St. George Serbian Orthodox Church has been a part of the Stark County community since the 1950s. Our community was formed from a core group of Serbian immigrants, and their families, who desired to pass on the generations-old Christian faith of their ancestors to future generations.
What formed from a small group has since become a diverse community comprised of individuals that hail from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including (but not limited to) American, Serbian, Bulgarian, Syrian, Romanian, Irish, Croatian and Ukrainian.
What do we believe? We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one essence with the Father by whom all things were made. (read more)
The Nicene-Constantinople Creed is the clearest expression of the ancient Christian faith, and it stretches back to the very apostles, and the first-formed Christian communities. In an unbroken chain since that time, the Orthodox church has bore witness to our Lord in the face of hardship and great oppression, and continued carrying the depth of theology, history, and Christ’s salvific gospel to each new generation.
Who is welcome at this church? Everyone! Although our founding community finds their familial roots in Serbian lands, the Orthodox Church is a Christian church and, therefore, bears witness to the ‘good news’ to everyone. As you (hopefully) read above, our modern parish make-up reflects the diversity of this beautiful country in which our parish has been planted.
What to expect on my first visit? If you are new to an Orthodox Church, your first visit may seem a bit overwhelming. It is a fully-immersive worship experience.
- You will smell incense – not only a scriptural item used for worship, but one that helps pull our minds out of the noisy world outside and into the Kingdom of God;
- You will hear a choir – ‘A Capella’ music leads all the faithful in response. In Orthodoxy, a chanter or choir may lead, but the congregation prays and sings with them;
- You will feel the icon and the cross – in our church, we venerate and honor the Holy Cross, our Lord, the Mother of God, and the Saints of the Church as we kiss holy icons of them;
- You will see the majesty of the Kingdom of God – in an Orthodox church, the Kingdom of God seems ever closer to this world as you stand in the presence of the saints, usually adorning the walls in fresco and iconographic art; and, for members of the Holy Orthodox Church,
- You will taste and see that the Lord is good – in the reception of the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Practically? Our services on Sunday morning run between 60 and 75 minutes. They begin with an entrance, the preaching of the Gospel, and the sermon; the service then shifts to the sacrament of Holy Communion with the offering of the gifts and the reception of those gifts by the baptized and/or chrismated Orthodox faithful.
What should I do? Enter, find a place to stand, and hopefully one of our many friendly parishioners will greet you and make you feel at home.
Feel free to contact Fr. Aleksa for a personal welcome – he loves to sit down over coffee and meet new people!