Everyday Orthodox

Michelle writes children's literature and a blog called "Hopeful Patience," which is about various struggles, including infertility issues. She is the full-time caregiver for her husband and an administrative assistant at an Antiochian parish.

Sam is a graphic designer and documentary filmmaker. His documentary New Men, which is about an Orthodox monastery, inspired his conversion to Orthodoxy. He is currently a 2020 Epicenter Frontier Fellow and a mediocre improv comedian.

Zach Sherman is a veteran high school literature teacher and a father of three. He was born and raised in the Church of Christ, in which he met his wife and began to raise his children. His journey to Orthodoxy began about 6 years ago with reading a seemingly simple footnote in a book. Eventually, he, his wife and children were all received into the Orthodox Church together on Lazarus Saturday of 2017. Zach and his family attend St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church in Spring, Texas, where he serves on the parish council, and his wife teaches church school.

Sandra Anderson works in ministry development and has recently written A Handbook of Ministry Resources, Recommendations, and Reflections.

Elissa talks with newly appointed Orthodox missionaries Steve and Theophani Sarigianis. They met at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Massachusetts and found that they share a passion for mission work. Married in 2017, they are about to embark on a great adventure: they're moving to Albania with OCMC!

Nick Nicholson joins us live to talk about the Monastery of Mesa Potamos' new intimate and lively biography of the Romanov family, which is based on diaries, letters, and memoirs never before seen in English.

Get to know Dn. Adam—filmmaker, author, and Ancient Faith podcaster. He's a content creator for the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Laura Jansson is delightful! She's a doula, a childbirth educator, and a mother, living and writing at the intersection of birth and faith. She has lived all around the world and is the author of Ancient Faith Publishing's Fertile Ground.

Bright, bold, and poetic, Laura Lee is a convert to Orthodoxy who, at the height of her career as a CEO, suffered a devastating brain injury. Hear about her battle back, regaining language processing and simple life skills—and the lessons she's learned along the way.

Gail is a retired music teacher and a convert to Orthodoxy. Formerly a pastor in a Charismatic church, Gail had some amazing experiences on the road to the Orthodox faith.

Fr. Ignatius Lozano is a ROCOR priest in Lockhart, Texas—the famous home of Texas BBQ. We talk about his interesting life story, in which a nice American kid discovers Orthodoxy and becomes a ROCOR priest in the middle of rural Texas.

Former New Age Spiritualist and now Orthodox author Veronica Hughes joins Elissa tonight.

Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.

Fr. Ilya fell in love with pilgrimage and has found a way to live the dream: he leads pilgrims on Orthodox Tours to holy sites all over the world! We hear how he found his way into such a life and all about his travels to the Holy Land and Greece, Russia and the Balkans, Italy, Ireland, and Western Europe.

Bobby Maddex is AFR's fearless station manager, and his sister, Molly Sabourin, is the original Orthodox influencer and all-around creative spirit. Hear about their new book club and how these two siblings get along.

Fr. Seraphim talks about his very interesting life and work— from the small mission he's built into a beautiful and strong parish, to a robust prison ministry which carries him all over the state, to his work with the Church in Africa!

Kathryn is the mother of five daughters with a son on the way, and the Senior Advisor to the Illinois Attorney General on issues related to violence prevention and crime victims. She and Elissa talk about how she lives out the faith supporting crime survivors.

Summer is the mother of five, a student of theology, and an autistic woman parenting autistic children. How can our Holy Church welcome and support everyone, no matter their disabilities?

Alexis Pappas works in youth ministries and religious education at her parish in Birmingham, Alabama. Her joy is contagious.

Hannah Vazquez is wife to Will and mother of four, ages 9-2, with one on the way. They live in rural Indiana where they have space to garden and let the kids run free. She enjoys making her home a haven while trying to keep Christ at the center. She has contemplated seeking the kingdom of God while fulfilling her motherly responsibilities for several years and continues to seek and learn—and this is the subject matter of her new AFR podcast All These Things,

Christine Hallberg is an Orthodox Christian living in Cary, NC. Chris has played a lot of roles in her life. Wife and mother, actor and educator, movie buff and current church school director. In 2013, at the age of 36, she got one more role she wasn’t counting on—breast cancer patient and survivor. Join us as we discuss the spiritual side of Chris’s journey through breast cancer.

Elissa Bjeletich will be talking with Fr. Nebojsa Pantic, a man who was sure he would never be a priest.

Meet Irene Perez, an iconographer and mom originally from Venezuela. Irene's family remains back home even as Venezuela crumbles. Irene came to the United States and found Orthodoxy through a complex and fascinating path, and today she teaches iconography and is raising her teenage son with her husband, Simon.

Joni is funny and smart, she's a cancer survivor, a mom, and a Sunday School teacher—and she's also an artist with a show opening soon at Fordham in New York City! Joni's father was a renowned iconographer, and her own art uses images and inspiration from Byzantine art and iconography, blending them with modern images to beautiful and profound effect. Check out her art here.

You'll enjoy Elissa's conversation with Dr. Tim Patitsas, ethics professor at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, MA. You'll hear about his upbringing in Kent, Ohio, his relationship with urban planning author Jane Jacobs, his work with Beauty First Films, and a new very non traditional calendar you may want to see.

Elissa interviews Kh. Jocelyn Mathewes, a fine artist and image-maker in rural Tennessee who cooperates with the sun to create gorgeous cyanotypes.

Jamey Bennett visits Elissa's Austin studio! Jamey's rap group Royal Ruckus released their latest album, Unexpected Joy (dedicated to the Holy Theotokos), on the Feast of the Dormition—and they're in Austin for a release party. Join us as we talk to Jamey about the journey that led him to become so active in the Orthodox Church and the independent hip-hop scene.

Thomaida Hudanish joins Elissa Bjeletich for a fascinating discussion about outreach, evangelism, Orthodox films, and a new calendar unlike any you've seen before.

She saw a vision of St. Basil and now she credits him for bringing her through cancer. Kate Stevenson is Elissa Bjeletich's special guest who is a cancer survivor and energetic youth worker.

Elissa Bjeletich welcome back Symeon van Donkelaar, the iconographer using natural pigments he finds around the village of Conestoga in Ontario, Canada. He's back to tell us all about his new project, Icons in the Home.

Elissa interviews Dr.Maria Khoury. Dr. Khoury lives in Palestine, on the West Bank of the Jordan River, in the Biblical land of Judea and Samaria. She has authored many articles dealing with the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the Palestinian struggle for independence and freedom.

Born in Selma, Alabama, to a Southern Baptist family, David was called to ministry from an early age. He gave that all up to embrace Orthodoxy.

Elissa Bjeletich welcomes back actor Jon Boatwright who shares his story about coming to Orthodoxy.

Meet Fr. Methodios from the St. Barnabas Orphanage and School in Kenya! Father never set out to establish an orphanage, and yet here he is! Learn how his calling unfolded, and how he has embraced a kind of reckless love that relies on God to provide!

You are going to really enjoy Matushka Wendy. From her religious education advice to her advocacy for those with disabilities, she has so much to offer the Orthodox world -- and yet what you'll really appreciate is her wit and down-to-earth charm.

Meet Deb Tindle, an Orthodox woman in Austin, Texas, who teaches high school Sunday school with Elissa! Deb is an occupational therapist specializing in manual therapy to treat chronic pain, and who often encounters the divine with her patients as they enter into suffering.

Meet Elisabeth Evans! Elissa Bjeletich and Elisabeth talk about growing up in Alaska, her life in the lower 48, and fostering as a path to adoption.

His last appearance was shortened by technical difficulties but we felt you would want to hear his whole story. John has a passion for ministry and a love for bringing people closer to Christ. Although he was raised in an Orthodox home, John had to come to grips with his faith while in college.

Bev's first love is writing for young adults, and now she has given herself to writing Akathists. Hear about her work and her life in Victoria, British Columbia.

Get to know Jon Boatwright, an Orthodox actor in Hollywood.

Don't miss this fascinating interview with Annalisa Boyd, mother of 9, foster mother of many more, and author of the popular prayer book for teens - Hear Me.

John has a passion for ministry and a love for bringing people closer to Christ. Although he was raised in an Orthodox home, John had to come to grips with his faith while in college.

Dr. John Demakis joins us tonight! He is a physician who has done wonderful work, abroad with OCMC and right here at home! He's known all sorts of people, like Patriarch Athenagoras and Archbishop Anastasios. He's a fascinating and wonderful man, and I know that you're going to love getting to know him.

Elissa's guest is Caroline Langston. Caroline was received into the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1996, and was a founding faculty member in writing at the experimental Orthodox college, Rose Hill, in Aiken, South Carolina. Since 1998, she has lived in the Washington, D.C., area, and worked in foundation relations at NPR, The Center for Public Integrity, The Atlantic, and the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple quarterlies, and her stories have been selected for the Pushcart Prize and New Stories from the American South anthologies. She has been a regular contributor to Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion’s Good Letters blog since 2008, and has been a commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered.

Melinda is the delightful, whimsical and energetic Director of Marketing (and Fun) for Ancient Faith Ministries, and the author of several books (The Other Side of the Bonfire, Letters to Saint Lydia, The Barn and the Book, Shepherding Sam and Piggy in Heaven). Melinda enjoys writing for children, knitting, walking and talking, recipe books with pictures, and friendly four-legged animals. She is truly a delight, and we're pretty sure you're going to love her.

This Sunday on Everyday Orthodox, meet the delightful Kristina Wenger! A mom of two who enjoys interacting with little people, she taught first grade and Sunday church school, homeschooled, and co-founded an educational organization. She works part time for the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education, managing several of their media ministries and writing curriculum. She is also a storyteller who voices some of Ancient Faith’s audiobooks, as well as the “Let Us Attend” and “Tending the Garden” podcasts. Kristina and her husband have two grown children and are members of St. John Chrysostom Church in York, PA. She is the co-author of Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families.

Steve Christoforou is best known for his media work on Be the Bee, Live the Word, We Are Orthodoxy, and Pop Culture Coffee Hour. He is also the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the GOA.

Elissa Bjeletich welcomes Charles Youngblood! From his work as an assistant Navy Chaplain (serving in combat in Iraq) to his years with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Waco police force, he has so much interesting and valuable experience to share. Now a student at St. Vlad’s, Charles hopes to make use of his training certification to help Orthodox communities fight child abuse and sex trafficking.

He's a cradle Orthodox priest who went to an Evangelical seminary. She's a Psychologist with her own practice as well as a Presvytera in a large parish. Together they host a live call in show on Ancient Faith Radio. Elissa talks to Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh on Everyday Orthodox.

Maria Georgeton is an attorney and all around interesting person who is very involved in the Oratorical Festivals for the Greek Archdiocese.