Parish History

Founded in 1969, Fr. Athanasius Emmert began pasturing a flock of 20 Orthodox families of Middle Eastern descent immigrants gathered in each other's homes. Led by the Holy Spirit, they were inspired to establish something special, much more than a building.  

Even though Holy Spirit Orthodox Church and St. George Greek Orthodox Church are still in close fellowship, the language barrier was a problem. Most of our church's forefathers came from Lebanon and Syria to Huntington, WV, and like many early immigrants, they needed their church to be spoken in their native Arabic language. With the help of the Pallotine Sisters of St. Mary’s Hospital, our group finally had a chapel located on McCoy Road.

By that fall, Metropolitan PHILIP named the mission “The Mission Parish Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit.” Later, for the sake of brevity, the name was shortened to "Holy Spirit Orthodox Church."

The next year, a fundraising drive was conducted to purchase a permanent location for the young parish. In October 1969, the Board of Trustees bought the former Church of Christ building at 2109 Tenth Avenue. The sanctuary was then converted into a suitable Orthodox house of worship.  

Fr. Athanasius served from its inception until December 1973, then The Rev. Fr. Anthony Bassoline served as “interim Priest” from January 1974 until July 1974.

The years between 1974 and 1980 were a time of significant spiritual and physical growth under the Rev. Fr. Alexander Vukovich. Huntington area residents became more familiar with the Orthodox faith through the written and spoken word, utilizing the local media at every opportunity. During this period, the number of converted members became equal to that of the cradle Orthodox.

Fr. John Morris served our parish for six years, beginning in June 1980. During this time, the parish became more involved in the Archdiocese's activities, and speakers were frequently invited to hold retreats to teach the Orthodox faith.

Emphasis was placed on the necessity of embracing proper Orthodox ecclesiology for the stability and well-being of the parish. During this time, major renovations were made to the church property, including the installation of the Platytera and Pantocrator icons on the ceiling.

In August 1986, Fr. Daniel Keller was assigned to Holy Spirit, and he stressed the importance of the parish as a true community of believers. The parish's services were expanded with daily Vespers and several all-night vigils, making it necessary to renovate and double in size.

In August 1997, Fr. Joseph Cervo and his family came to Huntington, emphasizing proper Orthodox ecclesiology as key to church stability. During his pastorate, a weekly Orthodox educational series was included in the local paper to bring greater awareness and understanding to residents around Huntington.

In 1999, Mark Hagan was ordained to the diaconate to serve the parish, and it was during this time that interest grew in building a new church for the community. The existing property required significant renovations, and concern was raised over the decline of the surrounding residential neighborhood. In 1999, the church property was placed on the market for sale, and a committee was established to raise funds and search for a suitable location.

In a surprising move, a buyer was found for the current church building before a new location could be agreed upon. In the spring of 2000, the parish voted to accept a purchase offer from the Full Gospel Assembly. It moved into temporary quarters that Fifth Avenue Baptist Church graciously provided for the next three years.

In 2001, during the Midwest Region Parish Life Conference hosted by Holy Spirit, parish son, Richard Dixon, was ordained to the Holy Priesthood, taking the name of John (St. John the Theologian). On August 1 of that year, he was assigned as pastor of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church.

That same month, Deacon Mark Hagan was ordained to the priesthood and assigned as pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church of Iron Mountain, Michigan. Fr. John continued his secular employment as the Director of Development and Planning for the City of Huntington to free up additional funds for the church construction.

In May 2002, the parish purchased two tracts of property at Woodhaven Drive and 5th Street Road for $189,000. These tracts consisted of 1.7 acres on the south side of Woodhaven and .69 acres on the north side of Woodhaven. That fall, Edward Tucker Architects was hired to design the new church. The project was put out to bid in late winter of 2003, and Jarrett Construction was contracted to build the new church for $980,000.

In May 2003, Bishop DEMETRI blessed the property and construction. By Christmas of that year, the building was completed, and the parish family moved into their new home. After serving almost four years as a part-time priest, Fr. John Dixon was able to resign from his secular employment and became a full-time priest in May 2005.

In its 50-plus years, Holy Spirit Orthodox Church has been blessed by Godly priests and faithful parishioners who have endeavored to witness Christ and the Holy Orthodox faith. The parish has also been blessed to offer several sons to the Church as priests.

In addition to Fr. John Dixon, they include:

• Fr. Tom Gallaway, pastor of St. Andrew Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lexington, KY
• Fr. Mark Hagan, pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Iron Mountain, MI
• Fr. Samuel Haddad, pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church of Beckley, WV
• Fr. Alexis Duncan, pastor of Our Lady, Joy of all Who Sorrow Russian Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA
• Fr. Adam Horstman, pastor of St. Anthony the Great Mission in Rock Hill, SC
• Currently, as of May 2025, Nathan Johnson and his family are at the St. Tikhon's Seminary in Pennsylvania 

Glory to God for all things!