Halifax, England, September 9, 2025
antiochian-orthodox.com
A former Evangelical congregation in Halifax, England, marked a significant milestone this weekend as 34 members were received into the Antiochian Orthodox Church on Saturday, September 6, followed by the ordination of their former pastor to the diaconate the next day, reports the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.
The journey began in 2018 when Pastor Doug Clark relocated with his family from southern England to Halifax, where he founded Hope Church in a socially deprived area of the town. What started as an Evangelical ministry gradually evolved as Pastor Clark began studying Orthodox Christian teachings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he deepened his research into Orthodox beliefs, including the Real Presence in the Eucharist, Baptism, Confession, and Mary as Theotokos, subsequently incorporating these teachings into his church services. The turning point came in 2024 when he attended Vespers at St Aidan’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Manchester, convincing him that Hope Church needed to join the Orthodox Church.
Fr. Gregory Hallam of St Aidan’s agreed to guide the congregation through the conversion process, which officially began in February 2025 with most Hope Church members becoming catechumens.
antiochian-orthodox.com
The reception service took place at Dean Field Primary School, where the community had previously held Sunday services. His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan of the British Isles and Ireland presided over the Baptisms and Chrismations, assisted by Fr. Gregory, Fr. Michael from St Constantine’s in York, and other clergy. The venue was filled to capacity with catechumens, Godparents, families, and well-wishers.
Doug Clark, who took the Orthodox name Caedmon, received Holy Communion in preparation for his ordination the following day.
On Sunday, September 7, nearly 100 people gathered at St Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, where Caedmon was ordained as a deacon. The congregation responded with traditional cries of “Axios!” as Met. Silouan celebrated the ordination, assisted by multiple clergy and altar servers from St Aidan’s, St Constantine’s, and the newly formed St Hilda’s parish.
The new Orthodox community had celebrated its first Divine Liturgy on August 17th, with Orthodox faithful from various parishes visiting to support St Hilda’s.
In his address to the newly ordained Deacon Caedmon, Met. Silouan emphasized both service to God and to the new parish, while stressing that Orthodoxy represents one unified family welcoming its new members.
In March, the Transfigured Life, with Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff and Justin Menard, interviewed then-Pastor Doug Clark about the path to holy Orthodoxy for him and his parish.
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