Directors
Our Youth Ministries are lead by a dynamic group of people that brings the Orthodox Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ alive for our youth and young adults. We invite you to learn more about them.
Directors and Heads Of Youth Ministry *arranged in no particular order*
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His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America
Youth Director
Jennifer Morris
Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern)
Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Program Administrator
Email: jenniferm@armeniandiocese.org
Jennifer Morris graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching. She was an elementary school teacher for 7 years before leaving teaching in 2005 to begin her ministry at the Diocese of the Armenian Church in NYC. She has served in various ministry roles through the years, and currently serves as the Program Administrator for the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, focusing her time working with the ACYOA Seniors Central Council and Hye Camp (IL), while also assisting with St. Vartan Camp (NY) and ACYOA Juniors. She has worked from a home office in Michigan since 2011. Jennifer strives to ensure that the Armenian Church and its youth ministry initiatives continue to remain relevant and engaging for today’s youth and young adults. She loves to travel and explore new places with her daughter, Grace.
Director of a Head Start Daycare Center, and, while doing so, opened up and became the Director of a second Center. While pursuing her career, she also worked for the Church. She served as the Secretary of the Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC), and was a church school teacher at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. She also worked in her community. She was a longtime President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at her children’s school and served as a board member for the Southern Tier Women’s Club, an organization which helped women in crisis. Currently, she is also the organizer of the Pañi Ministry in the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, and a committee member for the Young Adult Retreats at Camp Nazareth. Together with her husband, Fr. Stephen, Pañi Daria is the proud mother of four beautiful children. She balances family life with her ministry commitments, drawing strength from her faith and Diocese.
Father Stephen Loposky
American Carptho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America
Youth and Camp Director and Chancellor of the ACROD
Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries - Camping Ministry
Erin Ghata
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries - Youth Ministry
Erin serves as the Youth Ministries Director for the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Antiochian Archdiocese. She is a proud graduate of Kansas State University and loves working with Teen SOYO, camp and anything that involves getting to know young people in the Church. Erin served as the parish youth director at St. Elijah in OKC from 2007-2016, and also served as the Diocese of Wichita Youth Director from 2010-2021. She also cherishes her role as the Program Director for Camp St. Raphael (YABOY!). She is married to Joe Ghata and they've Ghata a couple of furry beagles named Toby and Gus.
V. Rev. Fr. Philip Tolbert
Director, Bulgarian Orthodox Youth Apostolate
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada & Australia
Bulgarian Patriarchate
Email: sttheophan@sbcglobal.net
The Very Reverend Father Philip Tolbert is an archpriest in the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada & Australia (Bulgarian Patriarchate), and has been the Director of the Bulgarian Orthodox Youth Apostolate since the departments creation in 2006, at that time bringing to it nearly two decades of prior experience in ministry with Orthodox youth, young adults and families in a wide variety of parish, regional conferences and camp settings.
Eva Konstantakos
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Email: y2am@goarch.org
Eva Konstantakos serves as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y 2 AM) for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and holds the distinction of being the first woman in this role – appointed by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros in 2022. With over 20 years of experience in youth and young adult ministries, including serving as Y 2 AM Director for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit (2003-2022), she actively contributes to various youth and young adult initiatives at the parish, Metropolis, Archdiocesan, and Pan-Orthodox levels. These included parish youth and young adult ministry development, campus/college ministry, summer camps, youth worker training, youth safety, and curriculum development. Eva also serves on the Executive Committee of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship Board of Directors. An alumna of Ball State University (BA in Communications) and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (M.T.S.), Eva is originally from Anderson, Indiana and currently resides in Windsor, Ontario (Canada) with her husband, Sarantos. Website: y2am.org
V. Rev. Fr. Dr. David G. Subu
Email: frdavid@stmaryorthodox.orgFr. David Subu has been working with the youth of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America in the OCA since 1998, having served as lead teacher and assistant director for many years at Camp Vatra (Senior Camp, ages 14-17). He completed an M.A. from Western Michigan University in Comparative Religion (1997), an M.Div. from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (2000), and a D.Min. from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (2018). He is a full-time parish priest in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside our nation’s capital.
Na
talie Kapeluck-Nixon
Chairman Orthodox Youth Directors in North America
Director, UOC of USA Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Email: uocyouth@aol.com
Natalie has served as the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA since 2000. Her role as National Youth Director also encompasses supervision and planning of the camping ministry programming. She obtained her B.A. in the arts from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Kapeluck-Nixon sits on the Board of Directors for Orthodox Christian Fellowship and currently serves as the Chairman of the Orthodox Youth Directors in North America.
Pañi Nicole Choma
Intern with the Orthodox Youth Directors in North America
Email: nicole.m.choma@gmail.com
Pañi Nicole and her family currently serve St. Mary's Orthodox Church in Endicott, NY in the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese. A graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University and a dedicated former employee of Camp Nazareth. She enjoys web design and uses Canva regularly. Her role at St. Mary's and for OYDNA is to help facilitate their websites and social media pages to keep all of you up to date and connected!