About The Church

The Debre Haile Saint Rufael church is the only Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church serving Christians in the Central Valley of California. Since its founding on March 13, 2021, the church made remarkable progress in securing its exempt status from the federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) and from the California Franchise Tax Board and providing uninterrupted church services from a rented church to Christians in the cities of Tracy, Livermore, Mountain House, Lathrop, Manteca, Stockton, Ripon Modesto, Riverbank, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Castro Valley, Pittsburg, Concord, and Alameda. In addition to regular weekly church services, the church has developed outreach programs to engage in community-centered charitable activities by volunteering time, effort, and donating to worthy causes when possible. Notable achievements include the formation of the church’s Sunday School and Youth Committee that leads all programs focused on the next generation Christians by nurturing through gospel learning, community services and personal development. The Fundraising and Development Committee functions under the auspices and guidance of the church’s Administrative Board to implement the church’s five-year development plan. It conducts fundraising activities to secure the necessary funding to implement the five-year development plan. it organized and ran a successful fundraising during the Facebook 2022 Giving Season campaign. The Holiday Celebration and Hospitality Committee organizes annual church celebrations, holiday gatherings and special events. The church is striving to buy a new church that would provide the necessary facilities for its growing congregation and outreach programs.  To realize this, the church solemnly requests support through donation money and in-kind contributions.