Mission Is for All Christians
Today, I saw an interesting Tweet (Twitter message) shared by a friend:
The great commission wasn’t given to a missions organization, it was given to the Church.
This is a great quote, and one which I wanted to share with my readers, most of whom are Orthodox Christians. Our context may be different than the Protestant world in which this quote was uttered, but it nevertheless provides a platform to discuss a critical topic.
Mission organizations in modern times and in the Protestant context are generally para-Church organizations that seek to coordinate the efforts of training and supporting foreign missionaries. From what I can tell, these are usually distinct from Church planting or evangelistic organizations, which seek to reach the lost in one’s own nation.
This type of organization is mostly indigenous to Protestantism, while Orthodox missions are generally under the guidance of the hierarchy of the Church. Commissions were made at various times to various peoples, but there was not, until recently, any effort to create a permanent missions department or structure.
In the last century, however, the New Calendar Greek Church created the “Orthodox Christian Mission Center” to support foreign missions in various parts of the world, such as its sister Church in Albania, which was emerging from communism, and local missions departments have been created in various jurisdictions to facilitate the establishment of new Orthodox parishes domestically. In one sense, greater organization and cohesion is a benefit to missions, but there is a potential drawback, which the above quote illustrates.
In the Protestant world, missionaries have mostly “gone professional.” A person or family feels a call to serve, researches a way to accomplish his goal, and selects the missions organization that is the best fit for them. They are trained, serve abroad, and occasionally return for support trips. Some do this as their career, while others serve a pre-set term and then return to their country of origin to assume a “regular” life. Church planting is likewise professionalized in many cases.
This is not always the case; there are certainly some bi-vocational ministers and Church planters out there, along with missionaries who are working secular jobs in their host countries. I do not want to give the impression that I think it is a problem to have a professional, trained, full-time missions team or evangelism team, per se. However, there are some potential pitfalls as this model of mission has become dominate.
One problem is that these mission organizations often act more like businesses than as a faithful group of believers united and acting together locally, knowing each other intimately, as a family. Another problem is that they make it easy for others to see missions and evangelization as someone else’s job. Because a Church member cooks for Church functions, or cleans the Church, or serves as the secretary, perhaps he or she feels that this is his or her role, while it is someone else’s role to share the Gospel and invite new people to the parish, or go abroad to serve. Sometimes, it is assumed that it is the pastor’s primary job to bring in new members, and Church boards will often have serious “sit downs” with pastors who are not getting the numbers up in a way that hits growth targets.
In an Orthodox Christian context, it is the priest who is often assumed to be in charge of bringing new people in. Of course, it is also the priest’s job to teach, to minister to the sick, to serve the liturgies, conduct correspondence, and represent the parish at important ecclesiastical and civic functions. Laypeople often imagine their only role is to support the Church financially and do things around the Church that need to be done such as cleaning, cooking, and managing the finances.
In reality, the priest’s primary responsibility is to equip the people, to teach them and guide them, so that they grow in Christ and go out and live as Christians, sharing the Gospel in both word and deed. Yes, a priest has a natural advantage in inviting others to Church since he is often recognized in public due to his specific priestly garb, but people expect a priest to invite them to Church. People don’t always expect their family members, friends, or neighbors to invite them, and often they will come, if just asked.
People also tend to expect that a priest will explain the Christian faith in some official manner, and it is almost as if they can tune it out because they already know what he is going to say. For instance, if a layperson begins discussing the latest spiritual fad to appear on talk shows, and a priest criticizes it, even constructively, some people assume he’s biased or it’s his job to say things like that. When a concerned and educated lay member of the Church engages someone with such ideas, though, often one’s guard is let down, and hearts can be changed.
Instead of acting as if it were someone else—be it a department, an organization, or a clergyman—who is responsible for doing the work of sharing our holy faith, let us grow in Christ ourselves, becoming spiritually mature. St. Peter instructs us thusly: “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
We may not be the most articulate, knowledgeable, or experienced at this, and in fact we might find the prospect frightening at first. However, if we are open to Christ’s will, are enthusiastic, and we develop a genuine love for those around us and concern for their salvation, we will be given many opportunities to minister to and witness to them, in ways that we will be able to do so successfully. If we all share in the work, we will find many more people added to the rational flock of the Great Shepherd, and will have multipled the talent that was given to us (c.f. Matthew 25:14-30).
Let’s get started today!
In my work as an Orthodox Christian missions priest here in North Carolina, I often have encounters with Evangelical pastors and Church planters. I want to understand the religious culture that I find myself in, and I want to learn from others’ experiences starting Churches, even if their context is often quite different than mine. I also hope to raise awareness of the Orthodox Church, and to make new friends.
Through these efforts, I have become aware of a newly-expanding trend in Evangelical Church life, the “Multi-Site Church” (also referred to as “Multi-Campus”). My interlocutors often ask what I, as an Orthodox Christian, might think of such a concept, and I also know that many of my fellow Orthodox Christians would not be familiar with the concept. Hence, I decided to write this brief article to offer an assessment of the phenomenon from an Orthodox viewpoint. Please note that I am designating this article as an Orthodox Christian view, and not necessarily the Orthodox Christian view.
A basic definition of a multi-site Church is “a Church which meets in multiple places.” In effect, it is a type of branding, where a recognized Church community creates satellite locations which use the same name and approach, and exist under the same leadership. A friend of mine who attends one such Church explained that there were people traveling from across town to attend the Church, people who would not be as able to bring their neighbors and friends to Church with them because of the distance. A satellite campus was therefore set up in an area where many were commuting from, so they could have the same Church experience in their own area and minister in their own neighborhood.
Points of Convergence
Hierarchy. The Orthodox Church is a hierarchical Church. There is an episcopate (the office of bishop), there are presbyters (priests) who serve under each bishop in a local Church, and there are deacons who assist the bishops and presbyters. This is not viewed as optional, or merely a point of administrative opinion. It is seen as divinely-inspired and part of the deposit of faith.
Bishops are the successors to the Apostles, and the presbyters are those who are given part of the ministry of bishop, but not that ministry in its entirety. Only the bishop can ordain, for instance. Presbyters serve under a bishop, and their preaching, teaching, and ministry is conducted in the name of the bishop, who cannot be present in all places at all times.
From the time of the early Church, there were bishops in the major cities of the Roman Empire, and presbyters assisted them in outlying gatherings, which were later identified as parishes. Country areas originally had bishops, but these were eventually replaced by simple presbyters under the direction of the bishop of the nearest city. This manifested that in any given area, there may be multiple gatherings, but only one Church under the authority of one bishop. Anything else would have meant a divided loyalty, divided attention, and overlapping jurisdiction and responsibility for the one flock.
Multi-Site Churches, interestingly enough, could be seen as a partial return to this earlier practice, from the extreme congregationalism that emerged during the Protestant Revolution of the 16th century and the subsequent influence of Revivalism. The pattern of local congregations planting other local congregations and then turning them loose soon thereafter could be seen as a visible sign of disunity, insofar as the planted Churches could end up disagreeing with the mother Church in even areas of doctrine, and competing with its mother and sister Churches in the same area for members. It would be hard to argue that this is the will of Christ. A Multi-Site Church could be viewed as the Church in a given area, with the satellite locations being parishes under the authority of the lead pastor, who would be similar to the administrative function of a bishop in the Orthodox Church. I am not speaking of a theological equivalency, since a Protestant lead pastor is not viewed in the same way and does not function in the same way as an Orthodox bishop, but practically speaking, there is a hierarchy of pastors. Having one Church organization in a given area with multiple locations would mean multiple points of impact of one visible body of believers. It means that one message is being communicated across a wide geographical area.
Unity of Purpose. Since Orthodox dioceses consist of parish Churches which are united under one bishop in a geographically-united area, they generally have institutions which promote a sense of unity. “United we stand, divided we fall” is a cliché, but is often a true statement. When we go to a diocesan event, we encounter our brothers and sisters from other parishes who are known to us, and we feel a sense of common purpose, being under the guidance of one Chief Shepherd. When we travel to sister parishes, we are truly at home, knowing that our priest knows the priest at the parish we are visiting. We’ve seen him serve with our priest at times, perhaps. This is in contrast to the strictly Congregationalist model, where each individual community is completely independent, and regional gatherings such as conferences reflect a perceived spiritual affinity rather than a tangible unity. Such gatherings are often conducted to foster unity versus manifesting a true unity which already exists.
Resources. A Multi-Site Church is often able to accomplish more than individually-planted Churches which are fully independent. Through coordination of ministries and resources, overlap and waste can be avoided. The wheel does not need to be reinvented. The ministry of the lead pastor extends further, and provides a united witness. Experience is shared with the local campus pastors, training them in an apprentice relationship instead of forcing them to “learn as you go.” New locations thus have an advantage over more autonomous or independent types of Church plants. Similarly, an Orthodox Diocese has a centralized administration which can determine where best to use resources, and can throw more weight behind problems in one parish by calling in help from other parishes in a more efficient manner. During a natural disaster, even Congregationalist, independent Churches can get resources and assistance because of the natural desire of people to help one another, but in less extreme situations, it may be more difficult to obtain needed resources. Multi-Site Churches and Orthodox Dioceses have an advantage in this area.
Points of Divergence
“The Experience.” As mentioned above, Multi-Site Churches often attempt to replicate a specific experience in different locations. This presupposes a charismatic pastor with a specific “style” to him, and a Church which does things a certain way, such that it would be something that people would want, and which they would choose over the myriad other Churches available to them in an area. As Tom Shefchunas points out in his article Will The Multi-Site Church Survive?, a major test of a Multi-Site Church is its first change in leadership. With the experience changed, will the Church remain the same?
In Orthodoxy, the worship service is standardized, not only in terms of place (all over the Earth) but also in terms of time (throughout history). There are naturally minor variations from place to place, but the structure of the service has remained essentially the same since it was first instituted by the Holy Apostles, and insofar as we can see from the earliest texts which attest to the form of the liturgy. An individual presbyter or bishop might have a style of preaching, or be particularly gifted with one of the charismatic (i.e. personal) spiritual gifts, or the style of chant may differ between Russians and Greeks, but the experience of Orthodoxy is universally the same. When I was looking into Orthodoxy, this was one thing that impressed me. Even when I lived in New York and attended liturgy in a parish comprised of mostly Greek immigrants, where the liturgy was almost entirely in Greek, I still experienced the worship of God in a way that bore Divine Grace. The service was familiar enough to me that I felt comfortable there.
Telecasting Sermons. Preaching is a gift, a calling, a grave responsibility. Preaching the Gospel is a yoke upon the presbyter. The Holy Spirit inspires him and enlightens him, but he must purify himself and be prepared to receive Grace, lest he be a stumbling block to the people. The flock can easily see through hypocrisy. A preacher must know the congregation he serves (unless he is a traveling preacher invited to preach by the bishop or local pastor) and tailor his sermon to their needs.
Many Multi-Site Churches televise the lead pastor’s sermon to the satellite campuses on a regular basis, with local “site pastors” occasionally adding their own mini-sermons, or occasionally replacing the televised sermon with their own. Worship music and prayers are localized and performed live. From an Orthodox perspective, though, the practice of telecasting a sermon to another group of people watching it in a Church setting is problematic. Rather than the Holy Spirit speaking through the preacher to the assembly of the faithful, and experiencing all of the tension and release that accompanies live preaching, as a buildup progresses and then a conclusion reached, the assembly becomes a passive audience detached from the context that produced the sermon. In effect, the sermon was for someone else.
To be clear, Orthodox Christianity is not opposed to recording sermons and using them for those who cannot make it to Church for a legitimate reason, or for review by those who were present at the time of its delivery. However, televising the sermon to satellite locations serves to highlight the uniqueness and charisma of the lead pastor as opposed to the local site pastors. I as an Orthodox priest am nothing without my bishop; I serve the Sunday liturgy on an altar cloth which bears his signature and authorization for me to do so, and I was ordained by him and placed in the parish and missions where I serve. When I preach, I preach the Gospel of Christ, and I do it in the name of the bishop, who is the Chief Shepherd of each parish Church in his diocese. My preaching does not differ from my bishop’s in terms of content, but it can be tailored to the local people whom I know better owing to day-to-day contact. Televising sermons to satellite locations places too much of an emphasis on the preacher’s person and character. Instead, Orthodox would have the site pastors preach their own sermons based on the teaching authority of the lead pastor, who sets the guidelines.
Not Letting Go. While the Orthodox Church is hierarchical and Multi-Site Churches are organized somewhat hierarchically (even if they see it as a matter of administration and not doctrine), there is still a sense in Orthodoxy that at some point, the goal is for the daughter mission to become a full-fledged parish, and operate in a self-sufficient manner, under the guidance of the local bishop. In this sense, Orthodox parishes are half-way between a Multi-Site Church and a completely independent Church. Each parish is autonomous, insofar as the Cathedral Church is not dictating all the details of the individual parishes, but each parish is still connected to the Cathedral, which is the seat of the bishop, who also visits the parishes regularly and teaches and preaches across his entire diocese.
In a practical sense, though, some individual parishes are more able to plant daughter missions than others, and the goal of a mission in an Orthodox context is always to mature to the point that it attains parish status itself, becoming an equal to its mother parish. If a collection of parishes in an area matures to a certain degree of self-sufficiency and is producing clergy at a sufficient rate, then they may be given their own diocese and bishop, who operates autonomously in his own sphere, while being obedient to the Holy Synod (the group of all the bishops together).
In the more commonly-encountered Evangelical practice of planting a mission and then giving it freedom when it reaches maturity, there is a sense that at some point, the local community must “sink or swim.” It cannot rely on having the support from a lead pastor and congregation who might support it financially and thus perpetuate inefficiencies. There is a temptation to complacency in the Multi-Site Church that can prevent spiritual maturity as well. Will a satellite congregation ever feel empowered to plant its own Church and mentor it and its pastor? Or will all initiative be taken from the main campus? Will the satellite location avoid making decisions altogether? Independent congregations will not run into the temptation of letting another community do things for them consistently.
For the sake of fairness, when I asked a Multi-Site Church pastor about this topic, he stated that if he felt led in prayer, he would support one of the satellite pastors either divesting his congregation from the mother Church, or he would help that pastor start his own Church or ministry. I commend my interlocutor on his openness and willingness to not put his conception above God’s will. May all such Churches feel empowered to set someone free to serve the Lord in extraordinary ways.
Summary
Multi-Site Protestant Churches and Orthodox Dioceses are probably not considered together too often. Doctrinally, there are huge differences, which are beyond the scope of this article. However, Orthodox Christians and Evangelicals from Multi-Site Churches do encounter one another, and may have reason to consider the similarities and differences between the organizational models of their respective Churches. Orthodox Christianity, which stakes its claim as the historic and original Christian Church, can see some of the developments in the Multi-Site Church movement as positive, insofar as they bring it closer to a model practiced by the Early Church. Some practices of these Churches do not seem consistent with the faith delivered once unto the saints (Jude 1:3), however. We would encourage them to further explore the doctrine and practices of the Early Church, and to follow the evidence where it leads. In the meantime, let us rejoice that Our Lord has appointed and continues to appoint the encounters and friendships which have led to these types of considerations.
Father Anastasios Hudson is an Orthodox Christian priest planting missions in the Triangle and Eastern Carolina. The articles posted on the Triangle Orthodox and Eastern Carolina Orthodox blogs are provided freely for your edification and because Father enjoys writing about his experiences. Father Anastasios is also available for paid writing and speaking engagements. Please contact him at the link above if you are interested in his services.
Confession of Faith, Confession of Sins
Dear Friends in Christ,
The word “confess” comes up often in Orthodox prayers, writings, and sermons. There are two main ways that the term is used in the Church: to confess one’s faith, and to confess one’s sins. The former evokes images of the early Christians standing up for Christ in the arena, refusing to worship the old Roman gods, while the latter often evokes images from popular culture of a darkly-lit confessional and an old Roman Catholic priest sitting there waiting to hear one list off his sins.
Confession, in both senses, however, is really a proclamation, a statement of how things truly are, a “coming clean” so to speak. We have opportunities to confess our faith every day, sometimes by sharing what we believe with our family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors (namely that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, who has destroyed death and the power of sin by the Cross and Resurrection, and that by putting our faith in Him and receiving Holy Baptism, we are born again as new creatures and receive the chance to live the Kingdom of Heaven both now and in the age to come). Other times, it is by how we live, by showing kindness to others, by taking on an extra project at work to help our teammates, by volunteering, or by donating our goods to the poor. And sometimes, we are even called to defend our faith, to confess our beliefs and why they are correct in the face of a challenge to them, such as in the case of secularists or atheists who criticize our belief in God, or those who oppose the Orthodox Christian Church. In rare circumstances (although not so rare in Africa and Asia, or in Russia last century, or Greece in centuries past), we are even called to give our life for Christ, confessing Him before the tribunal of the godless.
Sometimes, however, we fail to live up to our confession of faith, and fall into sin. We are then presented with another form of confession, which is to confess our sins, one of the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments). Holy Confession in this context is to stand before God and come clean, to confess one’s weakness and failings, and to state categorically that without the grace of Christ, we cannot be forgiven and cannot be saved, yet by His infinite mercy and love for man, he restores to us the lost wedding garment, the robe of baptism, which we tear off when we sin, and yet which is restored to us when we repent, giving us a fresh start.
Whereas the public confession of faith requires boldness tempered by humility, in that we must proclaim our faith, but not be antagonistic about it, always keeping love at the forefront, in the case of the confession of our faults, we must approach with great humility at our fallen nature, tempered with boldness in order to take the roots of sin and pull them mercilessly out of our heart. As we gain experience tilling the garden of our soul, we will become more confident in the uprooting of these evil weeds, the passions, which hide in the depths. Confession over time enables us to become more and more self-aware, and to progressively confront and overcome our sinful nature, through God’s grace, bestowed through His priests.
Some will object that we do not need a priest in order to confess our sins; why not confess them to God directly? This is a false dichotomy. Every Christian should make an effort at the end of each day to account for his actions that day, confess that which was sinful, and ask for God’s grace to do better the next day. However, sin does not just affect the individual, but rather impacts the entire community.
Our personal sins contribute in unseen ways to the overall experience of our family, our neighborhood, and our parish. On a grand scale, the vast evil present in this world can be partly attributed to the buildup and impact of trillions of “small sins.” A little too much cholesterol every day will eventually clog the arteries, and in the same way, a few small sins here and there will eventually lead us to bigger problems, and our families will be affected by our illness. Confession to God in private alone does not do enough to recognize the corporate effect of sin, and hence the Church has always practiced a form of public confession, from the time of Ancient Israel to the present. In the early Church, confession was often done in front of everyone. Over time, for various reasons, confession became somewhat more privatized, with the priest standing in as a witness of the community that the one confessing is sincere. The priest then also functions as a witness of the community’s forgiveness, and an assurance to the penitent that God loves him and that everything is forgiven.
Holy Scripture gives us a few insights into this ministry of the ordained priesthood: “And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained’” (John 20:22-23). This was the first appearance of the Risen Lord to His Disciples, and it was in the context of His sending them forth to preach the Gospel. Forgiving sins is then an essential part of their mission.
Indeed, after Christ healed the Paralytic in order to demonstrate that He also had the power to forgive sins, we read that, “…when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men” (Matthew 9:8). We seen then how what the multitude noted, that the power to forgive sins had been given to men (not just to Jesus), was confirmed by Jesus breathing on His Apostles. Let us also remember that the breath of God was used previously to give life to Adam, so this should cause us to associate the forgiveness of sins with new life.
Finally, notice how the power to retain sins is also given to the Apostles; if they are to decide whether to forgive or to retain, then the clear meaning of this passage is that they are aware of what each person coming to them has done. The priest, who serves in the place of the bishop, who is a successor to the Apostles, has received this same grace to forgive sins, and he plays an important role in determining whether the penitent is truly sorry, acting as an external check.
We will cite one more example from Scripture. “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:14-16).
How then should we confess? Some Orthodox people have not confessed in a long time. Indeed, some may never have confessed, having not been taught to do so, which is a tragedy. The good thing is that it’s never too late to start, as long as we are breathing. Contact me, or another priest local to you, and ask to meet for confession, explaining that it has been some time, or something that you have never done. We will be happy to help you return to this saving practice.
How often should we confess? Some local customs have it that we confess before every communion. Others specify at least once every forty days, regardless of whether one is planning to commune. The important thing is that our confessions be regular and sincere, and that we be prepared for them in advance. Let us not conceal anything from the priest (who will never reveal what is discussed in confession) and thus be cleansed from our sins and forgiven. What we confess now will be covered on the Day of Judgment. It is the quintessential “investment in your future,” and I pray that you will resolve to come and partake of this great blessing!
In Christ,
Fr. Anastasios
Friendly Conversations
Yesterday, I met with my new friend Matthew. I first found Matthew via a blog search back in March. I made a comment on his blog, and began to follow him on Twitter. Eventually I asked him if he wanted to meet up, and this is now the second time that we were able to get together. Both times, we have gone to local establishments: Big Boss Brewing Company, and Carolina Ale House. You can read his account of our meeting here. While I am not militantly against chain restaurants and brands, I believe that supporting local establishments over chains helps to build our community, and as Christians, this is an important way for us to engage said communities.
Matthew is from a Baptist background, while I was raised Lutheran, spent a few years in the Roman Catholic Church, and finally settled in the Orthodox Christian Church, where I became a priest. For this reason, we have some differing doctrinal positions. Matthew is about to embark on international mission planting, while I am engaged in domestic mission planting (as a bi-vocational priest, or “tentmaker”). For this reason, we also have several things in common.
The basis of what we share in common is a desire to follow the Truth, Jesus Christ, and this allows us to rejoice in what is held in common, while also permitting us to engage the doctrinal divergences that exist in a spirit of honesty and charity. As is abundantly clear from my various writings online and my affiliation with a traditionalist Orthodox jurisdiction, I am not an ecumenist—I do not believe that we can reestablish some supposedly-lost unity by means of doctrinal compromise and joint social projects. This does not mean, however, that I am against one-on-one dialogue and discussion. These meetings allow me to understand the beliefs of others accurately, while explaining our Orthodox beliefs, and answering any misconceptions about such. It also affords me the opportunity to nurture friendships, which are so hard to find in these days of isolation and superficiality.
I thank God for blessing me with this new friendship, and I look forward to future discussions with Matthew, along with other non-Orthodox Christians living in my community.
On Baptizing My Daughter
On Saturday, July 31 (o.s.), I had the honor and privilege of baptizing my infant daughter Sophia at the Chapel of St. Mark the Evangelist in Raleigh, North Carolina. The godparents were Mr. Leonidas and Dr. Anna Pittos of Detroit, Michigan.
The Pittoses arrived by plane around 7:30 pm on Friday evening. I picked them up from the airport, and took them to my home. We enjoyed several hours of discussion, and retired for the evening. I awoke around 8:00 am on Saturday morning, and began to execute all the remaining preparations for the momentous event. We started at 12:15 pm, so during those four and a quarter hours, I essentially was running around like a madman getting ready.
Baptism Is by Three Full Immersions
A baptism is both a religious and a cultural event, so the preparations involved both the spiritual and the secular. Practicing some chants, making sure all the necessary accessories were available for the ceremony, and keeping a prayerful disposition were combined with grilling the chicken and making sure the quiche was fully-cooked, and that we had enough napkins and plates. Guests began to arrive around 11:30 am.
The service went off without a hitch. Orthodox baptisms contain many long prayers, and several ritual actions with great significance. The focal point of the service is naturally the moment of baptism itself, when the candidate is immersed in the water three times (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but there are several things leading up to the immersions, such as the renunciation of Satan, and several things take place after, such as the giving of the Cross to the newly-baptized. All in all, it lasted about 50 minutes. We then hosted a fellowship meal for those assembled, and the last guests left around 5:15 pm. It was a marvelous day.
There is a prayer that Orthodox priests pray before baptizing someone. It states:
Wash away the defilement of my body and the stain of my soul. Sanctify me wholly by Thine all-effectual, invisible might, and by Thy spiritual right hand, lest, by preaching liberty to others, and offering this in the perfect faith of Thy unspeakable love for mankind, I may be condemned as a servant of sin. Nay, Sovereign Master that alone art good and loving, let me not be turned away humbled and shamed, but send forth to me power from on high, and strengthen me for the ministration of this Thy present, great, and most heavenly Mystery.
Putting the Cross on the Newly-Baptized
This is a great irony, that through baptism, we put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), we are born again (John 3:5), and we arise with Christ (Romans 6:4), yet the one baptizing us can be submitting himself to judgment by not living up to this standard. With this in mind, the Church offers this prayer, so that the priest who is truly diligent can ask the Lord for cleansing of his own soul, before seeking to cleanse another’s. Such prayers are not rote, and I take note of what I am asking God to do for me. It is a great honor to be able to serve as a priest and to baptize, yet it also entails a great responsibility. Saint Augustine rightly taught that any sin of the minister does not deprive the one receiving the sacraments of grace during his controversy with the Donatists, yet by acknowledging that grace is present even in the case of sinful ministers, it only highlights the condemnation that such persons inflict upon themselves. May I not ever become complacent or read these prayers in a superficial manner.
It is hard to describe what it feels like to baptize someone, let alone one’s own child. I have previously baptized six adult converts, but this was actually my first infant baptism. I noticed clearly that during the exorcisms, the baby seemed tense and fussy, and after the three immersions, she became utterly still and eventually fell asleep. This is not an isolated phenomenon, but something I have previously observed in past baptisms. In some pictures, one can see Sophia looking at me with a huge smile on her face, and I thank God that He granted me the blessing to perform this life-giving sacrament on my own child.
The New Christian in Her White Adornment
It is an awe-inspiring feeling when one performs a baptism, knowing that God has granted us humans some participation in His divine work. I pray that my Sophia, and all others who are baptized into the Church of Christ, will always keep their eyes on the Lord, and never let them wander due to the distractions that exist all around us. Baptism is one’s entrance into God’s family, but it is only the first step in a life-long journey of faith.
Some reading this article may be intrigued to find out more about the Orthodox Christian Church—which is the original Christian Church—and its practices. I encourage you to contact me for further information. God bless you!
Driving on U.S. Route 264
As regular readers of the blog know, I travel from Raleigh to Greenville, North Carolina three times a month in order to serve Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthodox Church. The majority of my time is spent on U.S. Route 264, which begins in Raleigh and continues all the way across Eastern North Carolina. Almost the entirety of the route is rural, with alternating forests and farms.
Sometimes I travel alone, or my traveling companion(s) rest during the hour-and-a-half trek between the two locations. During these quiet times, I think about the small communities that I pass: Middlesex, Bailey, Sims, Wilson, Saratoga, and Farmville, among others. I also see the many unincorporated areas, dotted with farms, living the way that the majority of our ancestors did for the past several thousand years. A few times, I’ve stopped for gas or taken a back road on purpose to further explore the region.
I know that there are people in these places who would become Orthodox Christians if they knew of our Church. I know also that God is preparing some people even now to find us and join in our work to help evangelize Eastern Carolina. I wonder who will contact me, and when.
Makeshift cross memorials dot the highway, memorials for people who have died over the years while driving. Seeing them causes me to recall how short this life is, and how we must make each moment count. Knowing that there are millions of people who have never heard of the Church here can drive one crazy; how could one person reach even a small fraction of this number? Yet God does not call us to save the World—Jesus Christ is in charge of that—but only calls us to serve Him in the places we are called to do so. If we follow the Lord with all our heart, then as St. Seraphim of Sarov remarked, “thousands around us will be saved.”
Still, practically speaking, this requires prioritization. I’ve only been a priest for three years, and from time to time I realize that I could have done something better, or a different way. I must continue to humble myself before God and entreat Him to reveal His plan to me, instead of forging my own. I must also constantly seek out those to train, apprentices in this work, so that I will not be the single point of failure. How many Churches have been based off of the charismatic personality of the minister (I am not claiming such for myself, by the way), but crumble upon his death? The recent debacle surrounding the Crystal Cathedral, founded by Pastor Robert Schuller, is illustrative (his children could not manage to even maintain, let alone expand, the empire that their father created).
Driving along U.S. 264 reminds me of the grave responsibility facing us Orthodox Christians living and serving in Eastern Carolina, but it also fills me with hope and inspiration.
Orthodox Church, Goldsboro, NC
Chances are, you’re finding this page because you searched for Orthodox Churches in or near Goldsboro, North Carolina. I’ve created this blog post with you in mind!
Goldsboro, NC
The closest Orthodox Church to Goldsboro, NC is currently the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthodox Church in Greenville, NC, which is about 50 miles from the center of Goldsboro, according to Google Maps. That’s roughly an hour drive, which in terms of Orthodox parishes in the South, is not too bad. However, those who have difficulty traveling, or those who are just looking into Orthodox Christianity, might be put off by the necessity of driving an hour each way just to attend services. The many courageous military families in the area might find it especially difficult to travel an hour each way each week for worship and fellowship.
We also notice with some frequency that people perform internet searches for Orthodox Churches in Goldsboro. The interest seems to be there, yet who will step up to lay the foundation for a parish in Goldsboro?
Perhaps you!
Yes, take a step back and consider that perhaps you’ve found this blog post because the Lord wishes for you to be the person to help establish the first Orthodox Christian parish in Goldsboro, NC! Whether you are a life-long Orthodox, a recent convert, or someone just looking into Orthodoxy, contact Fr. Anastasios Hudson at gocraleigh@gmail.com today to talk about how you might be a trailblazer in the work of bringing Orthodoxy to Wayne County. What better way to love your neighbors than to help bring the Church of Christ to them!
We are praying for Orthodoxy to take root in Goldsboro, and we need your help to do it. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to accomplish this goal!
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Last Saturday, July 9, 2011, I had to take my wife and newborn daughter to my mother-in-law’s house in Wake Forest, North Carolina, which is about ten or fifteen minutes away from where we live in North Raleigh. I decided that since I would be in Wake Forest, and since I did not have anywhere to be that afternoon (which is quite rare for me), that it would be fun to stop by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary so that I could check out their library.
The campus is absolutely beautiful, with its old buildings, many trees, and large swaths of grass. The housing around the seminary is also pretty, and it all evoked a small college town atmosphere. The seminary’s campus was the home of Wake Forest University, until it moved to Winston-Salem in the 1950s. It reminded me of a cross between my college years at North Carolina State University, and my seminary days at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York, which was tiny in comparison to Southeastern.
I had visited the library almost six years ago, but had not been back since. That was before I was ordained a priest, so I didn’t stick out the way I do now. As I entered the seminary campus, I started to wonder if I would get any looks or have anyone engage me in a debate, owing to my Orthodox priest’s cassock. I have to admit, part of me felt like I had crossed the border into foreign territory! But I was able to make my way to the library undisturbed.
I made it to the library, but it being the summer and a Saturday, there were not that many people there. I decided to spend my time in the periodicals section, since I can get almost any book I would want through interlibrary loan, but periodicals are not so easy to obtain. The seminary has an extensive collection of periodicals, and I was pleased to be able to browse through them. They even carry several periodicals relating to Orthodox Christianity; Orthodox Life and Orthodox Word appealed more to me than the Greek Orthodox Theological Review or St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, I must admit. They have periodicals from various theological persuasions, and include a range from “conservative” to “liberal.” I was happy to be there among all that knowledge.
Walking around the campus and in the library, it made me keenly aware of how little Orthodox Christianity is known or appreciated in these parts. I hope to return to the seminary soon, both to see more of the campus, hopefully when classes are in session, and especially the library, to read some more of the periodicals and do research. Perhaps I will have the opportunity to engage with someone while I’m there. I also have considered visiting some of the nearby coffee houses or other hangouts to see whom I might find. I really enjoy having discussions with people about Orthodoxy and how it compares and contrasts with Western forms of Christianity, as long as the conversation is polite and respectful (see my article, An Instance of Baptist Harassment, for an example of when things did not go so well).
If you’re finding my blog post and you are a student at Southeastern Seminary, feel free to contact me and maybe we can get together and chat some time soon!
Welcome to the Blog
I’d like to welcome you to Triangle Orthodox, a new blog that has been established to highlight our efforts to spread traditional Orthodox Christianity in the Triangle region of North Carolina.
Why another blog from me, Fr. Anastasios? I live and work a secular job in the Raleigh area, and pastor St. Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Church here, as well as Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville, North Carolina, alternating back and forth. I recently set up the Eastern Carolina Orthodox blog, which highlights the work we are doing in Eastern Carolina, and have enjoyed sharing some of our experiences and thoughts on mission there. However, I’m finding that as I explore opportunities to witness Christ and His Church in my home area, I’d like to have a place to jot down thoughts and experiences specific to the Triangle. I considered adding a blog tab to St. Mark’s parish website, but I’ve found that people don’t always read the blog on a parish website, and I also intend to share things that deal with the region as a whole, and towns outside of Raleigh, where Orthodoxy needs to be established. Hence, it seemed good to establish this blog.
I greet you all in Christ, and if you should have any questions related to our Church and our work, feel free to use the comments section, or send me an email at gocraleigh@gmail.com!
In Christ,
Father Anastasios Hudson
