There is an African proverb that is growing into a rather scary prophecy; “If you don’t know your past, you don’t know your future.” This frightens me for the future of Christianity as a whole and the black church in particular. Many ancient roots of the faith are deeply grounded on our mother continent. Traditional … More Saints of Africa: October
(The following is a rough manuscript of my presentation at St. Basil the Great (Antiochian) Orthodox Church in Hampton on Saturday, June 24th. Somewhere in mid speech, I attempted to make some changes off the cuff. Those who heard my talk say it was great. Of course, I am my own worst critic. A link to … More The Need to Know
One of the first books I received when I converted to the Orthodox Church was “The Sayings of the Desert Fathers.” Only briefly in Malcolm X’s autobiography did I see any mention that we should even consider knowing about them. I have read and been familiar with black liberation theology. But, authors such as … More The Desert Fathers: A Sad Omission of the Black Church
Every mainstream should have an antithesis. This is not to be combative or dismissive to the denomination that left. Had it not been for the African-American Baptist Church, I probably would have never been born, much less born again. I think the black church of the various denominations and non-denominations are able to lead souls … More Alternative Christianity: Orthodoxy and the Mainstream Church
What is the relevance of this ancient African Christianity? What is the relevance of Orthodox Christianity? I tell you the relevance is the future of our community and nothing short … Subdeacon Paul Abernathy Broken souls need a home to come to. Those souls are not finding a suitable home in the poor theologies … More Relevance and a Need for Real Faith: Reflections from the First Symposium of the VA Chapter of the Brotherhood
The following is a collection of notes I wrote to present to my former congregation and colleagues concerning my desire to form a bridge between African American Baptist and Orthodox Christians. I still believe strongly that such a bridge is very necessary for the sake of black Christians to grow deeper in the faith. Now, … More A Case for Orthodoxy in the African American Church
In volume 15:4, 1995 of Epiphany magazine (from the Christ the Savior Brotherhood, no longer in print), there is a story of a sad example of a missed opportunity that may have bridged the gap between African Americans and the Orthodox Church. In 1893, Bishop Daniel Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church went … More The Pain of Missed Opportunities
The only truly salvific music that came from America is the Negro Spiritual. ——- Archbishop Dimitri (OCA) Black Gospel was born in suffering. Slaves, at first, were denied the gift of Christianity. Masters were eventually convinced that the faith could be taught to “their property” to encourage them to accept their lot in life and … More Black Gospel Music & The Orthodox Church: A Need To Seek Common Ground
February is the month where we take the time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of African-Americans. Some of us also recognize noteworthy kings and queens of Africa as well. It is not unusual to have church bulitien boards filled with pictures of great religious leaders from Richard Allen (founder of the African Methodist Episcopal … More Black History Month: Come and See
Desert Fathers Dispatch 