Seeking Christ in the Historical Church
by Pastor David Hovik
Holy Trinity Church
Arlington, Washington

With only two weeks before the new Sunday School quarter was to begin, it was too late to ask anyone to step in and teach. So I decided to offer a class in “Church History” as an adult elective. I had been teaching this course at a private Christian School and had always wanted to present this material at church. However, I wasn’t sure anyone would show up.

To my amazement we had about fifty adults. Because of their enthusiasm I decided to do the most thorough study of “church history” I had ever done.

With two theological degrees and fifteen years in the pastorate, I had done a fair amount of reading up to that point. Yet, most of it was in secondary sources.

I certainly was not prepared for the shock I was about to receive as I began to read the actual writing of the early Church Fathers. The more I read, the more I realized that the faith and practice of the “early church” did not resemble the faith and practice of the evangelical churches of North America today.
At this time I also received a copy of the book Becoming Orthodox by Fr. Peter Gillquist, from a member of our congregation. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put that book down. It was amazing to discover that a group of 2,000 evangelicals had been on the same journey and struggled over the same questions with which we were wrestling. The evidence of their study lead them to an inescapable conclusion: The Orthodox Church was the only group that had maintained an unbroken history of Apostolic succession, faith and practice from the Day of Pentecost until today.

Where was I to turn? As soon as I finished the book I phoned Fr. Peter Gillquist and he put me in touch with an Orthodox priest, Fr. James Bernstein, who lived near me.

We began to meet for lunch once or twice a month and he gave me book after book to read. Many other Orthodox clergy of Washington state were equally helpful. I was also able to meet with his Grace Bishop BASIL and discuss our situation.

Over the past four and a half years, with God’s help. I have patiently shared all of this with my congregation, trying to be a caring, loving shepherd who understands how difficult a transition like this can be for an entire church body.

Has it been easy? On the contrary, it has been harder than I could have imagined, Many families were unwilling to even consider Orthodoxy. Some could not care less what the early Church believed. Others were worried about what friends or relatives would think and say.

But there were many who were willing to read (we began a small bookstore), pray and attend seminars with Fr. Peter Gillquist, Fr. John Braun, and others. Slowly, a core group began to form who truly embraced the ancient Faith.
On March 3 of this year, I preached a sermon in which I recounted our journey and stated that the time had come to pursue formal reception into the Orthodox Church via the Antiochian Archdiocese. Our church council decided that we would begin the formal catechism process after Easter (Pascha). This will involve about forty families.

The result of that first phone call? By the Grace of God there will be a new Orthodox parish in Arlington, Washington before the close of 1996. We at Holy Trinity Church give glory to God for His mercy on our behalf and ask for your continued prayers.

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Editor’s Note: Holy Trinity Church, formerly Grace Community Church, is preparing itself to apply to the Antiochian Archdiocese for acceptance as a Western Rite parish serving within the Deanery of the Western States.