By VINAYA SAKSENA

PAWTUCKET — A grand re-opening was held last week at a local church many apparently did not know existed before.

Last Sunday, congregation members new and old, as well as visitors, gathered at the Embaixadores Church of the Nazarene, located at 194 Barton St. While the church has been there since 2000, the Rev. Dr. Elizeu Lima said it was starting over in a sense, having just finished what he felt had been much-needed renovations to the building’s façade.
“On the inside, it was more or less fine,” Lima said. “But on the outside, we had a dull vision, to the point that a lot of people said, ‘I didn’t know this was a church.’”
The building, Lima pointed out, had previously housed a furniture store, and thus did not necessarily conform to how those passing by might expect a church to look.
The changes to the church building began in February, Lima said, and were finished this month. A new steeple and new windows were among the changes made to the building’s exterior. On the inside, he said, the foyer was redone, the sanctuary received carpeting, and brighter colors were added throughout to liven up the atmosphere.
Church officials see the renovations as a key step in the overall revitalization of the Barton Street neighborhood.
The Embaixadores Church is one of three churches in Pawtucket that are part of the
Church of the Nazarene, with the other two sharing a building on Smithfield Avenue. According to its Web site, the Church of the Nazarene is a “Protestant Christian church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition,” which celebrates the centennial anniversary of its founding in California this year. Its mission, the church says, is to “to make Christlike disciples in the nations.”
Lima’s congregation is listed on the Church of the Nazarene Web site (www.nazarene.org) as a Portuguese language church. He said church members and their families hail from seven different countries: Dakar, Senegal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde, Lima’s own birthplace.
A sign outside of the church identifies Lima not only as a reverend, but also a doctor. The reason for this is his work outside of the church, as a dentist practicing in Providence.
Lima said the church planned to open a school in the near future, which would provide full-time schooling to local youth. He added that the church regularly held events in which it gave away food and other supplies to people in need.
“The main thing is that we are here to serve the community, to make a difference in our community,” Lima said.