• St. Paisios Orthodox Church is a mission congregation of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. (Acts 11:26) www.antiochian.org

  Our services are led by Fr. Ambrose Liston a former Lutheran pastor who has been received into the Orthodox Church. Weekly worship times are 5pm Saturday nights and 10am Sunday mornings. Often there are additional services throughout the week. Please check our monthly calendar listed on this site or call our Church at (928) 503-4018. Check our contact page for directions to services

  Our goal is in establishing a Christian Orthodox Church in Yuma, bringing the faith and life of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church to the Desert Southwest.

   

 What on Earth is the Orthodox Church?  

Quite simply we are the unbroken continuation of the Church that was promised by Jesus, birthed at Pentecost and founded on the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone.

Jesus Himself promised that He would build His Church and the gates of hades would not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) We believe the words of Jesus that the Church He established, the Original Church, did not disappear, nor apostatize into false teachings (if She did, so much for Jesus’ promise) but still remains to this day. Historically, apostolically and theologically the Orthodox Church can trace Herself back in a direct and unbroken line to the Apostles.

The authority for His Church was given specifically to His chosen Apostles through the promise of Jesus, and the Original Church was given the entire Christian faith. “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13) “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3)

The Orthodox Church continues to hold to, guard and teach the Apostolic Faith, that faith that was planted in the Church by the Apostles both orally and in writing. “So then, brother, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

We are not a denomination as we existed hundreds of years before there was any such innovation.

We are Catholic. While many understand the word Catholic means universal, it also speaks to universal internal agreement. As noted above we have not deviated from the Apostolic Faith, nor are we a later innovation based on someone’s personal interpretation of the Scriptures.

Your Bible came from us. It was the historical Church in Council that made the determination through the leading of the Holy Spirit what books were considered part of the Biblical Canon and which books were not.

We are Orthodox but not to be confused with Jewish Orthodox. Orthodox is the combination of two words. Ortho which means straight, correct, true and doxa which means worship or praise. Orthodox is often used to speak of right teaching or right doctrine. While many have come along over the centuries and have added to or taken away from the faith, we maintain the Apostolic Faith without adding to it, nor taking from it. Orthodox also speaks to our worship, which is a Biblical worship rooted in the Old Testament, and fulfilled in the New Testament as the Heavenly worship mentioned in such books as Hebrews and Revelation. Worship and prayer could be called the heart and soul of the Orthodox Church.

To sum this all up we are, quite simply, the Church of the Apostles, the New Testament Church who not only remains faithful to Her roots, but has continued uninterrupted for 2,000 years.

St. Paisios Parish History

June 2012

• Yuma Christian Orthodox Mission started in Yuma, Arizona, at Arizona Western College with the blessing of Metropolitan PHILLIP of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.

December 2013

• With AWC being closed for Christmas break, services were moved to Reader Terry Liston’s house/garage.
• An altar, chanter’s stand and Proskomide table were set up for worship.
• It was decided that the services would continue in the garage rather than returning to the college.
• The first Divine Liturgy celebrated in Yuma, AZ was served in early 2014 by Fr. John.

February 2015

• The Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Chrismation is celebrated for the first time in Yuma, AZ with Fr. David Kruse as the celebrating Priest.

January 2016

• YCOM rented a building (double wide) at 8621 S Frontage Rd. in the Yuma Foothills, where we currently reside.
• That same month Fr. John Finley blessed the building.
• The next 2 months were spent changing the interior from an office into a Church.
• During this time, with the blessing of Metropolitan JOSEPH, Yuma Christian Orthodox Mission was officially recognized as a Mission Congregation in the Antiochian Archdiocese receiving the name of St. Paisios as Patron Saint.

March 2016

• The first of our monthly Divine Liturgy services was held at St. Paisios Orthodox Mission.
• A Parish Council is established with the approval of Father John Finley consisting of Reader Terry Liston as Chairman, William Katerinis and Hristina Baughman as Secretary/Treasurer.
• November--Reader Terry Liston is Ordained to the Holy Deaconate as Deacon Ambrose at St. Raphael’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Thousand Palms Ca. by Bishop DEMITRI.

January 2017

• The Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Chrismation is celebrated for the first time at St. Paisios Mission with Fr. John Finley as the celebrating Priest.

2018

• The first Holy Week/Pascha services were held @ St. Paisios led by Fr. Andrew Kearns.
• Fr. Andrew is a Greek Orthodox Priest/Chaplin with the U.S. Navy and was in Yuma for the Spring Training Exercises at MACS 1.
• During 2018 Danny Bryant is nominated and elected to Parish Council.
• December—Deacon Ambrose was ordained to the Holy Priesthood, now Fr. Ambrose by Metropolitan JOSEPH at St. Raphael’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Thousand Palms, Ca.
• He was assigned as Priest to the St. Paisios Mission.

2019

• January—Karin Remneff was nominated and elected to the Parish Council taking on the role as Secretary.
• William Katerinis becomes the Council Chairman.
• During this time expansion to the Church facilities was addressed.

2020

• March—Due to the outbreak of Covid 19 the live streaming of services was implemented which were eventually discontinued as Covid abated.
• August—The first Sacrament of Holy Marriage was celebrated at St. Paisios Mission.

2023

• January—Michael DuBois nominated and elected to parish council.
• New Church plans were presented to the Congregation.