Welcome
Welcome to Holy Cross Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, located in the heart of Huntsville, Alabama, and serving the North Alabama Orthodox Christian Community.
Founded in 1964, the church was formed by a few Greek immigrant families and began services with part-times priests in various locations around the city. A permanent location was found and, in 1972, we built the cornerstone for our current church. The community now consists of Orthodox Christians across many ethnic backgrounds, including Albanians, Ethiopians, Belarussians, Bulgarians, Egyptians, Georgians, Greeks, Lebanese, Palestinians, Romanians, Russians, Syrians, Thai, and others across the Orthodox world as well as American converts to the Orthodox faith. We strive to continue to be a witness to Orthodox Christianity, the third-largest Christian body in the world with an unbroken history of 2000 years.
When you walk through our doors, you will find a warm, welcoming, and diverse community of Orthodox Christians who live and worship together as a family in order to deepen our relationship with the Triune God, thus becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter. 1:4) with “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), and “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), as the Apostles Peter and Paul teach us in the Holy Scriptures.
Persons of all backgrounds are welcome to worship with us.
On behalf of our community, I welcome you to “Come and see!” Please feel free to contact us by phone or email, or to ask to speak to us in person at the Church. May God be with you all.
Yours in Christ’s love,
V. Rev. Timothy Cremeens, PhD
Holy Cross / Ss. Constantine & Helen Orthodox Church
3021 University Drive, NW
Huntsville, Alabama 35816
706-627-9257
Founded in 1964, the church was formed by a few Greek immigrant families and began services with part-times priests in various locations around the city. A permanent location was found and, in 1972, we built the cornerstone for our current church. The community now consists of Orthodox Christians across many ethnic backgrounds, including Albanians, Ethiopians, Belarussians, Bulgarians, Egyptians, Georgians, Greeks, Lebanese, Palestinians, Romanians, Russians, Syrians, Thai, and others across the Orthodox world as well as American converts to the Orthodox faith. We strive to continue to be a witness to Orthodox Christianity, the third-largest Christian body in the world with an unbroken history of 2000 years.
When you walk through our doors, you will find a warm, welcoming, and diverse community of Orthodox Christians who live and worship together as a family in order to deepen our relationship with the Triune God, thus becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter. 1:4) with “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), and “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), as the Apostles Peter and Paul teach us in the Holy Scriptures.
Persons of all backgrounds are welcome to worship with us.
On behalf of our community, I welcome you to “Come and see!” Please feel free to contact us by phone or email, or to ask to speak to us in person at the Church. May God be with you all.
Yours in Christ’s love,
V. Rev. Timothy Cremeens, PhD
Holy Cross / Ss. Constantine & Helen Orthodox Church
3021 University Drive, NW
Huntsville, Alabama 35816
706-627-9257
OUR CLERGY
Fr. Timothy Brant Cremeens, born on August 31, 1958, grew up in Springfield, Ohio. Raised in an Evangelical church of the Wesleyan Holiness Tradition, Fr. Timothy had a profound experience of conversion to Christ in 1972, during the height of the Jesus Movement, which set the course of the remainder of his life. In the middle 70’s he became involved in the Charismatic Movement that was sweeping the Christian Churches throughout the world. He married Tammy Kennedy in 1983 and they have three adult children.
Before Fr. Timothy’s reception into the Orthodox Church in 1987, he served as an Evangelical-Pentecostal pastor in several different congregations in Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut, and New York. He attended St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, graduating with an MDiv in 1993.
Ordained a Deacon in 1991 and Presbyter (Priest) in 1992, he has served Antiochian, Albanian, OCA, and Greek Orthodox parishes in Connecticut, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Alabama. In 2011 Fr. Timothy was awarded a Ph.D. in Renewal Studies (Church History) from Regent University School of Divinity and has taught at several different colleges and universities. In 2017 He was elevated to the dignity of Archpriest. He is the author of Marginalized Voices: A History of the Charismatic Movement in the Orthodox Church in North America, published by Wipf & Stock.
Fr. Timothy has represented the Orthodox Church at numerous international and regional Ecumenical conferences. He serves on the Board of the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL), is the Spiritual Advisor of the Brotherhood of St. Symeon the New Theologian and a committee member of the Orthodox Christian Academy of Atlanta. He is a member of the Orthodox Theological Society, the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the Charismatic Leaders’ Fellowship, and the Wesleyan Theological Society.
He is a member of the Alleluia Community, an intentional ecumenical Charismatic community in Augusta, Georgia. Fr. Timothy has served as the pastor of Holy Cross/Ss. Constantine & Helen Church since May 2019.
Before Fr. Timothy’s reception into the Orthodox Church in 1987, he served as an Evangelical-Pentecostal pastor in several different congregations in Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut, and New York. He attended St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, graduating with an MDiv in 1993.
Ordained a Deacon in 1991 and Presbyter (Priest) in 1992, he has served Antiochian, Albanian, OCA, and Greek Orthodox parishes in Connecticut, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Alabama. In 2011 Fr. Timothy was awarded a Ph.D. in Renewal Studies (Church History) from Regent University School of Divinity and has taught at several different colleges and universities. In 2017 He was elevated to the dignity of Archpriest. He is the author of Marginalized Voices: A History of the Charismatic Movement in the Orthodox Church in North America, published by Wipf & Stock.
Fr. Timothy has represented the Orthodox Church at numerous international and regional Ecumenical conferences. He serves on the Board of the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL), is the Spiritual Advisor of the Brotherhood of St. Symeon the New Theologian and a committee member of the Orthodox Christian Academy of Atlanta. He is a member of the Orthodox Theological Society, the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the Charismatic Leaders’ Fellowship, and the Wesleyan Theological Society.
He is a member of the Alleluia Community, an intentional ecumenical Charismatic community in Augusta, Georgia. Fr. Timothy has served as the pastor of Holy Cross/Ss. Constantine & Helen Church since May 2019.
Ministries
Outreach
The Mission of the Outreach Ministry is to renew and share the Orthodox Christian Faith in America by nurturing a deeper commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ within His Church, by reaching out to inactive Orthodox Christians and to the unchurched and by meeting the needs of those inquiring about the Orthodox faith. We gather for coffee hour after church on Sundays, offer classes on the Orthodox faith during the week, and become involved with the local community through charity work.
Prison Ministry
The Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry serves those who are incarcerated and provides resources, training, and support to our ministry partners so that lives are transformed and God is glorified. We accept that each person is made in the image and likeness of God and that person is worthy of compassion and respect.
Bookstore
The St. Anne’s Bookstore & Gift Shop offers a wonderful selection of books regarding the Orthodox faith available for purchase. Also available are beautiful icons, incense, prayer ropes, and a variety of gift items for people of all ages. When planning a baptism or wedding, stop by the Cathedral Book and Gift Shop and purchase candles, stefanas, or just to get some ideas. The staff is here to help you after Liturgy on Sundays.
Youth Initiatives
Sunday School
The Sunday School Program is a religious education program for preschool through high school aged students. Staffed by dedicated and trained volunteers, students participate in weekly classes following Holy Communion each Sunday during the academic year.
Special events and projects include:
Special events and projects include:
- Youth Sundays
- Snack Packs for the Homeless
- Angel Tree
- Christmas and End of Year Programs
- Sunday of Orthodoxy
- and Palm Sunday Processions.
GOYA
The Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA) is open to youth ages 9th – 12th grades. GOYA is an important organization that enables our youth to establish an Orthodox identity by growing in their faith and establishing friendships. Our youth are given the opportunity to establish bonds with GOYAns from other parishes through the Winter Youth Rally (December 27-30), the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival and St. Stephen’s Summer Camp.
St. Stephen’s Summer Camp
Our St. Stephen's Summer Camp has a rich tradition, dating back to the 1980s, and is grounded on the principals of living a true Orthodox lifestyle with twice daily liturgical services, opportunities for reflection, community living and meals, athletics, arts & crafts, and nightly social activities. St. Stephen's Summer Camp offers teens entering 6th through 12th grades (when school begins in the fall) an opportunity to spend a week at our camp.
For more information visit https://atlmetropolis.org/st-stephens-summer-camp
For more information visit https://atlmetropolis.org/st-stephens-summer-camp
Online Orthodox Parenting and Family Resources
There is an extensive list of on-line resources available to parents and children who want to learn more about the Orthodox Faith. Be the Bee is a brief weekly video series on Youtube that focuses on the various ways in which God has infused all of creation with goodness and beauty. It is about finding God in everything.
https://bethebee.goarch.org/
https://bethebee.goarch.org/
Soak up the Son
Soak Up the Son is a summer program designed for individuals, couples, and families alike. This ten-week seasonal series is offered as a reminder “to commit ourselves and one another and our whole lives to Christ our God.”
Visit https://www.goarch.org/soak-up-the-son to learn more.
Many other articles and resources can be found at https://www.goarch.org/family-articles
Visit https://www.goarch.org/soak-up-the-son to learn more.
Many other articles and resources can be found at https://www.goarch.org/family-articles
Philoptochos (Friends of the Poor)
The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that has offered 88 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world. The Society was established in November 1931, by the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I, who was then serving as Archbishop of North and South America.
Philoptochos fulfills its mission to “help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters through its National and Metropolis Boards and its 26,000 members and more than 400 active chapters, nationwide. Philoptochos responds immediately to needs and crises and its philanthropic outreach extends to each area of the country and throughout the world.
We have a very active local chapter open to both women and men in our Parish. Our current local mission projects are Hope Place, Our House, Salvation Army and Dress a Girl Around the World. For more information visit our national website at https://www.philoptochos.org/
Contact Us
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