Southside Atlanta's first Orthodox Christian church

is in the works, and likely will find its home in

Peachtree City.

For many years, residents of the southside have had to travel from 45

minutes to an hour each way into Atlanta to participate in

the church services and activities of the various

Orthodox churches. Soon that may change.

On April 1, a group of 13 Orthodox Christians

gathered in Peachtree City to discuss the establishment of

an Orthodox mission church for those who live in

Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Henry and South Fulton counties.

As a result of this meeting, a brief vesper

service followed by catechism (instruction) in the

Orthodox faith, and a brief meeting to plot out the next steps, will

be held April 21 at 7 p.m. at The Estates clubhouse

on Oaklawn Court in Peachtree City. The public is

invited. The Rev. Father Peter Shportun, pastor of

Saint Elias Antiochan Orthodox Church in Atlanta, will

guide the service. He has participated in mission

parishes before.

"We're in the exploratory stages" of choosing

a location for the church, Shportun said. "We're

looking at all the options, not just Peachtree City. But for

the time being, Peachtree City seems to be the most

central, the most widely recognized and the most accessible."

He said many Orthodox Christians on the

southside either attend his church, in downtown Atlanta off

Ponce de Leon, or drive to the northside. He noted

that convenience is a big reason for the move to start a

new church here.

"When you travel into the city during the day

all week, the last thing you want to do is get up on

Sunday morning and drive an hour, hour and a half to

church." After you have lunch and drive back home,

Shportun added, "that's your whole day."

This potential Orthodox mission church is

Pan-Orthodox in nature, embracing various ethnic

backgrounds and traditions. This will minister to Orthodox

Christians and those interested in the Orthodox faith

who, because of distance, are unable to fully participate

in an Orthodox Christian community, Shportun said.

For further information about the formation of

the new church or the first service, call Shportun at

404-378-8191 or e-mail to [email protected].

According to church leaders, the Orthodox

church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and

disciples of Jesus Christ, handed down by the ancient

Christian fathers and 19 centuries of church tradition.

Currently there are more than 250 million Orthodox

Christians worldwide, with approximately 10,000 living in

the metro Atlanta area.

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