Gabriel Wilson

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!

Meet Gabriel Wilson

Stephen Freeman

We'll be talking with Fr. Stephen Freeman, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and author of the new book, Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame. This is your chance to learn about Father's life, and to get to know him more personally.

Get to Know Fr. Stephen Freeman

Meet Clayton Dale, aka Nomadik Vagabond (born Clayton, baptized Moses, after Moses the Ethiopian) is an Orthodox Christian living in Portland, Oregon. He’s co-host of the Brews, Beards, &amp; Shipwrecks podcast with Jamey Bennett. He’s a husband of 18 years with 2 teenagers.

Meet Clayton Dale, aka Nomadik Vagabond

Meseker Yohannes was baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. After growing up in Nevada, he went to college in California where, after graduating, he began working as a software engineer at a solar software startup. He and his wife currently live in Dallas, TX.

Meet Meseker Yohannes

Derek Cummins

Derek grew up in a nominally Christian home, but REALLY met Christ while touring with a heavy metal band. He was a pastor in a charismatic church until deeper study led him to Orthodoxy. Derek and his wife, Rebekah, have 3 children.

Meet Derek Cummins

Sarah Byrne-Martelli

We'll be talking with Sarah Byrne-Martelli, a board-certified Orthodox Christian Palliative Care Chaplain, health care researcher, and author of Memory Eternal: Living with Grief as Orthodox Christians. Sarah and her husband Peter and son Rafael live in the Boston area.

Meet Sarah Byrne-Martelli

Meet Ioana and Sebastien! Dr. Ioana Popa is back, and she is bringing her husband, Sebastien Falardeau! We'll be talking about their experience of finding one another after divorce, embarking on a second marriage, and blending their families. Sebastien loves to cook, Ioana loves to garden, and together they co-founded Team For The Soul®. Hear all about it.

Meet Ioana and Sebastien!

On Everyday Orthodox, Susan is a licensed clinical social worker and has been providing mental health care for the veteran population for 8 years, and she has a passion for advocating for mental health resources within Orthodox parish settings, particularly in ethnic parishes where the stigma of seeking care is prevalent. She is the current Vice-President of OCAMPR. Prior to this role, she served as the co-chair for the Needs Assessment Working Group with the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops' Mental Health Task Force. She also served, for 6 years, as the Diocese of South-West America Secretary for the Department of Counseling Services with the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church, where she was raised.  She now attends St. Makarios the Great Orthodox Mission in Chicago, where she and her husband, Brandon, await a new addition to their family in October. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, hosting family &amp; friends, staying active and walks to the great Lake Michigan.

Meet Susan Zacharia

Katrina Bitar

On Everyday Orthodox, meet Katrina Bitar! Katrina has dedicated her life to serving Christ through work with young people. After graduating from St. Vladimir’s Seminary, she became the Director of Youth Equipped to Serve and worked for years as a summer camp director. Katrina's heart for service, for people, and for Christ is apparent in everything she does and we think you'll enjoy getting to know her.

Meet Katrina Bitar from YES

On Everyday Orthodox, we will be live with Nazo Zakkak, the composer of the groundbreaking Mandarin Chinese Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom album commissioned and produced by Ancient Faith Ministries' Chinese Language Division.

Meet Nazo Zakkak

How well do we know the people beside us at liturgy? Every one of them has a story to tell, whether it’s a love story, a war story, a comedy or a tragedy, a tale of an immigrant's struggle or a heartfelt conversion story. The Church is a community of human beings with unique personal narratives and perspectives, and the more we understand and appreciate one another, the better unified our community can be.

Interesting, inspiring interviews - with the type of people you would like to have a conversation with - it has a call-in component, so if you listen live through ancientfaith.com on the first and third Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern, you too can join the conversation.

Inspiring Interviews

Everyday Orthodox

Charles Youngblood

Elissa Bjeletich welcomes Charles Youngblood! From his work as an assistant Navy Chaplain (serving in combat in Iraq) to his years with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Waco police force, he has so much interesting and valuable experience to share. Now a student at St. Vlad’s, Charles hopes to make use of his training certification to help Orthodox communities fight child abuse and sex trafficking.

Meet Charles Youngblood

Anna Crawford

Joining Elissa Bjeletich tonight is Matushka Anna Crawford the author of the excellent Orthodox resource for miscarriage and infancy loss,Lost Innocents, as well as the author of the blog, Praying With My Feet, and is the creative genius behind Cozy House Curios, a popular line of handmade items including censers and priest and nun dolls for children. Mentioned in the show was a Service after a miscarriage or still birth.

Matushka Anna Crawford on Miscarriage

Bev's first love is writing for young adults, and now she has given herself to writing Akathists. Hear about her work and her life in Victoria, British Columbia.

Meet Bev. Cooke

Annalisa Boyd

Don't miss this fascinating interview with Annalisa Boyd, mother of 9, foster mother of many more, and author of the popular prayer book for teens - Hear Me.

Meet Annalisa Boyd

The unlikely story of Fr. Kaleeg Hainsworth will give you renewed hope in the providence of God. Learn about his journey but also about his film project The Face of God, a documentary exploration into the beauty of God's creation.

Meet Fr. Kaleeg Hainsworth

Nicholas Kotar

Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.

Dn. Nicholas Kotar

Basil Rodzianko

Bishop Basil

This Thursday on Everyday Orthodox, we'll talk with Marilyn Swezey, who is a wonderful storyteller with an inspiring love for our Orthodox faith. Marilyn worked with Bishop Basil for twenty years, and can tell us many stories about this holy man's beautiful life. You may already know Bishop Basil Rodzianko from the instant classic, Everyday Saints, in which Archimandrite Tikhon introduced us to a holy, loving and regal bishop who broadcast his Orthodox radio program in Russian on the BBC, infiltrating the Soviet airspace via radio waves throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s. After the death of his beloved wife, he was made a bishop, but he was concerned that because he had not lived a monastic life, he had never properly practiced obedience -- so his spiritual father, Met. Anthony Bloom, assured him that he would be in obedience to everyone under him, and he took that very seriously. In his later years, in Washington DC, Marilyn worked closely with Bishop Basil, truly a living saint, and we'll hear all about his life, as well as Marilyn's life, which was truly transformed by her contact with him.

Bishop Basil Rodzianko

Jamey Bennett

Jamey Bennett visits Elissa's Austin studio! Jamey's rap group Royal Ruckus released their latest album, Unexpected Joy (dedicated to the Holy Theotokos), on the Feast of the Dormition—and they're in Austin for a release party. Join us as we talk to Jamey about the journey that led him to become so active in the Orthodox Church and the independent hip-hop scene.

Meet Jamey Bennett

Summer is the mother of five, a student of theology, and an autistic woman parenting autistic children. How can our Holy Church welcome and support everyone, no matter their disabilities?

Meet Summer Kinard!

Fr. Seraphim talks about his very interesting life and work— from the small mission he's built into a beautiful and strong parish, to a robust prison ministry which carries him all over the state, to his work with the Church in Africa!

Meet Fr. Seraphim Holland

Alexis Pappas

Alexis Pappas works in youth ministries and religious education at her parish in Birmingham, Alabama. Her joy is contagious.

Meet Alexis Pappas

David Surrett

Born in Selma, Alabama, to a Southern Baptist family, David was called to ministry from an early age. He gave that all up to embrace Orthodoxy.

Meet David Surrett

Elissa interviews Anna Cory about finding your niche in the Orthodox Church on a brand new Everyday Orthodox, a live show on Ancient Faith Radio.

Finding your Niche

Bobby Maddex

Molly Sabourin

Bobby Maddex is AFR's fearless station manager, and his sister, Molly Sabourin, is the original Orthodox influencer and all-around creative spirit. Hear about their new book club and how these two siblings get along.

Meet Bobby Maddex and Molly Sabourin!

Nicole Roccas

This Thursday night on Everyday Orthodox we'll be talking with Dr. Nicole Roccas! Nicole is an American convert who moved to Canada to be with her Greek Orthodox Canadian husband. She's fascinated with time and writes the beautiful podcast Time Eternal, and has just published her first book, Time and Despondency. Nicole is a scholar, a writer, and a really funny person. I think you're going to like her

Dr. Nicole Roccas

Gail Saenz

Gail is a retired music teacher and a convert to Orthodoxy. Formerly a pastor in a Charismatic church, Gail had some amazing experiences on the road to the Orthodox faith.

Meet Gail Saenz!

Nick Nicholson joins us live to talk about the Monastery of Mesa Potamos' new intimate and lively biography of the Romanov family, which is based on diaries, letters, and memoirs never before seen in English.

The Romanovs

Timothy Patitsas

You'll enjoy Elissa's conversation with Dr. Tim Patitsas, ethics professor at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, MA. You'll hear about his upbringing in Kent, Ohio, his relationship with urban planning author Jane Jacobs, his work with Beauty First Films, and a new very non traditional calendar you may want to see.

Meet Dr. Timothy Patitsas

Christian Gonzalez

Elissa Bjeletich welcomes Christian Gonzalez, a Young Adult Ministries Coordinator for the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. His newest podcast is We Are Orthodoxy.

Meet Christian Gonzalez

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Interesting Stories & Things

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!