St. Gregory the Theologian Russian Orthodox Church
By CONNIE DREW
Published December 20, 2003
LOCATION: 9615 E Hillsborough Ave., Tampa; 628-0026.
SERVICES: Vespers at 5 p.m. on Saturday and eves of Holy Days; Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. on Sunday and Holy Days.
LEADERSHIP: Father Steven Sunderland.
HISTORY: The church was founded in 1963 and was built on its present grounds in 1968. St. Gregory is the only Russian Orthodox church in Florida under the protection of Patriarch Alexii of Russia. The term Patriarch is the eastern equivalent of the western term Pope. Its members are Americans of Russian descent, converts to the faith and new immigrants from Russia and Bulgaria. The church operates under the lunar-based Julian calendar and currently is 13 days behind our present Gregorian calendar. Christmas is celebrated on Jan. 7 and Epiphany is celebrated on Jan. 19.
MEMBERSHIP: 20 active members.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Father Steven is a member of the Tampa Bay Area Orthodox Clergy Association, made up of Orthodox priests from all jurisdictions including Russian, Greek, Orthodox Church in America, Antiochian and Serbian Carpatho-Russian.
NOTABLE: During the past three years, with valuable assistance from his wife, Justina, Father Steven has been rebuilding the parish. It has grown from five active members to 20. A Russian priest's wife is given the title Matushka; the Third Ecumenical Council, held at Nicea in 325 AD, commanded that all parish priests be married.
MISSION: Its mission is "to show all Orthodox Christians that they are all One church with our Lord Jesus Christ at its head."
