Holy Transfiguration holds the distinction of being the northernmost
parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and of being the
only Greek Orthodox Church in the State of Alaska. Currently served by
Father Leo and Presbytera Candace Schefe, the parish is very
Pan-Orthodox in character. Services are mostly in English with the Lord's
Prayer recited in Greek, English, Arabic,
Armenian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Slavonic. The Parish has an active
Greek School, Philoptochos, Sunday School and youth dance groups. The
major fundraiser for the Parish is the Greek Festival, which is held
annually in August and is a highly anticipated event for the community
of the City of Anchorage. The Greek Orthodox presence in Alaska
dates to the early 18th century when Greeks accompanied the first
Russian Orthodox Missionaries to Alaska. However, it was not until the
early 1900s that large numbers of Greeks first arrived to work on
construction of the Alaska Railroad. After its completion, a small
number remained in the railroad camp at the head of Cook Inlet, which
became Anchorage. For many years, the nearest Orthodox parish was St.
Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in a village 35 miles north of
Anchorage. Finally, in 1958, a small group of Greek, Russian and Serbian
Orthodox built the first Orthodox Church in Anchorage. It was a 1,900
square foot cinder block structure with a metal roof, divided into two
sections containing the church and hall and situated on a half-acre.
Visiting Russian Orthodox clergy held services until October 1959 when
the Archdiocese assigned the parish's first
priest, Father James Adams. After 1964, the mission parish had a series
of part-time or visiting priests and, for a period, the church was
closed. The oil boom of the late 1970s and early 80s brought a new
influx of Greeks who decided it was time to reorganize. Through word of
mouth and the telephone book approximately 300 Eastern Orthodox families
were identified and invited to a reorganization meeting which led to the
church once again becoming a full time parish in 1983 with the
assignment of Fr. Gregory Constantinos. Growth continued until the
late 1980s, when the bottom dropped out of the oil market. Thousands
lost their jobs and left the state. The parish lost half its active
membership. Despite this setback, determination and perseverance
prevailed, and in 1987, the parish moved from its original location to
what is still considered the .Gift
from God.
by swapping its small property for an 8,000 square foot .mansion.
on five acres. The three-story, wooden structure provides all the
working space for the community from the kitchen to the
sanctuary, which occupies the 36-foot by 18-foot former living room.
All
things are possible to him who believes.
(Mark 9:23)
Throughout our lives we have and will be tried, tested, and stretched to
our limits. Throughout the life of this community and this family
of Orthodox Christians the same can be said. We have worked hard for
nearly 50 years to keep our community active and our faith strong. We
now see the fruits of this labor in the births and marriages of the next
generation of Orthodox Christians in this community. All this has been
made possible by our hard work and faith in God. Without him our talents
and love would not be realized. The love God has for this
community is evident in the fact that we make so much happen with so
little. A testament to our labor. It will take the same faith,
love, patience, and hard work to see us through to the completion of our
dream of a new church. As we move forward and as each of us considers
our part, our pledge, and our commitment to this project let us not be
short sighted. Let us pray that God gives us the foresight to see our
future generations and make their future needs our present needs.
The message from the Apostle Mark holds true that all is possible with
our belief and faith in God. And also, with our belief, faith, love, and
commitment to each other.
