FIND YOUR FAITH
At Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church, we believe that everyone can benefit from the teachings of Christ and the Holy Fathers. Whether you are a lifelong Orthodox Christian or are just beginning to explore the faith, we invite you to join us and to find your own path to spiritual growth and fulfillment. To learn more about our community and our services, please visit us in person or explore our website.
PARISH BEGINNINGS
CIRCA 1975
The parish of St Herman of Alaska, Langley BC began as a small mission parish in 1976, when a group of parishioners from the predominately Russian Holy Resurrection parish in Vancouver decided to start an English mission in the lower mainland.
​
These few faithful, led by Dr Edward and Mrs Vivian Hartley, with the bishop’s blessing, began to hold Reader’s services in their private back-yard chapel. Eventually they found a priest to serve them, Fr Stephen Slipko, then of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. So it happened that the English mission was received into the Ukrainian jurisdiction—even though none of its members were Ukrainian and all its services were in English.
​
The mission was served by a succession of clergy, some resident, some visiting. By 1986, they were again without a priest. After a year of holding Reader’s services in the back-yard chapel, through the arranging of (then bishop-elect) Fr Seraphim (Storheim), they learned that a seminarian of St Tikhon’s, soon to graduate, was interested in coming to Canada to do English mission work. This priest, Fr Lawrence Farley, came to do some services and to visit in May 1987. The parish decided then to “return home” to the OCA so that Fr Lawrence could be assigned by Metropolitan THEODOSIUS (then locum-tenens for the Archdiocese of Canada, until Fr Seraphim could be consecrated ruling bishop).
​
The parish, now newly-returned to the OCA, continued to hold services in the Hartley’s backyard chapel as Fr Lawrence served the small mission and worked at a full-time secular job to support his wife, Donna, and their two young daughters. The mission grew in size, eventually outgrowing its original cozy chapel. It found rented quarters for a time in an Anglican church in Surrey, then in a disused United Church in Langley. This facility it also rented, pulling out the pews and installing an iconostas. At that time the parish had grown enough that Fr Lawrence was able to resign his secular job to work full-time for the parish. It then consisted mostly of young people, students, and young families.
​
In 2002 the parish purchased its own property in Langley, BC. The former building on this property was renovated and transformed into an Orthodox Church, with small church hall.
​
Over the course of the next 17 years the community saved funds with the plan of building a proper Orthodox Church building on this same property. Fr. Gregory Wright joined St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church community with his family in 2001.
​
While Fr. Gregory grew up in the Russian Orthodox Church, he desired to find an Orthodox parish in the English Language where his wife and children could understand the Divine Services.
​
In 2008 Fr. Gregory was ordained to the Holy Diaconate. Over the course of the next 15 years, Fr. Gregory became increasingly involved in the community as its Protodeacon, Treasurer, and manager of the construction of its new church building.
The current church building was completed in 2023.
​
Fr. Gregory was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on Dec 1, 2024. He has since served as acting rector of the community. The parish continues to grow in its mission of preaching the Gospel in the English language to those searching for Christ and His Church in the Greater Vancouver area.
OUR CLERGY
Father Gregory Wright
Fr. Gregory grew up in the Russian Orthodox Church attending both ROCOR and OCA parishes. On his maternal side, his grandparents were both founding members of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church (OCA) in Vancouver. His Grandfather was Parish Council President for over 20 years; and his grandmother was Treasurer for over 35 years. Together they were instrumental in building the new church building for Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church (its current building). His aunt's father was Fr. Andrei Somow who likewise served for many years as a deacon, and then as Archpriest and Rector of Holy Resurrection. His mother (Laresa) was very involved with the Orthodox Youth Ministry at Holy Resurrection, and then later served faithfully both in the Choir, and in the sisterhood at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR). On his paternal side, his father (Vadim) grew up in San Francisco, and he worked together with Fr. Seraphim Rose in the writing and publishing of the 'Orthodox Word', and in establishing the First English Language Liturgy served at the ROCOR 'Joy of All Sorrows' Cathedral in San Francisco, under the blessing of then Archbishop John (St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco). This Liturgy continues to this day, and is served once per month in English at the Cathedral. His father was also trained in San Francisco as Choir Director. St. John blessed Vadim to move to Vancouver, and he continued to serve as Choir Director until his falling asleep in the Lord in 2015. Growing up in the Russian Orthodox Church, Fr. Gregory started serving in the Altar at 6 years old; then reading the Epistle and singing in the Choir from the age of 14. While Fr. Gregory grew up in the Russian Orthodox Church (attending both OCA and ROCOR parishes), he desired to find an Orthodox parish in the English Language where his wife and children could understand the Divine Services. He joined St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church community with his wife (Matushka Ana) and his two children in 2001 Fr. Gregory spent the next several years serving in our parish as Reader, Choir Member, and as a Parish Council Member. Fr. Gregory then spent 3.5 years in theological studies at what was then affiliated with the University of Winnipeg as the St. Arseny Orthodox Christian Theological Institute. In 2008 Fr. Gregory was ordained to the Holy Diaconate. Over the course of the next 15 years, Fr. Gregory became increasingly involved in the community as its Protodeacon, Treasurer, and manager of the construction of its new church building. The current church building was completed in 2023 Fr. Gregory was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on Dec 1, 2024. He has since served as acting rector of the community.
Father Lawrence Farley
Father Lawrence, born in 1954, completed his M. Div. at Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology in 1979. After 6 years in pastoral ministry with the Anglican Church of Canada, he entered the Orthodox Church and completed a Certificate program at St. Tikhon’s Seminary in Pennsylvania and was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. Since 1987 he has served as the pastor St. Herman of Alaska Church in Langley BC, a missionary parish of the OCA (Archdiocese of Canada) founded by local laity, which has since grown to attain regular parish status and purchased its own building. Several priests, deacons, and lay members of new missions have emerged from the membership of St. Herman’s. Fr. Lawrence is the author of the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series from Conciliar Press, and of a number of other books and articles, and appears in regular weekday podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio. He regularly contributes a column to the official OCA website , which can be accessed here. He also contributes to "Pemptousia", the website of Vatopaidi monastery on Mount Athos and has a blog on Ancient Faith publishing, "No Other Foundation". He lives in Surrey, B.C. with his wife Donna. Fr. Lawrence Retired as of December 2024, and he remains attached to the parish as Rector Emeritus.
Father Symeon Price
Father Symeon and his family were received into Orthodoxy by baptism in 2012 at St. Herman's, having formerly pastored an Evangelical congregation in Abbotsford. He recently received his Master's degree from the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College, Toronto. He was ordained to the diaconate in 2018 and lives in Abbotsford with his wife Christa and their four children. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in 2018 and lives in Abbotsford with his wife Christa and their four children. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on March 27, 2022 and remains attached to St. Herman's, while also serving as Pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Mission in Kamloops, BC.
Deacon Theodore Matson
Reverend Deacon Theodore Matson was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by the hand of His Eminence Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa and the Archdiocese of Canada on December 1, 2024. Deacon Theodore and his wife, Matushka Barbara, have been married for 34 years and have three adult children and three grandchildren. Deacon Theodore is a graduate of Trinity Western University (BSc. Biology, 1991), and is also a graduate of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diaconal Vocations Theological Training Program (DVP) in 2024.
Prior to his ordination to the Holy Diaconate, Deacon Theodore served the parish of St Herman’s as an Acolyte, Reader and Subdeacon. Deacon Theodore has also been an active member of the St Herman’s parish council since 2022, and currently serves on the parish council as Treasurer.