Church in the City-Beth Abraham

“Never ever give up on them.  Never!”  Church in the City-Beth Abraham

As I was doing a project in 2018 I was introduced to a man that touched my heart with his passion for Jesus and the “least of these” in Denver.  His name is Pastor Michael Walker and he is the founding senior pastor of Church in the City-Beth Abraham.  What began as an outreach to the city in the early 80’s grew to become a racially and economically diverse church with a passion to reflect Christ to the community of Denver and throughout the world. 

Church in the City-Beth Abraham is in the heart of Denver.  It is also a place where one can find the heart of God AND the true worship that the prophet Isaiah shared in the Old Testament - a place where the hungry are fed, the homeless are welcomed, clothing is provided to the needy, and families are cared for.  For over 25 years founding pastor, Michael Walker, and his congregation have served the inner city of Denver with a dual expression of worship.  Jew and Gentile coming together to worship as one with a Messianic Saturday Shabbat service and a Sunday morning contemporary service.  In this Divine partnership with the community, Church in the City-Beth Abraham serves as a hub connecting to over 25 other organizations & ministries that care for the poor, the homeless, the addict, and the forgotten.  It is Christ-centered and overflowing with love.

When you enter the beautiful 100 year old synagogue, you will see the expression Beth Hamedrash Hagodol.  In Hebrew this means “Great Study House.”  Another translation is “a place to find answers.”   Pastor Walker and his wife, Brenda, have been providing answers through the Word of God to thousands of people struggling over the years.  They serve with humility and love.  As I was waiting one morning for my appointment with Pastor Walker, I met one of the ladies that serves as an administrator.  We started some small talk about the weather and then she leaned in and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You know Pastor Michael saved my life.”  I then sat back and listened to her amazing story of how he reached out to her when she was a crack addict on the streets of Denver.  He told her about Jesus and shared the love of Christ with her.  He invited her to church and she began to serve.  The love she felt from the pastors and the congregation was a love that she had never experienced before.  At the end of the conversation, she grabbed my hand and told me the key to helping people with addictions.  Tears began to come down her face and she said, “Never ever give up on them.  Never!  They feel lousy about themselves and the only way they can survive is with your prayers and love.”  When her friends and family all abandoned her, Pastor Michael and Church in the City was there to help.  It is his beautiful heart to “never ever give up on them.  Never!”  She now works for the church and tries to help others who struggle with addiction. 

This is just one of thousands of stories about Church in the City Beth Abraham.   They reach out to the community through their daycare, food bank, clothing center, youth groups, men & women’s ministries and more.  They also have ministries that go into the prisons and help refugees.  Jesus said “What you did for the least of these, you have done unto me”  These words fuel the passion of Church in the City- Beth Abraham. They are a diverse congregation that loves God with all their heart, and loves others as themselves.  It is a simple Gospel.  For more information of how you can get involved or support this ministry, go to churchinthecity.org.  Take the time to see the heart of God working in Denver. 


Blessings,
Jim Underwood
Ambassador for Rocky Mountain CTN