www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Black [Orthodox] Priest Shares Past, Enlightening White Town

Interesting article in today's New York Times [nytimes.com]:

Black Priest Shares Past, Enlightening White Town

ASH GROVE, Mo. — When he moved back home here 12 years ago, the Rev. Moses Berry wanted to settle down to small-town life with his wife and two children. He did not intend to become a one-man racial reconciliation committee.
...
Father Moses, 59, said he had spent much of his life on a spiritual quest that began in San Francisco in the late 1960s, included nearly a year in jail in Missouri on a drug charge that was later thrown out, and took a positive turn with his conversion to Orthodox Christianity. He was ordained, first in 1988 by an Orthodox church that he now considers “unauthentic” and in 2000 by the Orthodox Church in America.

When he returned here in 1998, after the death of an uncle who had willed him a 40-acre family farm, he had no intention of starting an Orthodox church in a town already served by 10 Christian churches of various denominations, let alone opening a black history museum. ... (full article [nytimes.com])

Includes some nice photos.

Here's the museum's web site: http://www.oaahm.org/index.html

And the Church's: http://unexpectedjoychurch.org/

With lots of photos: http://unexpectedjoychurch.org/photos.html

So, he really is Father Moses the Black?

Shlomo Stuart,

Also, the Maronite Church has the only Eastern Catholic priest (outside of the Ethiopian Catholic Church) in the United States - Abouna Brown in Dayton, OH.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

The New York Times article is wonderful.

Hmmm. The New Father Brown mysteries, centering on a crime-solving Maronite priest. Has potential.

Shlomo Aho Stuart,

Not only that, but I found out he has another African-American Maronite priest he can have as a side kick named Fr. David Fisher.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

JBenedict,

Thanks for posting those links - very interesting.

As I recollect from some prior postings here, our brother, Subdeacon Randy, is well-acquainted with Father Moses.

Many years,

Neil

Better yet - watch the documentary about him! http://www.godsgardenthefilm.com/

Here's Fr. Moses on Youtube: