By SAVANNAH ROGERS

Staff Writer

Southside Atlanta's first Orthodox Christian church is in the works, and likely will find its home in Peachtree City.

For many years, residents of the southside have had to travel from 45 minutes to an hour each way into Atlanta to participate in the church services and activities of the various Orthodox churches. Soon that may change.

On April 1, a group of 13 Orthodox Christians gathered in Peachtree City to discuss the establishment of an Orthodox mission church for those who live in Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Henry and South Fulton counties.

As a result of this meeting, a brief vesper service followed by catechism (instruction) in the Orthodox faith, and a brief meeting to plot out the next steps, will be held April 21 at 7 p.m. at The Estates clubhouse on Oaklawn Court in Peachtree City. The public is invited. The Rev. Father Peter Shportun, pastor of Saint Elias Antiochan Orthodox Church in Atlanta, will guide the service. He has participated in mission parishes before.

"We're in the exploratory stages" of choosing a location for the church, Shportun said. "We're looking at all the options, not just Peachtree City. But for the time being, Peachtree City seems to be the most central, the most widely recognized and the most accessible."

He said many Orthodox Christians on the southside either attend his church, in downtown Atlanta off Ponce de Leon, or drive to the northside. He noted that convenience is a big reason for the move to start a new church here.

"When you travel into the city during the day all week, the last thing you want to do is get up on Sunday morning and drive an hour, hour and a half to church." After you have lunch and drive back home, Shportun added, "that's your whole day."

This potential Orthodox mission church is Pan-Orthodox in nature, embracing various ethnic backgrounds and traditions. This will minister to Orthodox Christians and those interested in the Orthodox faith who, because of distance, are unable to fully participate in an Orthodox Christian community, Shportun said.

For further information about the formation of the new church or the first service, call Shportun at 404-378-8191 or e-mail to shport@mindspring.com.

According to church leaders, the Orthodox church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, handed down by the ancient Christian fathers and 19 centuries of church tradition. Currently there are more than 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, with approximately 10,000 living in the metro Atlanta area.

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