The Missions and Evangelism Ministry (MEM) of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco invites you to an online presentation: America as a Mission Field: What Is the Gospel?
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. PST
Location: Zoom
This free online event is open to all, regardless of jurisdiction. Clergy, parish leaders, and anyone interested in sharing the Orthodox faith are warmly encouraged to attend.
What You’ll Learn
This unique discussion with Rev. Father Barnabas Powell and Rev. Father John Finley will explore the nature of the Gospel and how Orthodox Christians can approach America as a mission field. Together, we will reflect on what it means to live and proclaim the Gospel in a secular and often fragmented culture. Topics will include:
- What Is the Gospel? Understanding how the Church’s unchanging message speaks to today’s world.
- America as Mission Field: Recognizing the opportunities and challenges of evangelizing in a post-Christian society.
- Unity in Witness: How clergy and laypeople across jurisdictions can work together for the sake of the Gospel.
- Practical Evangelism: Concrete ways parishes can embody and share the faith locally.
Don’t Miss Out!
Join these two leading voices in Orthodox evangelism as they engage in a thoughtful and inspiring dialogue—bringing together perspectives from two jurisdictions united in the same mission: to share the Good News of Christ with America.
There will be time for Q&A, so bring your questions and insights.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Presenters
Fr. Barnabas Powell
Fr. Barnabas Powell, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, grew up in a small Pentecostal church where he developed a love for the faith and served as youth pastor. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexios, he attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and was ordained to the priesthood in 2010. He now serves as proistamenos of Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Church in Cumming, Georgia. In 2014, he founded Faith Encouraged Ministries, producing Faith Encouraged Daily and the video series A Journey to Fullness, used by over 200 parishes. He is also the author of A Faith Encouraged and a frequent retreat speaker known for talks like “Becoming Orthodox on Purpose” and “Taming the Passions.” Dedicated to helping Orthodoxy flourish in America, Fr. Barnabas works to share its timeless beauty and depth with all who seek the fullness of the faith.
Fr. John Finley
Fr. John Finley lives in Santa Ynez, California, is a member of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara, CA, and has been a field staff member of the Department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America since 1996. . He was ordained to the holy priesthood in 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma Baptist University; a Master of Sacred Theology from St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology; and a Master of Arts in Musicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Fr. John is a music composer and arranger, and the author of both Sacred Meals from our Family Table, 2005, and The Inner Heaven of Man: A Companion to the Prologue of Ohrid, 2024.
