The community room at my hometown West Point Branch of the Pamunkey Regional Library is free for any person or organization to use as long as there is no charge or nothing being sold. As I am not a member of the clergy, taking up an offering is out of the question. I do have … More Reconciliation: Sharing a Little Bit of Myself
Originally posted on The Modern Monastic Order Of Saint Simon of Cyrene:
An African-American Orthodox Christian shared this article with me; “How the Orthodox Christianity Became the Spiritual Home of White Nationalism” (http://religiondispatches.org/how-orthodox-christianity-became-the-spiritual-home-of-white-nationalism/?platform=hootsuite). Much of the writing focused on the example of Matthew Heimbach, who was excommunicated by the Antiochian Orthodox Church for his racist activities.…
Tomorrow is the end of the road (I hope) to the most contentious presidential campaign of my lifetime. Many things have already been said about both of the major party candidates, the question of why third parties are not given an equal public platform, and how some groups will respond if the results do not … More Reconciliation: Ambassadors of the Greater Kingdom
Recently, the VABSMB and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church have started praying Compline and the Canon of Racial Reconciliation on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm. A half hour of prayer is not the same as getting out in the streets to protest, or lobbying a legislature. While no town is perfect, Williamsburg’s racial climate is … More Reconciliation: Consistency over Complacency
The 23rd Annual Conference fo the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black was held at the Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church in Indianapolis last weekend. I had a lively drive with Sarah Motley and Johanna Hargraves from Charlottesville. I was excited to be there serving as a member of the National Board and one … More St. Moses Conference: Advice from the Bishop
I was blessed to give a talk on Orthodoxy and Racial Reconciliation at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Virginia Beach. A greater blessing came from the sermon preached by Fr. John Manuel who expressed the deep need for Christians to look beyond differences of race and class to love each other with open hearts. … More Looking Beyond “The Other” to “One Another”
There are so many things to be divided over this year. The arguments about the Black Lives Matter movement, whether or not it is disrespectful not to stand and salute the American flag when the National Anthem is played, Clinton vs. Trump; you would think that an African-American priest would speak from the topic of … More St Moses Weekend: Reconciliation by the Pursuit of God and Christian Humanity
Two years ago, the Virginia Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black was born. We were blessed to have Sub-deacon (now Father Deacon) Paul Abernathy as the speaker for our first St. Moses Symposium. I am not sure why we didn’t have the event in 2015. But, we have the ball rolling again! … More The Second St. Moses Symposium
OBSERVING THE FEAST DAYS OF THE AFRICAN SAINTS Why observe the African Saints? Every Christian community and nation celebrates its ancient heroes of the faith. St. Patrick among the Irish, St. Vladimir of the Russians, even the Alaskan Native St. Peter the Aleutian; all of these peoples embrace their ancient fathers and mothers of the … More African Saints & Feast Days
When I decided to leave the Baptist church and convert to Orthodoxy, my wife was understandably concerned. First, there was the loss of income we would suffer as I would be leaving my pastoral salary. I would have to be Orthodox for at least five years to be considered for ordination to the priesthood and … More My Wife Came Home
