We are pleased to announce the First Symposium of the Virginia Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black! The event will be held at the new, and still under renovation, Saint Basil the Great Antiochian Orthodox Church on 1520 Todds Lane in Hampton on Saturday, September 13th at 4 pm. The topic of the symposium is “The Relevance of the African Saints.”
Modern Christianity has given us a plethora of evangelist, ministers, and others who are found in every form of media. Do the stories of the ancient men and women of color have lessons that can also bring us closer to God? Are there words as or even more meaningful than the many catch phrases and words so often thrown around today? One way to build a bridge between the African-American Protestant and Orthodox Christian worlds is through the African saints. We hope the non-Orthodox participants will become more inspired to learn about the presence of black people in the foundation of Christianity and that Orthodoxy believers will be reinvigorated to reach out to a community that has too long assumed that the ancient faith is “just another white church.”
Our speaker will be Subdeacon Paul Abernathy of Pittsburgh. Paul, a graduate of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary, is the director of FOCUS Pittsburgh and leads the St. Moses the Black Antiochian Mission in the Hill District of that city. His work as a community organizer has been very effective and he is one of the most intelligent and inspiring speakers in the nation. Following the symposium, there will be time for Q&A, meet & greet, and a meal. St. Basil will hold their Great Vespers at 7 pm and all are invited to stay and attend. If you are interested in attending, please send me a note at johnarejr@yahoo.com.
Desert Fathers Dispatch 