Parish History
Parish Photo, Pentecost 2011 - Click to Enlarge
St. Athanasius was formally established as a mission of the Orthodox Church in America on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord (February 2), 2002.
The history of our community, however, extends beyond this “official” and canonical beginning. When the 25 founding members (including men, women, and children) formed St. Athanasius in February 2002, they came not only as new members of a new mission, but, also, as newly received Orthodox Christians.
Their broader journey into the Orthodox Christian Faith began in the 1990’s with the personal journey of David and Rozanne Rucker. The Ruckers—formed in the Wesleyan missiological institutions of Asbury College and Seminary in Wilmore, KY—had been posted to Hong Kong as Protestant missionaries. While there, they had come to realize the limitations of their Protestant heritage in conveying the Gospel of Christ to people not steeped in Western (American) culture. The Ruckers’ struggle to preach the Gospel in ways that would “translate” into the cultural idiom of the Chinese people led the missionaries to explore ancient forms of Christianity.
After returning to the United States, they began to delve into Orthodox theology and found that, not only was Orthodox teaching something they could offer non-Westerners in presenting Christ, but it was also something that nourished their own souls, hungry for a rich spirituality in continuity with the early Christian Church.
Through their explorations of “things Orthodox,” the Ruckers discovered Holy Trinity Cathedral in Indianapolis, a community of the Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC). The EOC was founded in the late 1970’s by Protestant Evangelicals who were trying to “recreate” the early church. The EOC borrowed many forms from the Eastern Orthodox Church, while retaining its fundamentally Protestant character. Over the years, many Evangelical Christians have found their way into authentic Orthodox Christianity through the portals of the EOC.
In 1999, David and Rozanne Rucker formed a mission parish of the EOC in Nicholasville called Christ the Life-giver Orthodox Church under the aegis of Holy Trinity EOC Cathedral (now St. John Forerunner OCA parish) in Indianapolis. As their journey continued, the members of the mission increasingly felt the spiritual call to become fully and authentically Orthodox. After a period of discernment, the mission in Nicholasville decided to seek entry into the Orthodox Church of America (OCA) under the omophorion (pastoral care) of Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas. And so it was that the faithful of Christ the Life-Giver EOC mission became the nucleus of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in February 2002. Several months later, David Rucker was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in Dallas at the hands of the ever-memorable Vladyka Dmitri.
In 2003, St. Athanasius was awarded both a diocesan and an OCA church planting grant. The planting grants allowed Fr. David to leave his secular employment and devote himself completely to the needs of parish ministry. In the years that followed, the parish grew rapidly.
2006 was a landmark year in the history of St. Athanasius. In summer of 2006, the parish completed the purchase on a total of 17 acres in Southeastern Jessamine County on scenic Chrisman Mill Road. (The first several acres had been purchased in 2004.) In December 2006, Fr. David received a blessing from Archbishop Dmitri to accept a position at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Florida. Vladyka Dmitri sent Fr. Justin Patterson, at that time the assistant priest to our dean, Fr. Stephen Freeman, at St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to become the pastor of St. Athanasius. It is also noteworthy that the same month marked St. Athanasius’ graduation from our church planting grants. From December 2006 onwards, the members of St. Athanasius have been exercising complete financial responsibility for the life of the parish. We are now privileged to give back to our diocese and national church structures, helping other newly-founded missions benefit from the kinds of help we received early in our parish history.
In August of 2008, St. Athanasius completely paid off the property on Chrisman Mill Road (ahead of schedule!). In the time since paying off the property, the parish has continued to refine its specific vision for ministry in Central Kentucky and has continued its rapid growth.
Recognizing that St. Athanasius had achieved certain important goals with regard to attendance, tithing, owning property, ministry, and liturgical life, Metropolitan Jonah granted St. Athanasius “parish status” in 2009. In 2011, the St. Athanasius launched a capital campaign to help us build a proper church. Our growth has continued in the years since 2006, with regular Sunday worship routinely going well above a 100 worshipers.
The faithful of St. Athanasius take seriously the call to bear witness to Christ and the preaching of Him in an Orthodox manner. We encourage anyone living in the Bluegrass and beyond who might be interested in learning more about Orthodox Christianity to contact us. We are here for only two reasons—to grow in Christ ourselves and to share this precious gift of our Orthodox Faith with all those whom the Lord brings to us.