St. John the Merciful is a mission church of the Orthodox Church in America to serve the South Orlando and Kissimmee communities founded in 2019 out of St. Stephen’s Orthodox Church in Longwood (north Orlando). After starting with five families holding reader’s services with occasional liturgies with visiting priests, the mission was assigned their first priest Fr. Phillip in 2021 and Fr. David arrived in June 2023.
From the original “five families” St. John’s has grown to a membership of fifty men, women, and children who participate in the services, ministries, and activities of our parish community.
Our community is named after St. John the Merciful, the sixth-century Patriarch of Alexandra who was known for his philantropy in distributing the wealth of the patriarchate to the poor in Alexandria. Read more about the life of St. John the Merciful.
Leadership of St. John the Merciful
His Beatitude +TIKHON, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All-America and Canada
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, is the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
Biography
His Eminence +ALEXANDER, Archbishop of Dallas and the South
His Eminence Alexander is Archbishop of the Diocese of the South.
Biography
Fr. David Galloway, Priest-in-Charge
Fr. David is the pastor of St. John the Merciful Orthodox Church. His wife Presbytera Marina helps coordinate many of the church functions.
Fr. Deacon Mark Buchman, Attached
Fr. Dcn. Mark is one of the founders of the parish and is very active in parish life.