From the time I first became aware of Eastern Christianity via the Byzantine Catholic Church, and especially after the culmination of my search for the Truth led me and my wife to be baptized in the Orthodox Church, I have had a desire to spread the ancient Christian faith and to share everything I have… Continue reading Can Americans Really Be at Home in the Orthodox Church?
Behind the Scenes Look at HTM’s Publications
Those of us engaged in Orthodox Christian mission work are aware of the difficulties of obtaining quality liturgical materials in English; differing translation styles, cost-prohibitive volumes, dealing with out-of-print texts, and waiting for as-of-yet untranslated texts to appear can be frustrating. Nevertheless, fifty years ago, such materials were even rarer, and the Holy Transfiguration Monastery… Continue reading Behind the Scenes Look at HTM’s Publications
Developing Future Church Leaders
In January, my godson Andrew moved to Raleigh to help us in our missionary efforts here in North Carolina. We met about eight years ago online, when he was still in high school and had just developed an interest in the Orthodox Christian faith. Eventually, he embraced the faith, and when he was baptized in… Continue reading Developing Future Church Leaders
A Church Building Catch-22
In November 2006, my wife, her brother, and I began to pray the Service of the Typica on Sundays, as we embarked on our journey to establish an Old Calendar Orthodox Christian mission parish in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the first year, we were often alone, only being joined a few times by others. Eventually,… Continue reading A Church Building Catch-22
Pikeville and Fremont, NC
Ten days ago, I went to Pikeville, North Carolina in order to bless the home of some parishioners. Pikeville is above Goldsboro, and many residents are affiliated with the nearby military base. Pikeville has around 700 people, and is thus quite small. While en route, my GPS brought me through the nearby little town of… Continue reading Pikeville and Fremont, NC
The Value of Lay-Led Services
Last Sunday, fourteen people gathered together in worship and fellowship at our parish on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. They prayed the Service of the Typica, also known as the Reader’s Service, which is what Orthodox Christians do when there is no priest available to serve liturgy. As most know, since our… Continue reading The Value of Lay-Led Services
Your Church Is in Grimesland? That’s Kind of Far from Greenville…!
I grew up in the small town of Findlay, Ohio, which at that time had about 40,000 people. As a child, my mother would take me to get ice cream in the town of Jenera, which took a long time to drive to and was way out in the country. The attraction there was that… Continue reading Your Church Is in Grimesland? That’s Kind of Far from Greenville…!
Fr. Anastasios’s 2012 Pastoral Challenge!
Dear Friends in Christ, 2011 drew to a close here in Greenville, and on a very positive note as we welcomed several new people who have begun to attend regularly. This builds upon the growth we had already experienced this year, making 2011 our best year yet! It’s a testament to all of your dedication,… Continue reading Fr. Anastasios’s 2012 Pastoral Challenge!
Raleigh Orthodox Church Website Redesigned
We are pleased to announce that the website of St. Mark Orthodox Church in Raleigh has been completely redesigned! Related posts: The Orthodox Church in Raleigh, North Carolina Wake Forest Needs an Orthodox Church Our Vision for Raleigh Orthodox Church in Pittsboro, NC
Our Vision for Raleigh
Saint Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Church is: A Church which is faithful to the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ A Church which is part of the Orthodox Christian Church, which is the original Christian Church A small mission community meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina A missionary-oriented Church which in turn plants other Churches throughout… Continue reading Our Vision for Raleigh