Born in Thailand, Yam grew up in the U.S. and lives in the Western NC mountains with her family. New to Orthodoxy, she has been led back into the East and deeper into the Kingdom of God where her interests in family life, monasticism, and good storytelling overlap.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

The wife of a priest, Sarah is a mother of three and a middle school teacher. She co-authored both 101 and 102 Orthodox Saints. She loves helping students discover a love of reading and going on adventures in nature with her family.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

At 16, Wadeed fell in love with Youth Equipped to Serve's mission of loving and serving all people. He is now the new Director of YES, the FOCUS ministry dedicated to creating formative opportunities that equip participants to serve each person as the image of Christ.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Susan founded and directs Thrive Life Skills, an international ministry organization and has worked for over 30 years with suffering people around the world. She wrote A New Song: Our Journey Toward Healing and lives with her daughter and family in MichiganElissa Bjeletich Davis

Clarissa grew up in South Africa, and has a background in acting. She homeschools three fiercely spirited girls and is wife to a man who gets paid to make actors look like superheroes. The Murrays live in downtown Atlanta, with their 90-lb Doberman named Blaise.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Dr. Jenkins is the Director of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University He has taught History, Theology, Greats, Latin, and Greek, and recently published A Perilous Realm: Confronting Dragons, Angels, and Saints in the Ordering of the Soul.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Dr. Mark Faries, professor in behavioral medicine and adjunct faculty with the College of Medicine with Texas A&M College of Medicine and School of Public Health, Mark is the Director of the Well Church Initiative. He specializes in theology in health, health behavior change, and the role of religious beliefs in chronic disease prevention.…

Zachary Porcu is a professor of history and theology and a catechist. His is the author of Journey to Reality. He earned his PhD in church history from the Catholic University of America and holds degrees in philosophy, classics, and interdisciplinary humanities.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

A mother, writer, and teacher of college students and preschoolers, Laura received her Ph.D. from Harvard, earned tenure, published her first academic book, and then left to homeschool her children. She's working to set up Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in her parish.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Aleksandr Jovic just made his directorial debut with the documentary, Beyond the Peak. He has spent years in Hollywood, working in various roles in both production and post-production. Get to know Aleksandr, and learn about his lenten documentary!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Kristi grew up with a Yiayia who truly lived the faith. In one of the hardest experiences of Kristi’s life, she was diagnosed with MS and Lyme. She relied on prayer, like Yiayia, and this struggle led to her true calling - author and illustrator of Orthodox children’s books!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Evan and his wife discovered Orthodoxy in 2008 and soon established Otherworldly Productions, a video production company specializing in quirky commercials (Adidas, Clif Bar). Now, they're focused on Facing Phantoms, a feature-length documentary on the beauty of Orthodoxy.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

With years of experience in prison ministry, Fr. Michael Pejovic serves as a Prison Relationship Manager for OCPM, responding to the spiritual needs of prisoners and supporting the community surrounding them. Serbian-American, he serves as an OCA priest in New Jersey.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Fr. Nick specializes in negotiation, diplomacy, peacemaking, and change leadership. He has used those gifts in service to the GOA, the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Assembly of Bishops, and the UN––and now he's part of the effort to translate the Divine Liturgy into ASL.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Artist Emanuel Burke found Orthodoxy through icons. His art, rooted in Orthodox tradition, portrays saints in fresh ways, exploring the boundaries of light and dark, life and death, and sketching out the path of salvation. He and his wife, Yam, have 3 young children.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

You know Jonathan Jackson from General Hospital, Tuck Everlasting and Nashville -- but now get to know him as a fellow Orthodox Christian. We'll talk about his faith, his role in the upcoming film, Unsung Hero, and his new album, The Harrowing of Hell.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Richard Ramsey co-wrote and co-directed the feature film, Unsung Hero. He and his brother, John, make comedic short films which have been featured in numerous film festivals. Richard and his wife live in Nashville and have five children (all named after Beatles songs).Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Fr. John Kowalczyk serves as chaplain at S.C.I. Waymart’s Forensic Treatment Center. He is an executive member of the board of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), and advocates for prison inmates in need of Christ and pastoral care.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Michael is a husband and father of three, a parish council president, the son of an Orthodox priest, and the President of The Antiochian Men. We'll hear his story and learn why and how he founded this impressive new group.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Eleanor is a delightful woman whose deep faith has carried her through tragedy, including the loss of her sweet son. A wife and mother, she works in the banking industry and has taught Sunday School, sung in the choir, and baked prosphora.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Pres. Melanie and her husband, Fr. Joseph, have one son, Michael Seraphim, whose special needs greatly impact his health and independence. She works to encourage families who face similar challenges and to dispel cultural stigmas associated with disabilities.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Fr. Eugen is the author of Church Ministries on a Shoestring Budget, a subject he knows well, having established mission churches in Pittsburgh, PA, and Columbus, OH. A husband and father, he has been a priest for 32 years, and speaks on Pastoral Theology and other topics.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Michael Witcoff is one of Elissa's AHOS classmates. He grew up Jewish, and then became a Freemason, before converting to Orthodox Christianity. His book ‘On The Masons And Their Lies’ was written to help communicate the fraternity’s incompatibility with Christianity.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Marie is cradle Orthodox from the coal region of Pennsylvania. She married her best friend and they have three adult children. She is outgoing and fun, and works as a Medical Assistant. Her family was always active in the Church, laying a firm foundation for her.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Katherine is a wonderful author, and has been an editor at Ancient Faith since 1993. She has written several children's books, as well as the Crime with the Classics series of traditional mysteries for adults. She and her husband have recently moved to the Pacific Northwest.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Christopher is a figurative artist working primarily in a type of Biblical Narrative. He has a degree in Drawing and Painting from Biola University and has been a work-from-home artist and homeschooler. He and his wife lead the Burial Society ministry at their parishElissa Bjeletich Davis

Fr. Patrick is Elissa's Liturgical Theology professor at AHOS, and author of Come, Let Us Worship. Though he grew up Protestant in New Jersey, he spent most of his life as an Orthodox priest on the West Coast.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

For 22 years, Jimmy (Santiago) Garcia has worked as Operations Coordinator, Director and Child Care Administrator at a long-term residential program for at-risk teens. A convert to Orthodoxy and church school teacher, he and his wife, Veronica, are raising two grandkids.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Kh. Kelleylynn is a gifted photographer and the administrator at St. Athanasius Academy. She is the mother of five and wife to Fr. Raphael in New York state. Funny and soulful, Kelleylynn loves deeply and is an engaging and compassionate woman you'll enjoy getting to know.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Dr. Pano Kanelos is the Founding President of the University of Austin. He previously served as President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. Pano is a Shakespeare scholar, a husband and father, and an active member of his Greek Orthodox parish in Austin, Texas.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Drew Chancey is the author of Goodnight, Child of God, and writes a semi-monthly poetry newsletter. Drew and his wife Brittney, along with their four children, live in Tulsa, and attend Holy Apostles Orthodox Church where Drew sings in the men's choir.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Simon is a soil science graduate student as well as a husband and a new father. In addition to studying and helping his wife with the baby he also works with Ancient Faith on live-streaming shows on YouTube.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

John Maddex was the founder and CEO of Ancient Faith Ministries, and then he stepped down -- but what has he been up to since then? We'll catch up on how retirement is going and what John plans next.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

To celebrate our 200th episode, we welcome special guest, Helena Bjeletich, who will interview her mom, Elissa Bjeletich Davis!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

After 20 years serving the police department, Lt. Raphael Barberg retired and became an Orthodox priest! He works with IOCC to minister when catastrophes occur (9/11, mass shootings, natural disasters, etc.), and serves at St. George in Niagara Falls, NY.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Blogger, podcaster, gardener, and regular gal-in-the-pews Lynnette Horner is an editor at Ancient Faith Publishing and hosts the blog and podcast "Walking an Ancient Path: Living and Learning Orthodox Christianity."Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Margaret is a delightful grandmother who found herself in a terrible car accident. Her experience there brought her an entirely new outlook on the Orthodox faith.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Melia studied in Abu Dhabi and learned of Orthodoxy from Matt (a history buff and convert from California) while in New York City. Baptized in Tbilisi, Georgia, Melia works in cybersecurity and decorates her church through flower-arranging. Matt works as a paralegal and sings in the church choir.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Buck Johnson is host of The Counterflow Podcast, a weekly show featuring discussions on spiritual warfare, culture, and politics. Buck is an Orthodox Christian and musician who has worked as a firefighter for more than 25 years.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Kh. Gigi Shadid is a delightful musician, best known for the children's albums she has created and loved by adults and children alike!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Gordon James is a husband, father, and grandfather. He has lived in alcoholic idolatry, changed in AA sobriety, and come home to Orthodoxy. God gave this walking miracle the gift of desperation.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Dr. Michael Wingert is a professor and a podcaster specializing in ancient medicine, philology, and theology. He's a Syriac Orthodox Christian of Assyrian heritage, and the Dean of Agora University. What's more, he's a dad, a husband, and a lot of fun.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Dr. Johnson bakes prosphora and teaches Sunday School, but her greatest ministry is surely her work as a clinical psychologist, serving children, teens and their families and offering support for all the struggles of life.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Fr. Thomas Manuel grew up in the Church, and with his wife, Elizabeth, served four years in Guatemala and southern Mexico as OCMC missionaries. Fr. Thomas taught at the seminary of San Andres, and upon his return to the US, was ordained a priest!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Readers Stephen and Andrew Ritchey are brothers and creative partners from Birmingham, Alabama, where they serve at St. Symeon Orthodox Church. Together, they’ve released multiple books and activities, as well as an Orthodox musical children’s show.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Jane Meyer is a children's book author and editor and is heading up the new Ancient Faith Kids project on YouTube! She lives in Santa Barbara, where she homeschools her son, tends fruit trees, bakes bread, and enjoys turning cartwheels as often as possible.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Jonah Martin and his family raise goats and ducks, manage a large garden, and sell various foods and household goods at HoldfastFarmstead.com. Jonah manages St. Nicholas Press, records audiobooks, and makes wooden carved icons in the Byzantine style.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

You know Fr. Evan Armatas as the host of an Ancient Faith Radio live show, podcasts and as the author of two books, and now it's your chance to get to know him more personally!Elissa Bjeletich Davis

Kathryn is the author of "God's Saintly Friends", and is a wife and mother of four young children, Church School Director, and Adjunct Professor of History. She loves adult and children's literature and has a passion for education.Elissa Bjeletich Davis

This week, we'll be talking with Gabe Wilson, the artist behind several beautiful graphic novels about Orthodox saints. His latest, Sands of Salvation, is about St. Moses the Ethiopian!Elissa Bjeletich Davis