Mission expands area's Orthodox offerings
Former Charismatic Episcopal priest heads congregation using Western rites for worship
Mission expands area's Orthodox offerings

By Carla Hinton

Published: February 16, 2008

The Rev. Mark Wallace, a former Charismatic Episcopal priest, now leads a new mission church under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.

Wallace was ordained as an Orthodox Christian priest last month in Kansas. His new congregation, called St. Andrew Orthodox Church, meets Sundays at St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, 15000 N May.

Wallace had been a clergyman with the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, but he and his congregation left the denomination about a year ago. They made the decision to become part of the Orthodox Christian church last Lenten season. Just before Wallace's recent ordination, about 30 members of his former Holy Trinity Charismatic Episcopal congregation received the sacraments of the Orthodox Christian church during a Chrismation ceremony.

Wallace and St. Elijah pastor Constantine Nasr said about 20 more members of Wallace's congregation are expected to be chrismated or "sealed” as part of the Orthodox Christian church before Easter.

Wallace and Nasr said the new church is different because it will follow the Western rites of the Orthodox Christian Church.

St. Elijah follows the Eastern rites of the Orthodox church.

The clergymen said there are several differences in worship style between the Eastern and Western rites. However, Nasr said "the doctrines, the traditions are the same.”

Some worship differences involve music, they said.

In the Eastern Orthodox rite, only a cappella singing is allowed, while the Western rite allows the use of an organ.

Communion is served differently as well.

As part of the Eastern rite, bread is mixed with the Communion wine, and the priests offers it by spoon to congregants. In the Western rite Communion, bread is placed on the tongue of the congregant, and wine is drank from a communal chalice. Also, Nasr said congregants participate in Communion standing up in the Eastern rite, while the Western rites typically involve kneeling.

Nasr said the Eastern liturgy is longer than the Western liturgy.

He said as an Eastern Orthodox priest, he had kept an open mind about helping Wallace and his congregation as they begin their church with the Western rite.

"There is hope for Christians,” Nasr said.

"They can find the Eastern expression or the Western expression. We rejoice that Mark and his parish have come to the Orthodox church.”

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