For the last six months, we've received many regular inquiries about the timing of the opening of the new St. George's Church in Brantford - which is a good sign.
When the opportunity to purchase the church presented itself in 2015, it was difficult to gauge the level of interest in the Orthodox faith in Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk counties. But like Orthodox missionaries of every century, we took open doors - and an ideal, affordable church building - as God's indication that we should proceed, and proceed we did.
It's been a challenging 18 months: unexpected renovations, waiting times for contractors, resulting delays for volunteers, and cost pressures borne by our existing parish. Yet in all this - again and again - God has provided exactly the help that was needed to complete His church, and now we are almost there. The only thing we had to develop was patience (which is sometimes the most difficult).
We've said all along that if God gave us the church, He would certainly supply the priest.
As the printed newsletter goes to press (January 2017), we received hopeful news of a priest who will be coming to our diocese in two months, who may be a very good fit for the mission at St. George's. And like everything else with this new mission church, it is God Who provides... and we're still trying to learn patience.
Contributions toward the completion of the St. George Mission Project can be sent to:
All Saints of North America Orthodox Churchc/o 10 Princip StreetHamilton, OntarioL8W 2M3Canada
"Ours must be an orthodoxy of the heart, not just the mind."
-St.Tikhon of Zadonsk