Our Clergy
Father David Bleam
The V. Rev. Fr. David Bleam is from Southeastern Pennsylvania and is married to Kh. Nora. They have three school-age children. He was ordained to the priesthood on February 13, 2006 by His Grace, Bishop THOMAS at his home parish, St. Philip’s Antiochian Church in Souderton, PA.
He is a graduate of St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary and is currently studying for his Doctor of Ministry degree through Pittsburg Theological Seminary.
Father David’s homilies can be listened to here.
Father Ernesto Obregon
The V. Rev. Fr. Ernesto M. Obregón was born in Cuba, sent to the USA as a refugee child and grew up in north-central Ohio. He was drafted during the Viet Nam era and served in the Army as a Medical Laboratory Specialist. After discharge, he finished his Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at Kent State University (KSU), a Master of Arts in New Testament and Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS), and a Master of Arts in Philosophy at Cleveland State University (CSU). He met his wife of over 40 years, Presvytera Denise, at KSU. They and their children served as missionaries in Bolivia and Perú for 10 years, 1990-2000, where Fr. Ernesto was ordained as an Anglican priest. Upon their return, Fr. Ernesto served as the Hispanic Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. In 2004, Fr. & Presvy. converted to Orthodoxy. Fr. Ernesto was ordained an Orthodox priest in 2007, and served a mission parish in Melbourne FL from 2007-2010. Fr. Ernesto returned to Birmingham in 2010, and worked at the VA hospitals in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa until his retirement. During this time period he finished a Master of Science in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). During that time he was, and continues to be, attached to this parish.
Father Ernesto’s Orthodox blog can be found here.
Deacon Simeon Spencer
Deacon Simeon (Jeffrey) Spencer was elevated to the diaconate by Bishop Antoun on January 15, 2012, at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he and his family have attended for 30 years. He is married and has four grown children.
He earned a BA and an MA in Philosophy from Georgia State University and an MA in Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS) where he is currently a PhD student. Deacon Simeon is coordinator of the Orthodox Academic Society, which holds bi-annual symposia featuring the works of AHOS graduate students and is currently in the process of publishing the first edition of the OAS Journal. He also works as a teaching assistant at AHOS and has previously taught at colleges in the Atlanta area.
An Air Force brat, he was born in Minot, North Dakota, moved around a bit, then moved “back home” to the South to finish high school in Atlanta and has lived here ever since. He now lives in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta.