Our Parish

How We Began

A few folks in Abilene discovered Orthodox Christianity and began praying and studying together in the late 1990s. Fr. Peter Jacobsen was sent to serve the fledgling Orthodox Christian community from 1998-2000. Fr. John Winfrey served the community from 2000-2003, during which time it received the name of St. Luke. After holding services in the chapel of McMurry University for five years, St. Luke moved into its own building in 2003. Fr. Michael Keiser, a missions priest for our Archdiocese, began visiting the parish that year in order to conduct services. Fr. Philip, who embraced Orthodoxy together with his family in 2000, was ordained as a deacon in 2004 and a priest in 2006, and serves as our pastor. St. Luke provides a rich liturgical life and has introduced many residents of the Big Country to the Orthodox Christian faith.  Our members also do what they can to show the love of Christ to their neighbors.