Priest John E. Parker III, an alumnus of St. Vladimir's, has been appointed Chair of Department of Evangelization of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, primate of the OCA. Father John holds a Master of Theology degree from the seminary, and currently is rector of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Prior to his reception into the Orthodox Church in 2002, Fr. John served as a youth pastor in the Episcopal Church, USA. His experience in missionary work spans everything from inner-city evangelization to foreign mission teams. Notably, he has helped grow what began as "Holy Ascension Orthodox Mission" into a vibrant and large church, housed in an exceptionally stunning Byzantine-style building.
Referring to the Department of Evangelization as the "Good News Department," Fr. John has set three main goals: 1) evangelization to non-Christians 2) missions, which includes planting new Orthodox churches and taking part in short-term missions trips and 3) revitalization of existing Orthodox parishes. His full interview with the the OCA Website editor may be read here.
Complementing his work in missions and evanglization are Fr. John's extensive writings. He has written dozens of columns relating Orthodox Christian teaching to local culture and life, which have appeared in local newspapers. He also has been a frequent speaker at various Orthodox gatherings, especially at Orthodox Christian Fellowship conferences, which strengthen college students in their faith.
Click here to listen Fr. John Parker's presentation titled "The Filioque," delivered at the Ss. Alban & Sergius Fellowship meeting held on our campus in September.
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