St. Elias Church
Battle Creek MI
49015
Who we are
Dear Brethren:
We sincerely extend to you a warm and heartfelt welcome to St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Christian Church!
Our humble parish is dedicated to imitating the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ by sharing the good news with our words and living it with our lives. We seek to strengthen and encourage one another in this ancient faith so that we may be equipped to welcome many more members into the fold of our parish family as fellow disciples of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
Like the mustard seed in the Gospel (Matthew13:31-32), our parish community is growing into a shady tree under which those who are outside our pasture might find shelter. To this end, our services are conducted primarily in English, enabling people from all backgrounds to find a spiritual home with us.
Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Romans 15:7).
With love in Christ our Savior, Very Rev. Archpriest Lawrence Bacik
We sincerely extend to you a warm and heartfelt welcome to St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Christian Church!
Our humble parish is dedicated to imitating the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ by sharing the good news with our words and living it with our lives. We seek to strengthen and encourage one another in this ancient faith so that we may be equipped to welcome many more members into the fold of our parish family as fellow disciples of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
Like the mustard seed in the Gospel (Matthew13:31-32), our parish community is growing into a shady tree under which those who are outside our pasture might find shelter. To this end, our services are conducted primarily in English, enabling people from all backgrounds to find a spiritual home with us.
Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Romans 15:7).
With love in Christ our Savior, Very Rev. Archpriest Lawrence Bacik
Church Website
St. Elias Church on Social Media
Holy Pentecost; Feast of the Holy Trinity. 6/12/22
Leadership
Leader Name:
Fr. Lawrence Bacik
Leader Position:
Priest
Phone:
Fax:
269-665-9548
Leader Email:
Click here to contact Fr. Lawrence Bacik
Other Church Leaders:
Mr. Fred Beronja, Parish President
Mr. Alexander Hanchar, Sacristan
Mr. Alexander Hanchar, Sacristan
St. Elias Church Service Times
Liturgical Services
Sundays 10:00AM: Divine Liturgy (Please visit YouTube for livestream services)
Saturdays 6:00PM: Great Vespers
Weekdays As announced – see monthly Newsletter
Confessions are heard following Vespers, preceding Divine Liturgy or by appointment
Baptisms and weddings by appointment
Weddings by appointment and require as much advance notice as possible
It's been more than a year since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
Sundays 10:00AM: Divine Liturgy (Please visit YouTube for livestream services)
Saturdays 6:00PM: Great Vespers
Weekdays As announced – see monthly Newsletter
Confessions are heard following Vespers, preceding Divine Liturgy or by appointment
Baptisms and weddings by appointment
Weddings by appointment and require as much advance notice as possible
It's been more than a year since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
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Other information
St. Elias Church History
Parish History
Excerpts of an article in the St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church 25th Anniversary memorial booklet, 1991 By Father Deacon Samuel Beronja
Our parish began on October 15, 1966, when arrangements were made for our first Divine Liturgy to be held in the Chapel of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Our second home was the Trinity Lutheran Church, and our third home, the Odd Fellow Hall.
Encouraged by Archpriest Photius Donahue (then-pastor of St. Andrews Orthodox Church in E. Lansing, reposed 1983) to build a mission church, energetic and devoted parish leaders searched for a permanent home, and the present property on B Drive South was selected. On October 1, 1969 St. Elias Orthodox Catholic Church was incorporated in the State of Michigan by Joyce Beronja, resident agent.
There were many who helped to make this dream come true – those seeking the funding for the property, the ladies of St. Mary’s Sisterhood who were there with food for the workers, the men of St. Elias who were the electricians, the plumbers, the painters, the laborers, etc., who truly built St. Elias Church with “their own hands,” and all of the people who assisted financially. On September 13, 1970, the first Divine Liturgy was held at our beloved St. Elias Orthodox Church.
Archpriest Photius Donahue, founding pastor served 1966-1967. Hieromonk Gabriel Loynes, 1967-1969; Priest Denis Ericson, 1970; Archpriest John Ball, 1970-1973; Archpriest Michael St. Andrew, 1973-1990 Archpriest Basil Karpelenia, 1990-1991; Archpriest James Donnely, 1991-1993; Archpriest Michael St. Andrew, 1993-2001; Archpriest Roman Star, Administrative & Acting Pastor, 2002-2005. Subdeacon Samuel Beronja has faithfully served since 1976 and consequently as protodeacon since 1983 until the present day. On February 9, 2005 the Most Rev. Mercurius (Ivanov), Bishop of Zaraisk, appointed Archpriest Lawrence Bacik as pastor.
With the help of the present membership and people who attend St. Elias, we have maintained our parish, enlarged our parish hall, added a basement, added a very modern kitchen, and purchased additional property. Both our temple and its adjacent parish hall were enlarged in 1995. A new and exquisite iconostasis handcrafted by parishioners Chris Popovich and Piku Pazik completed this undertaking in October 1995 and also blessed the same month by the Most Rev. Paul (Ponomarev), Bishop of Zaraisk.
We rejoice that during the nearly forty years of our parish’s existence, God has showered abundant blessings upon our people. May our Lord bless and prosper our labors during the years that lie ahead as we strive for the preservation and continued growth of St. Elias Orthodox Church. Well done, thou good and faithful servants of the Lord!
Excerpts of an article in the St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church 25th Anniversary memorial booklet, 1991 By Father Deacon Samuel Beronja
Encouraged by Archpriest Photius Donahue (then-pastor of St. Andrews Orthodox Church in E. Lansing, reposed 1983) to build a mission church, energetic and devoted parish leaders searched for a permanent home, and the present property on B Drive South was selected. On October 1, 1969 St. Elias Orthodox Catholic Church was incorporated in the State of Michigan by Joyce Beronja, resident agent.
There were many who helped to make this dream come true – those seeking the funding for the property, the ladies of St. Mary’s Sisterhood who were there with food for the workers, the men of St. Elias who were the electricians, the plumbers, the painters, the laborers, etc., who truly built St. Elias Church with “their own hands,” and all of the people who assisted financially. On September 13, 1970, the first Divine Liturgy was held at our beloved St. Elias Orthodox Church.
With the help of the present membership and people who attend St. Elias, we have maintained our parish, enlarged our parish hall, added a basement, added a very modern kitchen, and purchased additional property. Both our temple and its adjacent parish hall were enlarged in 1995. A new and exquisite iconostasis handcrafted by parishioners Chris Popovich and Piku Pazik completed this undertaking in October 1995 and also blessed the same month by the Most Rev. Paul (Ponomarev), Bishop of Zaraisk.
We rejoice that during the nearly forty years of our parish’s existence, God has showered abundant blessings upon our people. May our Lord bless and prosper our labors during the years that lie ahead as we strive for the preservation and continued growth of St. Elias Orthodox Church. Well done, thou good and faithful servants of the Lord!
Teach us to serve Thee
Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee more faithfully; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Thy will, O Lord our God.
St. Elias Church listing was last updated on the 16th of June, 2022
