Woreda C.O.

The Woreda Church Office, Atsbi village

ABBA MELAKE GENET GIRMAY is a priest in Atsbi village and the chairman of the board of Woreda Church Office, situated in this village, from which it is only 7 kilometers to the church Debre Selam Mikael. Besides the staff of Agency for Culture and Tourism in the National State of Tigrai (ATC), situated in Mekele, and the responsible priests at Debre Selam Mikael, this is our closest collaborator. It is the regional ecclesiastical authority of the Woreda region, which is part of Tigrai, the northernmost province of Ethiopia. The Woreda Church Office has the ecclesiastical responsibility for the churches in the area, including Debre Selam Mikael, i.e. several of the most precious ancient and unique church buildings in this area. Its responisibilities include the power over the buildings as such, which belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. For several years Abba Melake has had a very good collaboration with Ato Kebede Amare, General Manager for the mentioned ATC, and vice versa. Our own experience after several appointments at this office in Atsbi is very positive. Abba Melake as well as his ecclesiastical colleagues are most co-operative. They have issued several regional permissions on account of our preliminary examination in November 2009 of Debre Selam Mikael and its murals, and are looking forward to see our project launched as soon as possible. It is these persons that guarantee our access to the church in accord with the church council of Debre Selam Mikael, responsible persons on location and ATC. Learn more: Maps of Ethiopia and this part of the country, Ato Kebede Amare, ACT and Ato Mulu Teklay Baryatsion, ACT