Our Parish
About us
Who We Are
St. John the Merciful is an English-speaking Orthodox parish serving families throughout South Orlando and the surrounding Central Florida area.
Our life is sacramental. We gather for the Divine Liturgy each Sunday and receive the Holy Mysteries. We confess our sins. We baptize and chrismate. We anoint the sick. The grace of God is not abstract — it is embodied, received, and lived.
We are shaped by daily prayer, by the rhythm of fasting and feasting, and by stewardship of the gifts God has given. We fast seriously. We feast joyfully. The Church calendar forms our time and teaches us how to live.
Our aim is not religious performance, but discipleship — becoming faithful followers of Jesus Christ in mind, heart, and body. Orthodoxy is not an idea admired from a distance. It is a life we enter. A faith lived in the flesh.
This is not a new expression of Christianity. It is the ancient Christian faith lived here and now in South Orlando.
Everything in parish life flows from worship.
Centered on the Divine Liturgy
We gather each Sunday for the Divine Liturgy and throughout the year for Great Vespers, feast days, and the services of the Church calendar. Worship is not a performance but the common prayer of the people of God.
From the Eucharist flows teaching, fellowship, service, and mission. We do not build community first and add worship later. We are formed by the altar and then sent into the world.
If you would like to learn more about Orthodox worship, visit our Worship page.
Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Rooted in South Orlando
St. John the Merciful began in 2019 as a mission of the Orthodox Church in America to serve South Orlando and Kissimmee. The parish was founded out of St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church in Longwood.
The mission began with five families gathering for reader’s services and occasional Divine Liturgies served by visiting clergy. In 2021, the parish was assigned its first resident priest. In 2023, Fr. David arrived to continue the steady work of building and strengthening the community.
From those original families, the parish has grown to include men, women, and children who participate in the worship and common life of the Church. We remain committed to long-term stability and the patient growth of Orthodoxy in this region.
We are currently located in a storefront space as we work toward establishing a more permanent home that will serve future generations of Orthodox Christians in South Orlando.
Our community bears the name of St. John the Merciful, the Patriarch of Alexandria remembered for his generosity toward the poor and his pastoral care for the faithful. His example continues to shape our life together.
Our Clergy
Our parish is served by clergy under the leadership of our diocesan bishop in the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America.
Their work is to preach the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, hear confessions, visit the sick, and shepherd the faithful with steadiness and care.
Archbishop of Dallas, the South and the
Bulgarian Diocese
Rector
Retired Priest
Deacon
Lay Leaders of the Parish
Parish Council
The Parish Council assists the rector in the stewardship, administration, and practical oversight of parish life. Council members serve the community with accountability and care under the blessing of the bishop.
Council Members
Erich Bunofsky — Warden
Wendy Lee — Treasurer
Miriam Stachow — Secretary
Subdeacon Peter Porr — Council Member
Jesse Bellino — Council Member
Ministry Leaders
Many members of the parish offer leadership in specific areas of ministry, including music, education, hospitality, and service.
Choir Directors
Doreen Bartholomew
Julie Dimas
Eric Phillips
Church School Coordinator
Alison Marsh
Catechists
Subdeacon Peter Porr
Craig McCullough
Hospitality Coordinator
Christine McCullough
Choir
The choir of St. John the Merciful Orthodox Church in Orlando is at the heart of our parish life. As our community has grown from its beginnings as a small mission serving South Orlando and Kissimmee, so too has the beauty and depth of our worship. Singing together is not just something we do, it is how we pray, how we learn, and how we experience the life of the Church together.
Under the direction of Julie Dimas, the choir helps guide the flow of every service. Everything is sung a cappella, and primarily in English, allowing everyone to connect more fully with the meaning of the texts while still preserving their timeless beauty. Our music reflects both the richness of Orthodox tradition and the life of the Church here in America, blending familiar chant with newer settings that resonate with our community.
Our singers come from many different cultural and musical backgrounds, and each person brings something unique. Some have formal training, while others simply come with a love of singing and a desire to participate. We encourage children to join their voices with ours, creating what we lovingly recognize as a living, communal expression of prayer.
The choir supports not only Sunday services but also the rhythm of the Church throughout the week and across the liturgical year. In this way, it becomes more than a group of singers; it is a ministry that helps sustain the spiritual life of the parish and bring us together in prayer.
We warmly invite anyone who is interested to join us. Whether you have years of experience or none at all, there is a place for you here. All that is needed is a willingness to listen, learn, and offer your voice in prayer. We also hold rehearsals, which are an important part of growing together as a choir, and we encourage everyone to attend whenever possible.
If you have ever thought about singing in the choir, we would love to have you join us. Your voice truly has a place here.
The Orthodox Church in America
St. John the Merciful is a parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), a canonical Orthodox jurisdiction in full communion with the worldwide Orthodox Church.
We are not independent; we stand within the sacramental and canonical life of the Church under the care of our bishop and in unity with Orthodox Christians throughout the world.
