Glory to Jesus Christ! Thank you for your help! St. Brendan’s in Bullhead Arizona is doing very well, thanks be to God and to the devotion of her members. Since my arrival, we’ve added several Orthodox members, six catechumens and several inquirers. As I’ve mentioned before, St Brendan’s went through its first Great Lent and[…]
Fr. Mark Hodges is an Orthodox mission priest and former Baptist. In this interview with Share the Faith, Fr. Mark equips Orthodox Christians to understand and answer the claims of Baptists and Evangelicals about the Bible, the Christian Faith, believing only “what is in the Bible”, veneration of Mary, and more.
Fr. Mark Hodges is the first full time priest at St. Brendan the Voyager in Bullhead City AZ. This mission parish is the only Orthodox presence in a growing tri-state area for hours in any direction. The mission survived for 5 years off reader services and the support of a dedicated, largely formerly Evangelical core group. Their faith and dedication in sustaining a mission were rewarded with the assignment of Fr. Mark Hodges to pastor them.
Missions are hard. As you read through this update from Fr. Mark, imagine the personal sacrifice needed to build an Orthodox parish from scratch. To serve Christ in this mission, Fr. Mark has to spend long months away from his large family. To save money, he is living in two rooms provided by one of his families. The faithful have to work hard as well. Many necessary items at the parish are handmade such as the iconostasis and the cross for the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross pictured below. Things those of us in established parishes simply take for granted can be challenging for a new mission.
Blessing kilts? Blessing motorcycles? Fr. Mark Hodges shares insights into mission work among American evangelicals. Fr. Mark, originally a Baptist before finding the true Church, is blessed with an opportunity in Bullhead City AZ. The only Orthodox presence for a two-hour radius in fast-growing Northern Arizona, the mission has survived for over 5 years on reader services and visits from clergy. Fr. Mark is their first fulltime priest, and he is thankful for the opportunity, the loving parishioners, and the support Share the Faith.
