about our priest
Fr. James, a former United Methodist pastor and priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Grace Bishop Thomas on Aug. 23, 2009. Fr. James was the founding pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Myersville, MD (formerly in Lewistown, MD), a Western Rite parish, where he served for 17 years. His Grace Bishop John elevated him to Archpriest on March 2, 2025. Following the sudden death of Fr. Timothy Barkley on April 6, 2026, Fr. James assisted with the parish's pastoral needs in the following months and received intensive training to serve in the Eastern Rite from Fr. David Jacobs, a former pastor of St. James.
On July 1, 2026, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba appointed Fr. James as the Pastor of St. James the Apostle Church where he and Kh. Pamela have been warmly welcomed into the church community.
Fr. James authored his published master's thesis, "Orthodox Preaching as the Oral Icon of Christ," and with Metropolitan Saba's blessing, has served as a guest lecturer at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, NY on preaching and homiletics.
Fr. James and Kh. Pamela reside in nearby Thurmont, MD and enjoy visits from their four grown children and 11 grandchildren.