               |
 |
Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Church is a mission of the Diocese of the South, and the only Orthodox church or institution serving the people of Montgomery Co. in North-Central Tennessee. Several parishioners' families reside some 25 miles north over the KY border; most reside within the borders of the greater Clarksville municipality, which is quite extensive. Most parishioners are relative newcomers to Tennessee, which is not atypical of this military town with a small university situated at its historic core.
The origin of the Orthodox mission in Clarksville was in a military chaplaincy conducted until just last year on the premises of Ft. Campbell, the base of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, straddling the Tennessee/Kentucky border on the northwest side of Clarksville. Making its move to the present site in Clarksville proper presented the opportunity for the worshipping community, which had adhered for over a decade of military base chaplaincy, to reach toward the next stage of Orthodox community life: to become a mission parish with a permanent existence independent of Ft. Campbell's all-purpose, interfaith Army chapel. In August, 2008, the community leased a spacious and dignified A-frame chapel connected to the Grace Lutheran Church on the Madison Street thoroughfare, some three miles from historic downtown of Clarksville.
When the former pastor, Archpriest Peter Dubinin was transferred away this year in his duty as military chaplain, the parish set about preparing to take on a permanent parish priest and Fr. John Beal, formerly of San Francisco's Holy Trinity Cathedral, was found to be available this summer, moving with his family to Clarksville to serve the mission.
The parishioners of Protection are mostly converts, some native to the general area but many transplants from other parts of the country. Some are active and retired Army servicemen. Many have come to Orthodoxy from Protestant backgrounds, though some of us are from Orthodox families and nations such as Greece, Georgia and Russia. Established as we are on the 'frontier' of Orthodoxy in this largely-Baptist region, we are challenged to present a full expression of historically intact, sacra mentally vivid Christianity in its fullness in the face of a highly secularized, yet self-consciously religious social environment, where the claims of Orthodoxy to embody the very Church established by Christ among His Disciples are not readily grasped. Nascent as we are as a mission, we have a long road together in Orthodoxy ahead of us. We hope, with God's blessing, to grow in time and establish a highly-visible presence in this southern town, to His glory. We welcome all newcomers and visitors warmly and invite all to participate in the life-giving sacrifice of Christ by joining our community of worship and holy struggle.
|
Father John Beal is our Pastor.
Father John was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 2006 in his home parish of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, San Anselmo, California, at the hand of BENJAMIN, then vicar Bishop of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the West.
Treasurer, Emmanuel Hnarakis
Secretary, Susan Jensen
Wardens, John Davis and George Parhas
|
Mailing Address:
Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church
2041 Madison Street
Clarksville, TN 37043
931-552-4288
fatherjohn@orthodoxclarksville.org
|
|
|
