindhearted, Teri continues to make a positive impact on the lives of all she comes into contact with. She is still engaged in youth empowerment and community building.

Her vegetarian way of life has blossomed into her own line of healthy drinks and gluten-free snacks. Farmer Black’s drinks and Mrs Black’s are a hit and are sold at Sunsplash Caribbean restaurant in Orange, New Jersey. Her life of selfless service dedication to the church led to a close bond with His Eminence Abuna Yesehaq, for whom she once served as administrative assistant. A father figure and friend, Abuna Yesehaq asked Teri to take on the task of taking him to doctor visits when he fell ill. He refused to go unless she was willing to do so. He kept his illness quiet, because he was such a strong and supportive figure to his parishioners. He forbade Teri from revealing his illness until his passing. With his next of kin in Ethiopia, he listed Teri as his next of kin and she took great care of him until the end – a task that required her faithful sacrifice.

Teri was baptised and given the name Finote Hiwot – which means “The Way of Life” – a telling name for a woman who has lived a life filled with love for humanity. She has always been a great support to me and to my children. Eventually, in May of 2017, I was also baptized. My spiritual journey led me to Ethiopia, the cradle of civilization and the source of the Biblical Nile River.

After my time in Addis Ababa the capital, visiting the palace of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen and so much more, I took a flight north to Axum. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Africa, and the place where Kings and Queens took their own spiritual pilgrimage and where all Ethiopian Emperors were coronated. I had the honor of being baptised at St Mary of Zion Cathedral, where the Ark of the Covenant is said to be sacredly kept to this day. In a most amazing, ancient service, I received blessings and was anointed with ancient, sacred oil, then blessed with a golden cross and given the name Fikirte Mariam, meaning “The Love of St Mary”.

Teri’s contributions to people like me were invaluable. Her path, which led her to Jamaica, The Bahamas, and throughout the United States has left a trail of positivity and appreciation for the Ethiopian Orthodox faith. The people of Rastafari have, over the decades, taken an affinity to the church. Some have even converted to the EOTC faith. Teri’s brethren Berhane Meskel (Roger Nelson), who trod Rasta for a time, said his path naturally evolved to the EOTC church, because it is the way of worship of Emperor Haile Selassie.

There are many who criticise the fact that the EOTC has some European icons amongst the imagery in their churches. During my visit to Addis Ababa, the sight was off putting, until I realised that these images were brought in and infiltrated by foreigners. They came as “gifts”, but I see them as silently seeking to affect the psyche of Ethiopians.

In Axum, I only found original images of the Ethiopian Saints and Biblical characters. In many EOTC churches today, the image of the Ethiopian black Christ and the Saints still exist, although there are also European images. Ethiopians should always see God through their own spectacles, as the great prophet Marcus Mosiah Garvey pointed out. His prophecy to “look to the East for the coming of a black king” spurred a movement that continues to grow by leaps and bounds today.