One of the extremely complicated issues with which Orthodox parents must contend these days is that of homosexuality. How do we talk to our kids about same-sex desires and relationships and how do we do so with the sensitivity, nuance, and frankness that the topic requires? At the request of Carole Buleza, the Director of the Antiochian Department of Christian Education, Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, about how to talk about marriage, intimacy, and homosexuality with your children.

At the dinner following the 33rd Annual Schmemann Lecture at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, Dr. Charles Ajalat, the former chancellor for the Antiochian Archdiocese and the co-founder of International Orthodox Christian Charities, presented a plan for a governing structure of the world wide Orthodox Church. Also see transcript below. Earlier in the evening, Dr. Ajalat received an honorary doctorate in Canon Law. Here he is with his January 31, 2016, proposal.

John Maddex interviews Kevin Allen about the new live call-in program coming to Ancient Faith Radio on April 22. Learn about the topics and plans as well as how you can be involved,

Jane G. Meyer is the Children's' Book Editor for Ancient Faith Publishing, and she joins us to talk about the importance of Orthodox books for children as well as an opportunity to help support new publications.

Madre Inez (Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage) and John Maddex talk about the move of the children from Guatemala City to the beautiful mountains and their new home. Help them finish the project and move in with the construction completely paid off!

Bobby Maddex interviews Carole Buleza, the Director of the Antiochian Department of Christian Education, which will be hosting the 2012 Orthodox Institute from November 1 through 4 at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

Bobby Maddex interviews Kyra Limberakis, the director of the CrossRoad program at Hellenic College under the Office of Vocation and Ministry. Applications for CrossRoad are due February 1 and can be found online here: https://www.crossroadinstitute.org/apply. Eligible applicants are Orthodox Christian high school juniors and seniors. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email crossroad AT hchc.edu

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green, pastor emeritus at Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, about his role in the Ancient Faith Ministries Conference "Facing Forward: An Ancient Faith Conference for the Second Half of Life."

Bobby Maddex interviews Bill Marianes, host of the live call-in show Stewardship Calling, about his role in the Ancient Faith Ministries Conference "Facing Forward: An Ancient Faith Conference for the Second Half of Life."

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Jason and Savannah Foster, founders of the new Orthodox Christian Deaf Association, or OCDA.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Samuel Seamans, the founder of the Orthodox Christian Anxiety and Depression Support Group.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick hosts a moving interview with Deacon Gabriel Abdel Nour of St. Demetrios Orthodox Church in Beirut (Achrafieh), Lebanon, sounding notes of both sorrow and hope in the midst of destruction from the recent explosions, economic desperation and pandemic.

Bobby Maddex interviews Donna Haddad and Monica Youssef about the upcoming Orthodox Christian Attorney Network Conference on Saturday, October 17th. Donna and Monica share how past years' conferences have benefited them both personally and professionally. This year the free virtual conference features Archbishop Michael Dahulich, Hon. Stephanos Bibas, and Steven Christoforou. Find out more and register for this amazing conference here!

Bobby Maddex interviews Philip Mamalakis and Dean Theophilos about the upcoming OCAMPR 2020 Conference. This year's virtual conference on Friday, November 6th and Saturday, November 7th is titled ​"Christ, The Measure of Wellness: Healing Mind, Body, and Soul”​. Anyone is welcome to attend this conference and hear theological, medical, and psychological perspectives on mental health from amazing speakers such as His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević) of Los Angeles and Western America of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Dr. Georgette Constantinou, Ph.D., and Dr. Dan N. Cotoman, MD. Attendees also can participate in breakout groups, networking opportunities, and more! Learn more and register at OCAMPR's website!

Bobby Maddex interviews Reader Nicholas Chapman, Dn. Paul Siewers, and Kh. Frederica Matthewes-Green about the new title from Holy Trinity Publications, Healing Humanity: Confronting Our Moral Crisis. Listen in as they discuss the conference that inspired the book as well as timely topics such as sexuality, freedom, theosis and the challenges that Christians face as they stand for traditional values. This incredible title can be purchased directly from Holy Trinity Publications here.

Bobby Maddex interviews Konstantine Pandolfi, Archimandrite Maximos Weimar, and The Reverend Deacon Dr. Pavlos Siewers about The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr. The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr is an international, religious, pan-Orthodox, confraternal order of Christian chivalry. Its mission is to help peacefully defend, sustain and preserve the continued existence and wellbeing of the Orthodox Christian Faith within the Holy Land, the Middle East, and wherever the Orthodox Church and her faithful are either persecuted or in need. Learn more about the order and how to get involved here!

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick interviews Serbian Orthodox priest Fr. Milorad Orlic regarding the recent passing of His Holiness, Patriarch Irenej of Serbia.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Thomas Colyandro and Hieromonk Mark about the new Orthodox Monastery of the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow in Monteagle, TN. Listeners can learn more and help support this amazing monastery here.

Bobby Maddex interviews Elaine Piniat, a brand new OCMC missionary to Sweden. Click here to read Elaine's newsletter. You can find her bio on the OCMC website here. Find out how you can donate to her missionary efforts.

St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery has a real need and we can help. The Abbot of the monastery is Archimandrite Sergius and he joins us to talk about building a new structure on the monastery grounds serving the community of monks who pray for us daily. Learn more on their Go Fund Me page and do what you can to help!

Bobby Maddex interviews John Heers, the director of the First Things Foundation, about the organization's work with the COVID virus.

Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk tough ministry questions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. How do a bishop and his clergy struggle to minister in these conditions? What about new technology? How do we relate to government? Also joined by Fr. Thomas Zain and Fr. Nicholas Belcher, His Eminence addresses head-on the pain and difficulty we're all facing, covering practical matters as well as bigger theological and spiritual questions, collected directly from concerned listeners. This in-depth interview wraps up with questions on his time with St. Paisios, communing the non-Orthodox, and the future of monasticism in his archdiocese.

We talk with Fr. Theodore Petrides about his fascinating life and his new AFR podcast Signs In Our Times.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Dragos Herescu, the principal of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, England, and Father David Lowell, one of the IOCS Trustees and the Chair of the Friends of IOCS in the States. They discuss recent developments at the Institute, including new partnerships with organizations and schools in North America.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Chad Hatfield and Hollie Benton about an exciting event coming up in September at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. The meeting is called The National Orthodox Advanced Leadership Conference.

Bobby Maddex interviews a handful of OCF students and alumni about the importance and reach of Orthodox Christian Fellowship. In part, the students discuss the OCF Now Campaign. Help OCF reach $25,000 by August 4, and this amount will be matched! Find out more here.

Bobby Maddex interviews Anne Van Fossen and Bryan Smith. Anne is the chief academic officer of the Classical Learning Resource Center, or CLRC, and Bryan is the school’s Chief Operations Officer. The CLRC is offering a 10% discount off any CLRC Christian Studies class for AFR listeners for the next two weeks. The coupon code is AFRDiscount10.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dean Triantafilou and Stacey Mason of International Orthodox Christian Charities. Stacey Mason has worked in international relations for 15 years. Over the years, she has visited over 35 countries and has earned advanced degrees in international affairs. Stacey has served as Director of Operations for International Orthodox Christian Charities, or IOCC, for the last 5 years, where she is responsible for relief and development programs in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the US.   Constantine “Dean” Triantafilou has been leading IOCC for over two decades, where he brings a deep commitment to serving the Church and others.  Starting in the field, he has held several leadership roles within IOCC and served as a board member with international and domestic alliances, giving him a unique perspective on the organization and the humanitarian industry. As Executive Director and CEO, Dean guides IOCC’s strategic priorities and direction. 

Richard Barrett, protopsaltis and choir director at Holy Dormition Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, MA—and the co-host of A Sacrifice of Praise—interviews Amy Hogg, Samuel Herron, and Gabriel Cremeens, the individuals behind the new Trisagion School of Byzantine Music, an online Byzantine Chant training program whose mission it is to offer Byzantine Chant instruction in English with a focus on the ever-growing English-language repertoire available in Byzantine notation.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick interviews Fr. George (Jurgis) Sungaila, a young Orthodox priest serving in Vilnius, Lithuania, and an outgoing blogger and YouTuber dedicated to preaching Christ in a post-Soviet country that has known Orthodox Christianity for at least 700 years. They discuss Fr. George's conversion to Orthodoxy and his ministry, as well as the Three Holy Martyrs of Vilnius (the Protomartyrs and Protectors of Orthodox Lithuanians), what it's like to be Orthodox in Lithuania, the relationship of Lithuania with nearby Russia, the emergence of the Orthodox Church in newly-independent Lithuania in the 1990s, the new auxiliary bishop just consecrated for the country, and Orthodox pilgrimage sites in this small country on the Baltic sea. You will also hear Orthodox liturgical music sung in Lithuanian by Fr. George's wife, Justina, and her choir.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. James Jordan and Sr. Christine Helfrich of Gloriae Dei Cantores, the choir that just recently released a new collection of compositions by the acclaimed Arvo Pärt called Stabat Mater: Choral Music of Arvo Pärt .

John Maddex talks with the team behind the Icons of Sound project that resulted in Cappella Romana's chart-topping surround-sound recording, Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia. He talked with the four people integral to the project: Alexander Lingas (Music Director of Cappella Romana), Bissera Pentcheva (Professor of Art and Art History, Stanford University), Jonathan Abel (Professor at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, Stanford University), and Mark Powell (Executive Director of Cappella Romana). Order the CD and related resources Also check out Icons of Sound at Stanford University

Fr. Barnabas Powell interviews Fr. Evan Armatas about Fr. Evan's new Ancient Faith book Toolkit for Spiritual Growth.

Bobby Maddex interviews Irina Paert of St. John's School in Tallinn, Estonia. Find out more about how you can support Orthodox education in Estonia here or by contacting Irina at irina.paert@pjk.ee

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. John Hickey, parish priest of Three Patrons of Ireland Antiochian Orthodox Church in Dublin, Ireland. Together they discuss the history of the Church in Ireland, the current state of Orthodoxy there, and the ways in which it is expanding into the future! Learn more about Orthodoxy in Ireland by visiting The Antiochian Orthodox Church in Ireland or by checking out their Facebook Livestream.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Nicholas Reeves about the upcoming AFR event, Christmas Across the Continent: Lessons and Carols featuring Six Choirs. Make sure to tune in this Saturday, December 19th at 7 pm (Central) on our streaming music & talk stations or simultaneously catch the podcast version with video under the "specials" tab to join us for this spectacular musical celebration of our Lord's Nativity!

Bobby Maddex interviews Rita Madden, a Master of Public Health, a registered dietician, and the host of the AFR podcast Food, Faith, and Fasting, about her upcoming virtual conference.

Bobby Maddex interviews Jessica Laarman, the Group Leader of a new project titled Single and Orthodox, an attempt to connect actively practicing single Orthodox Christians together and build new relationships.

John Maddex catches up with his long time friend Fr. Constantine Nasr, retired priest at St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church in Oklahoma City. Fr. Constantine has maintained his evangelistic spirit even in retirement and he shares information about a new outreach tool he recently created.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Peter Patitsas, author of The Athos Diet: Before There Was Atkins, There Was Athos, about the importance of fasting and ketosis to physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. John Burgess, a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, about the graduate school's Eastern Christian Doctor of Ministry Cohort, a new academic offering presented in partnership with Antiochian House of Studies.

Bobby Maddex interviews Georgia Georgiou, a member of the executive committee of SOFIA, which stands for Student Orthodox Fellowship in Australia.

Bobby Maddex interviews Razvan Porumb from the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, UK. Together they discuss distance learning degree programs, upcoming lecture series, the wealth of content on the institute's YouTube page, and more! All of this can be found on the IOCS webpage.

Bobby Maddex interviews Andrei Oprescu, the director of the new documentary People of the Holy Mountain, a film featuring the Orthodox monks of Mt. Athos.

Bobby Maddex speaks with Fr. Chad Hatfield, President of St. Vladimir's Seminary, about the application process for—and new developments at—the school, including the establishment of an on-campus Ancient Faith Radio remote studio.

Bobby Maddex speaks with Michael Jones, Archimandrite Meletios Pantic, and Fr. Paul Patitsas about the Orthodox apostolic missionary movement in the area of Oceania. Together they discuss the growth of Orthodoxy in the South Pacific including the building of new churches and training of native priests. Listeners can learn more and support missionary efforts by visiting the websites of the Orthodox Apostolic Ministry of the Holy Metropolis of New Zealand and Orthodoxy for Tonga.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Nicholas Andruchow, the newly appointed Executive Director of Project Mexico. Together they discuss the ministries of Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage, as well as the bold and exciting vision Fr. Nicholas has for future expansion. You can find out more about this amazing ministry and explore ways to give your time, talent, and treasure at their website here.

Bobby Maddex interviews Andrew Lekos, the Teams Director at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), about the short-term mission opportunities available at OCMC.

Ancient Faith Radio welcomes the Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Missions Center, Fr. Martin Ritsi, to our studio. The phone number for OCMC was misstated in the interview. The actual number is 1-800-GO-FORTH.

OCMC missionary Fr. Paul Patitsas joins us to talk about his work in New Zealand and Oceania.