Met. Jonah Performs Several Ordinations at ROCOR's Southern Missionary Hub
With baptisms, tonsures, and multiple ordinations, ROCOR’s Southeast hub in Atlanta continues to lead a growing missionary revival—fueled by English-language liturgies, lay zeal, and the steady hand of seasoned clergy.
ATLANTA — The growth of Orthodoxy in the South can no longer be ignored—especially in light of the blessed events that took place this past weekend at St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church. Often referred to as “the Orthodox megachurch,” where three chalices are regularly used during Holy Communion, the parish has become a center of ROCOR life in the Southeast.
Our parish serves as the hub of ordinations for many missions across Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, as our rector, Fr. John Townsend, is the dean for these regions within the Eastern Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Although these missions fall under the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, the divine services are conducted predominantly in English—often 90% to 100%. This is also true of many ROCOR parishes throughout the South and is certainly one of the primary factors contributing to the explosive growth of Orthodoxy in the region.
One mission that St. Mary of Egypt has been nurturing is the St. Katherine of Alexandria Mission in Dallas, Georgia. Metropolitan Jonah, who has been a close associate of the Evans family leading the mission, personally baptized five members of that family on Saturday morning, July 26th, prior to the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
Following the baptisms, a Hierarchical Liturgy was celebrated during which Hierodeacon Rajden Ashjazadeh was ordained to the priesthood. Since St. Mary of Egypt also hosts an attached monastery—dedicated to the Holy Elders of Optina—this event was especially significant.
In classic ROCOR fashion, emphasizing the urgency and importance of missionary work, Subdeacon Aaron Blanco was ordained to the diaconate that morning, and then to the priesthood on Sunday. Reader Matthew Campbell was tonsured a subdeacon during the reading of the Hours before Sunday’s Liturgy, and then ordained to the diaconate during the service. Fr. Aaron’s son, Jesse Blanco, was also tonsured as a reader that morning. These three newly ordained clergy—Fr. Aaron, Fr. Matthew, and Reader Jesse—together with Fr. Aaron’s matushka and four other children, will serve at the developing St. Innocent of Alaska Mission in Canton, Georgia.
Two additional readers were tonsured that same Sunday: Constantine Dermendzhiev, a parishioner of St. Mary of Egypt who has been assisting with the Bulgarian Mission under Fr. Daniel Iliev, and Michael Koukarni, a faithful parishioner and father at St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church.
We were blessed with the opportunity to sit down for an exclusive interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah, in which he reflects on the remarkable growth of Orthodoxy in the South, the hunger among young people for authentic Christianity, and the appeal of the Orthodox tradition for those leaving heterodox confessions:
The pursuit of the knowledge of God—not about God, but of God—I think, is one of the things that would be most appealing for those who are really seeking Christ… Orthodoxy has radical freedom. That doesn't mean there are no dogmas and canons and all those kinds of things, but within that context, there's radical freedom. And what theological freedom is, is the freedom to do God's will. And if you have that, you have freedom. And if you don't have that—which is the direction the West has been heading—you have nothing. And I think people want a meaningful life, not some kind of emptiness.
Metropolitan Jonah also offered valuable guidance on how to spread the faith in the South and establish sustainable missions. He emphasized the importance of building sober, committed communities—not romantic idealists or zealots:
One of the most important things, I think, is that it’s critical to avoid any kind of zealotry or fanaticism. One thing you can call zealots and fanatics is Protestants—we are not that. We embrace what Saint Benedict, who was a great Father of the Church, said: ‘Moderation in all things.’
He also highlighted the upcoming Ludwell Fellowship Conference, titled "Cradle and Crucible", which will take place on September 6th at St. Herman's Orthodox Church in Stafford, Virginia. The conference will explore the life and legacy of Philip Ludwell and focus on planting missions in the South. Speakers include Fr. Turbo Qualls, Jay Dyer, and others. More information can be found on the Ludwell Fellowship’s website [here].
It was a joy and a blessing to serve with His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah, and we are incredibly grateful that he graciously accepted an interview with us. Axios to all who were newly tonsured and ordained—may God grant them many years in their service to the Holy Orthodox Church!
