African-American Orthodoxy – Desert Fathers Dispatch

The Protective Hand of God in the Great Dismal Swamp: Marooned in Abraham’s Bosom

October 21, 2026

I’m amazed at how long the Maroon community of the Great Dismal Swamp lasted. This huge wetland was more than just a stop on the Underground Railroad to the free northern states and Canada. Indeed, this watery colony within North Carolina & Virginia existed well before the antebellum abolitionist. It can be said the Maroons … More The Protective Hand of God in the Great Dismal Swamp: Marooned in Abraham’s Bosom

Maroon Freedom & Inspiration

September 15, 2026

“Moving into the desert meant taking a step into the realm of freedom: Freedom from slavery, freedom from obligatory subjection, freedom from exploitation, and especially freedom from possession.” Fr. John Chryssavgis In his book, In the Heart of the Desert, Fr. John Chryssavgis explains that women were considered to be the possession of their fathers, … More Maroon Freedom & Inspiration

Great Dismal City of God and Refuge

September 1, 2026

I was blessed to be with three of my brothers of St. Basil the Great Orthodox Church on a journey to the Great Dismal Swamp. The City of Chesapeake had recently opened the Historical Village Park on Glencoe Road between Rt. 17 and the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail. The main museum building was filled with … More Great Dismal City of God and Refuge

Old Man Fisher: Abba of the Great Dismal Swamp

July 6, 2026

The Black Preacher is someone who is well known in American History. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jessie Jackson, Adam Clayton Powell come to mind for most of us. Scholars will even point to such men as Bishop Richard Allen, Gowan Pamphlet, and others. Let me add one other name to your mind. A … More Old Man Fisher: Abba of the Great Dismal Swamp

Lessons of St. Moses: Pursuing Purity

March 19, 2026

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 In time, Moses became one of the sought after Desert Fathers for his spiritual wisdom. Two visitors from Gaul, Germanos and John Cassian – who would later be recognized as a saint himself, came to Sketis to learn from him and others … More Lessons of St. Moses: Pursuing Purity

Abba Akaweh: An Orthodox Link to West Africa?

February 8, 2022

I read the lives of the saints from the Prologue of Orhid every morning. This is how I created a very long list of African holy men and women and created my book, Become All Flame: Lent with African Saints. A member of my parish gave me a copy of the Ethiopian Synaxarion. I find … More Abba Akaweh: An Orthodox Link to West Africa?

Living an Orthodox African-American Christian Life: Ancient Iconography for Evangelism

January 20, 2022

There is no shortage of people who use white images of Jesus Christ to support the idea that blacks should turn away from the Christian faith in favor of some form of Islam, Hebrew Israelitism, or some other faith based on a traditional African religion. It is not hard to find the presence of brown … More Living an Orthodox African-American Christian Life: Ancient Iconography for Evangelism

Living an Orthodox Christian African-American Life: A Meaning of Malcolm X

November 18, 2021

Malcolm X was an influence for me to become an Orthodox Christian. Born the son of a preacher, Malcolm Little was disenchanted with the Christianity of his time as he developed into a Harlem street hustler. While in prison, he was drawn to the teachings of the Nation of Islam which preached black separatism. Leaving … More Living an Orthodox Christian African-American Life: A Meaning of Malcolm X

Living an African-American Orthodox Christian Life: Dealing with “Bumps and Bruises”

September 28, 2021

In a recent post on Facebook, I mentioned that “There will be some bumps and bruises in some parishes for black Inquirers.” Over thirty years after a wave of evangelicals converted to Orthodox Christianity under the Antiochians, the hurdle of ethnicity can still be daunting for anyone seeking the faith. Along with that are the … More Living an African-American Orthodox Christian Life: Dealing with “Bumps and Bruises”

Living an African-American Orthodox Christian Life: Maintaining Our Musical Heritage

December 29, 2020

One thing that keeps black people from inquiring about and becoming catechist of the Orthodox Church is a lack of music that we are familiar with. Growing up Baptist, we never heard of Byzantine or Slavonic tones. I was working a summer job when I met someone from the Greek Orthodox Church and it was … More Living an African-American Orthodox Christian Life: Maintaining Our Musical Heritage

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Desert Fathers Dispatch

The Journal of the Virginia Chapter of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black

Tag: African-American Orthodoxy