Our Clergy
Meet the clergy at St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church.
Current St. Mary Clergy
The Very Reverend Father Aaron Warwick
Our pastor, the Very Reverend Father Aaron Warwick, was assigned to St. Mary on November 23, 2009. Father Aaron graduated with his Master’s in Divinity from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, in May 2009. Father Aaron was ordained a presbyter by His Grace, Bishop Basil of Wichita, on May 6, 2007. He was elevated to Archpriest on September 12, 2021, by His Grace Bishop Basil.
During his seminary years Father Aaron served as a part-time assistant at the Antiochian Archdiocesan Cathedral of St Nicholas in Brooklyn, New York. He also served as a full-time assistant pastor at St Michael Orthodox Church in Louisville, Kentucky, between his seminary graduation and assignment to St. Mary.
Father Aaron was elevated to archpriest in September 2021 by His Grace Bishop Basil at St. Mary.
Prior to seminary, Father Aaron graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting major) from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Between college and seminary, Father Aaron worked for the Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha as a corporate auditor. During that time he also served St. Mary Orthodox Church in Omaha as a chanter, youth group leader, and parish council member.
Father Aaron and his wife, Gwen, have four children: Emmelia, Adrian, Dominic and Simone.
Father John Baize
Father John and Khouria Cindy are from Wichita, Kansas. Father John attended Wichita State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. He and Cindy were married that same year. Subsequent to this, they attended seminary in California, and Father John graduated with a Master’s of Divinity degree in 1980.
They served various Protestant churches and were serving a small parish in Hillsboro, Kansas, in 2000 when Father John read Becoming Orthodox by Fr. Peter Gillquist. After further investigation, both he and Khouria Cindy were led by God to become Orthodox. He shared this desire with the parish and in 2001 many in the church expressed the desire to become Orthodox as well.
On Lazarus Saturday, 2002 the church, as well as Fr. John and Khouria Cindy became Orthodox. Father John began the St. Stephen’s course of study, finishing in 2003. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 7, 2003. Father John worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor while also serving the Hillsboro parish. He and Khouria Cindy served the parish until 2013. Shortly after leaving the parish, Khouria Cindy suffered a life altering stroke. Still, they were able to continue serving a small mission parish in Manhattan, Kansas, two times a month until Father John retired from active ministry in 2020 and is now attached to St. Mary, where he regularly serves with Father Aaron and Deacon James.
Father John and Khouria. Cindy have three children and four grandchildren and live in Hillsboro, Kansas.
Past St. Mary Clergy
Clergy who have served at St. Mary Orthodox Church, Wichita, Kansas (+ denotes departed).
- 1932 + Rev. Bahhah (coming from Allentown, PA)
- 1932-1938 (During this time, many priests came to Wichita to serve the community.)
- December, 1935 +V. Rev. Michael M. Yanney (from Sioux City, Iowa, but here for the laying of the cornerstone on December 8, 1935)
- + Rev. Agapios Gholam (dedicated the new church, and served the first Liturgy on April 5, 1936)
- + Rev. Methodios Shalhoub (from Kearney, NE)
- +Rev. Andrew Nasser
- +Rev. George Trad (also served in Utica, NY & Louisville, KY)
- +V. Rev. Nicholas Nahas (missionary priest, originally from Beaumont, TX, who also served in Kearney, NE and elsewhere)
- + Rev. Gerasimos Yared
- 1938-1945 +V. Rev. Nicholas Husson
- 1946-1950 + V. Rev. Basilios Mahfouz
- July, 1950-September, 1958 V. Rev. Michael Husson (church was consecrated in 1956)
- 1958-1959 +Rt. Rev. Michael Howard (occasionally would come from Toledo to help, as well as in the 60s)
- January, 1959 +Rt. Rev. Basilios Saffi
- February, 1959-May,1962 V. Rev. George P. Lambros
- 1962 Rt. Rev. Antoun (Anthony) Malik & +V. Rev. Nicholas Nahas
- February, 1963-May,1963 Rev. George David
- May, 1963-July, 1966 +Rev. Michael Hadad
- July, 1966 Rev. George David
- August, 1966-April, 1967 +Rev. Nicodeme Joseph
- May, 1967-February, 1972 V. Rev. John Essa
- 1972-1979 V. Rev. Anthony Sabbagh
- 1979-1984 V. Rev. Jason DelVitto
- 1984-1996 V. Rev. Peter Leigh
- 1996-2001 Rev. Stephen T. Ziton
- 2001-2003 V. Rev. Christopher Holwey
- late 2003- July 2004 Rev. John Meffridge
- July 2004-November 2009 Rev. Peter Smith
- November 2009 – present V. Rev. Aaron Warwick
