So you've decided that you are actually considering the priesthood or the diaconate. What next? The next step, of course, is to talk to your priest. But what do you say? I'd recommend starting by asking him to lunch or to sit down in a relaxing environment for an hour or so. Tell him, briefly, … [Read more...]
Pastors Courageous
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Originally published in July/August of 2005, this article always has kept a special place in my heart. As a priest of "The Church Militant" I've always felt that clergy must, first and foremost, be men, and men must be courageous. The Necessity of a Military … [Read more...]
Continuing Education Isn’t Optional; It’s Self-Care
by Fr. Basil Biberdorf In the course of the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to attend by the SVS Symposium (topic: “Hellenism and Orthodoxy”) as well as the Acton Institute’s Acton University 2010. Both have given me significant opportunity to reflect on a number of the issues we’ … [Read more...]
A Bullseye On Their Back
Another gem from the Ministry Best Practices webblog. It's not easy being a pastor. Here are some stats why: 50% of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce 80% of seminary graduates will leave ministry in the first 5 years 70% of pastors are grossly underpaid (compared to the amount of work t … [Read more...]
Heeding the Call
How do I know when I am called? All the baptized are incorporated into the Church and so called to be holy. The struggle is to determine which call is truly ours amid the many vocations God has for his people. One way to think more carefully about whether or not you are called to the priesthood is … [Read more...]
The Paradigm Shift In The Orthodox Priesthood
by Fr. Aris Metrakos In this article, originally entitled "Brother, Can You Spare A Paradigm?", Fr. Aris makes clear that misconceptions about what the priest is, and isn't, are failing, and that there is one legitimate alternative, and it is catching fire across America, and beyond! This essay was … [Read more...]
Tentmaking Today: The Bi-Vocational Priest
by Fr. Anastasios Hudson When people meet me, they are usually surprised to learn that not only am I an Orthodox Christian priest, but that I also work as a Computer Network Consulting Engineer. The term for what I am is “bi-vocational.” It is not a term that I invented, or which was even created in … [Read more...]
